ASPERSIONS thrown out in an anonymous PAMPHLET, "REFLECTIONS UPON THE PRESENT STATE of our EAST-INDIA AFFAIRS." By his FRIENDS. In the Course of this Work, many important Facts are laid before the Particularly the various Caufes which brought on the Ruin of our Settlements LONDON: Printed for T. BECKET and P. A DE HONDT, near Surry Street, [Price Three Shillings and Sixpence.] TO THE PROPRIETORS O F EAST-INDIA STOCK, AND THE T HE anonymous pamphlet, published Tuesday the 6th inftant, under the title of Reflections on the prefent State of our Eaft-India Affairs," being plainly calculated to anfwer the purpofe of a day only; it should feem hardly worthy yours or the public notice: nor indeed fhould we have thought it worth ours, did it not afford us a favourable opportunity of laying open fome material facts, which we think claim your attention, and will deferve your thanks. The title-page of this Pamphlet fays it is wrote "By a Gentleman long resident "in India," but furely no Gentleman could fall fo much below that character, as this anonymous author does, in low perfonal abuse and fcurrility; though the ས་ obvious venom of the heart that dictates through the whole, will defend against its influence and intended impreffions. We rather think, from the mixed style, that this production is the joint efforts of two fmall geniuses; the one, pert, coxcomical, affecting wit and metaphor; the other, of meagre, dufky afpect, stalking forth with pompous diction! founding epithets! long-winded, metaphorical bombaft! and tedious declamations!From the bilious complection of this Shakespear's Caffius, what can flow, but envy, rancour, and bittereft reflections? Whether thefe things clubb'd their geniufes, or transfufed each to other his fpirit for this paltry talk, is not very material;-none but they, or fuch-like, could furely be capable of fuch a performance. Whatever may have been the Authors intention by the exordium, laboured progrefs, and conclufion of this anonymous Pamphlet, the whole of this unconnected piece feems huddled together, more particularly to introduce the perfonal attack in the centre; against this attack we fhall chiefly raise our batteries,―previously demolishing fome of their scattered out-works, (unfupported by each other) as they fall in our way, and intercept our match." The falfe and fcandalous lights, which Anonymous throws on the motives that induced Col. Clive's fucceffor to form fome change in the political state at Bengal, are fo fully confuted in that Gentleman's Addrefs to you, that nothing more is wanted here, to enforce conviction to honeft impartiality. The partial and malicious are not to be convinced by facts or argument; indeed it makes not for their prefent purpofe to own it, though they are: To thefe we do not write. Thefe are hardy enough to charge this Gentleman (page 37) with forming a fcheme to depofe Mhir Jaffier, in favour of Mhir Coffim, "almost as soon as he came to power;" though he has proved, beyond contradiction, that he fupported Mhir Jaffier with fpirit and perfeverance, as long as there was a remaining poffibility of doing it, almoft to the ruin of your affairs; fo tenacious was he of the treaty fubfifting between the English and Mhir Jaffier, even though he had violated every article of it, in effect, by the fingle step of bringing the Dutch troops into his dominions. This Gentleman has alfo undeniably proved, that his views for the Company's benefit extended much higher than the fyftem of " Nabob changing," which, he faw, could produce no folid and lafting advantage, either to the Company or the Provinces. And he has likewife demonftrated, that he had neither any hand in, nor intention, or wish, to depofe Mhir Jaffier in favour of Mhir Coffim; but on the contrary, took every precaution, which his then feanty power gave him, for the fecurity of the dignity, perfon, and property of the former, however little he deserved it. The partizans of Mhir Jaffier have very studiously evaded owning the charge against him, of bringing in the Dutch forces, foreseeing that would filence every attempt urged in juftification of him; but here truth and confcience for once fteps in between them and their machinations, and, makes them unwarily give up the point, in the following words, page 30, "He was not unacquainted with "the defigns of the Dutch, and would not have been forry to have feen an "European force introduced into his dominions, to prove a check on the power "of thofe, likely to become his mafters inftead of his allies. However, his deep "refpect and awe of Col. Clive, prevented his acting openly upon this occafion." Here, let it be alfo remarked, that these partizans, in page 19, fet forth, that "This Nabob was fupported with honour by his maker, so long as he continued in India." The battle of Plaffey gave this man the Subafhip in June, 1757. In October, 1758, or thereabouts, he must have planned his iniquitous fcheme with the Dutch; as about this time a fmall yeffel was difpatched exprefs to Batavia, and our armament for the Southward was on its departure. That the Dutch would have meditated a fcheme of this kind, without the encouragement and participation of the Suba, no one in his fenfes can believe. Here we fee this man hardly Hardly established in his government, planning to deftroy and countermine that power which raifed him; and this without any fhadow of complaint against us, for he had been supported with honour. His being only acquainted with the defigns of the Dutch, without communicating thofe defigns to us, his allies, was virtually a breach and violation of that whole treaty he had fo folemnly enIf the Dutch had tered into. That he did not at openly on this occafion, was owing only to his fears, and the deepest treachery both to the Dutch and us. proved fuccessful in the river, and on the p'ains of Bederra, we fhould foon have felt the effects of his open conduct, and not an individual of the colony had efcaped flaughter. Let it be remembered too, that by Col. Clive's orders, Coja Wazzeed a man of family, character, and rank) was taken prifoner, on his paffage from Moorfhadabad to Chinfura, brought under a ftrong guard to Fort William, imprifoned there, and died under his confinement. So extraordinary a ftep would want juftification, had not the Colonel received the fulleft proof and conviction, that this man (though a pretended friend to the English) was the negotiator' with the Suba, on the part of the Dutch, in the treaty for bringing in their forces. In fhort, let the whole of this tranfaction be viewed in any light whatever, it would, if thefe partizans had a grain of modefty and candour among them, utterly filence every plea they have urged in his defence, and pretended commiferation for his misfortunes, thrown out at this period only to answer a poor, unworthy purpose. Page 31 of this Pamphlet exhibits the following: "The fuperiority of this "extraordinary genius, (Col. Clive) predominated fo far over that of the Na"bob, that when he quitted India, he left this Prince in fuch a ftate of depend" ́ance, and the affairs of the English in fuch an exalted and powerful fituation, "that even the Kites and Owls that followed, had it in their power to gorge "themfelves with that prey (M. J.) which being beat down, was at the mercy "of, though fpared by, this generous Eagle."Oh! metaphor! how art thou tortured! how art thou proftituted! Let us examine a little what mercy this poor prey found, and how Spared, by this generous Eagle? It is confeffed, page 19, that Mhir Jaffier diftributed among his new allies all the treasures of his prede"ceffor, and mortgaged two of his richest provinces to them, for the payment of "a farther fum," befides" large tracts of land to the Company;" the rents of which were firft paid by the Company to him, and fubfequently given to this generous Eagle. Such was the mercy he found, and thus was he spared. It may be faid this Eagle raifed the game, and had a right to beat it down as low as he pleafed. Suppofe it fo; let us fee the confequences. Mhir Jaffier, thus ftripped, had better never been born, or at leaft never raifed to this dignity; for having no treafures of his own, and but fmall prefent refources from the revenues of his country, the foundation was here laid of all his future misfortunes. His fupplies not being equal to the fupport of his extravagancies, the pay of his troops, and other abfolutely-neceffary calls of his governexpences, ment, and finding himfelf incapable of relinquishing or retrenching his licentious B 2 |