Here is no patriotism,
no community of feeling as to religion or birthplace, no influencing
attachment from high considerations, or great honours and rewards.
Our native army also is extremely ignorant, capable of the strongest
religions excitement, and very sensitive to disrespect to their
persona or infringement of their customs. . . . In the native army
alone rests our internal danger, and this danger may involve our
complete subversion. . . .
'All these facts and opinions seem to me to establish
incontrovertibly that a large proportion of European troops is
necessary for our security under all circumstances of peace and war.
. . .
'I believe the sepoys have never been so good as they were in the
earliest part of our career; none superior to those under De Boigne.
. . I fearlessly pronounce the Indian army to be the least efficient
and most expensive in the world.'
The events of 1857-9 proved the truth of Lord William Bentinck's wise
words. The native army is no longer inefficient as a whole, though
certain sections of it may still be so, but the less that is said
about the supposed affection of mercenary troops for a foreign
government, the better.
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