The British alliance with Burmah seems to be doing an
infinity of mischief with no corresponding good. The Burmese are very discontented with their King, who is a sort of rough copy of Ismail Pacha of Egypt, and treats his kingdom as a great slave estate on which every one is to work for his profit. The people would carry an Oriental Reform Bill,—that is, would put him to death and set up a better man ; but they think that alliance implies armed intervention, and are afraid of losing their independence. Our prestige supports him, as our armies would do. That is all fair, provided we control his acts ; but this we do not do, and the total result of our interference is to produce the worst form of government known to exist among men, an Oriental monarchy relieved from the fear of insurrection. We may be compelled to protect our own sub- jects in Burmah, but for the Viceroy to hold the King's sons as State prisoners in Chunar, lest they should rebel against him, seems to us an outrage. We might as well arrest all Reds in England, lest some European throne or other should come crashing down, and make us cough a little with the dust.
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