1 204 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS.
2 army, there to await the arrival of the dictator of
3 the terms of peace to the haughty Sikhs.
4 The stability | Qn the return of her son, the Ranee’s mind was
5 of the Sikh :
6 government gyeatly relieved; she, however, foresaw that her
7 wholly depen- 5 is
8 dent on the OWn power and Dhuleep Singh’s reign, were en-
9 tirely dependent on the British, and she never
10 regarded the concessions which had been made, as
11 more than equivalent to the preservation of a
12 government which might have been entirely over-
13 thrown.
14 The politicians who view the proclamation of the
15 Governor-general at Kussoor as too temperate in
16 tone, and who are inclined to blame him for not, at
17 once, subjugating the Punjab, will have reason to
18 he complete confess, that such a step was impracticable ; ex-
19 Teej “i cept at the risk of destroying the European por-
20 impracticable, tion of his troops, by exposure to a burning sun,
21 aa during the hot and rainy months. Never for an
22 instant could the idea of such a sacrifice enter the
23 mind of a statesman, who throughout the campaign
24 had evinced the warmest ‘interest in the welfare of
25 his European soldiers. He deeply lamented the
26 great loss already sustained by them, in nobly
27 fighting against a desperate foe; but the iatter
28 subdued, his immediate object was attained, and no
29 further exposure was necessary. Sir H. Hardinge
30 did not want territory: the portion ceded between
31 the Sutlej and Beas, and annexed to the British
32 possessions, had probably been forced upon him as
33 an equivalent for some part of the required indem-
34 nitv. and this could be retained by Native troops