Page:Viscount Hardinge and the Advance of the British Dominions into the Punjab.djvu/139

Rh possessions taken, and his son slain. During the whole of the campaign he had purposely kept aloof; not a single Hill soldier had fired a shot against us, so that the Government had every right to treat with him. They had their own interests, also, to attend to; which in policy required that the Sikh state should be weakened and that the Hills should be separated from the plains.

'Were we to be deterred from doing what was right, and what had been previously determined upon, because the Lahore Darbár, knowing he had not participated in their crimes, chose to employ him for a particular object as being the man most acceptable to us? Was he the Minister, and were not four other Commissioners associated with him for settling the terms of peace? After Múdkí and Firozsháh the Rání had implored him to come to Lahore and bring his troops to her aid. He sent evasive answers. After the battle of Alíwál more pressing invitations were sent, as he alone, in their opinion, could settle affairs with the English, because he had not taken part against them. He came to Lahore, protesting publicly in Darbár against all that had been done. He accepted the responsibility of attempting a settlement, but required the Rání to sign a paper that she would accede to the terms which he and the other four Commissioners should agree upon. He had been told by Major Lawrence on the 3rd of February, in a written document, that we appreciated his wisdom in not having taken up arms against us, and that his