The victories in the Punjaub have been duly followed by
the pro- clamation of peace and the pageant of reconciliation. Dhuleep Singh confessedly holds his throne under a British suzerain ; and a great escort of honour, which accompanied him back to his citadel-, attested his splendid captivity. The threatening symptoms of future troubles in the province, however, had no intermission, even while the victory was celebrated by shows. The temper of the people is suspected. The very means of our success has en- feebled what might have formed some guarantees for peace. The power of the Native rulers was before too weak for its task : we have now completely broken it down. Gholab Singh has proved traitor to his natural allies, in order to be our tool : we have made him suspected and envied, and as a British servant his influence is per- haps more precarious. It seems ungracious to say this of our in- strument, but it is true : Gholab Singh has shown no real inde- pendence, no sincere patriotism' but a very evident desire to side with the safest and strongest. He is a lucky accident for us, but we owe him no gratitude. The Sikh army has been disbanded; and soldiers of fortune, whose occupation is gone, are prowling about the country in thousands, stung by all the angry "'clings of defeat, want, and baffled hopes of plunder. What order there re- mained among the corrupted people we have disorganized; and to the emasculated Government we restore the taik.of keeping the peace
