all the western inhabitants of the Archipelago, to
the very people who, in other periods of their history,
bestowed—laws,—language,—and civilization
upon them. They not only excel these, but the
more advanced nations of Hindustan, as well in
energy of character, as in intrepidity and intelligence.
A well known fact will place this beyond
the reach of doubt! In the intercolonial navigation
of all the nations of Europe in the Indies,
the natives of Manila are almost universally employed
as gunners and steersmen; that is, in those offices
where it is necessary to combine skill and firmness
with mere physical labour and agility. It is an
acknowledged fact, that the natives of Hindustan,
with their present character, are incapable of being
bred to fill such offices.
The natives of Amboyna, who are Christians,
are much superior, both in morals and intelligence,
to their countrymen who are MahOmedans,and notwithstanding
all the oppression they have endured,
are a peaceable and most inoffensive race of men*
In the Dutch armies, they ranked above all the
other Asiatic troops, and were -paid, equipped, and
considered on this scale of merit.
Without venturing at present to decide upon our
right to impose our religion upon the people of this
portion of India, or our claim to arbitrate for
them in a matter of conscience, it Will be fair to
view Christianity in its influence as a mere instrument
of civilization. The most sceptical, then, may
admit that it must tend to the unspeakable benefit
of the governed to be of the same religious belief
with their governors,—-that mutual confidence must
be strengthened,—and benevolence and kindness
increased, by an accordance of opinion on so material
a point. It is not, indeed, possible to conceive
that the barbarians of the Archipelago should,
ever adopt a material and beneficial portion of the
humanity,—improvement,—and morality of Europe,
without, at the same time, adopting the religion
with which these concomitants of civilization are
so closely interwoven.
A perfect freedom of colonization and settlement
to Europeans, an equality of rights to every
denomination of inhabitants, and an unlimited and
unrestricted freedom of commercial intercourse,
will prove the certain, but the only means of disseminating
civilization and Christianity, which, in
such a case, are one and the same thing, for the
one cannot be supposed to make essential progress
without the other. In a country, such as the Indian
Archipelago, no where peopled to within one
third of its capacity to maintain a thriving population,
there exists the most ample field for such
improvement; and we have only to divest ourselves
of the disgraceful and sordid prejudices which have
for more than three centuries reduced these fine
countries to misery and slavery, and suffer the or