'The views and opinions of Brigadier General John Jacob, CB. Aide-decamp to the Queen; Aide-de-camp to the Governor General of India, &c. &c. &c.; late commanding in chief the British forces in Persia; at present commanding the Sind Irregular Horse, and Political Superintendent of the North-West frontier of Sind.' [‎394] (424/481)

394
shows that they do not in the least expect him to be
obedient. His obedience is always, even by Government,
treated as a great and somewhat unexpected favour.
Nothing can be weaker than this.
Such a state of things must tend to develope the worst
qualities only of both parties, native and European.
The army is therefore not bound together by any strong
internal force, and the least pressure from without
must cause it to fall to pieces.
Brought up in such a school, but few of the officers of
our native Indian army can be expected to be qualified to
carry out the measures necessary for the reorganisation of
that army.
An almost superhuman power of original thought and
character would be requisite to enable a man successfully
to resist the baneful influences, exposed to which he has
passed half a lifetime or more; and it would be most
unjust now to visit the officers of the army of Bengal with
severe punishment for what has occurred, and the scheme
which I have here proposed seems calculated to meet every
difficulty in this respect.
Under the arrangements indicated, it will ere long be
discovered what each officer on the general list may be
fit for, and he may then be employed accordingly to the
greatest advantage.
If on fair trial he appear to be totally useless, let
him be removed, and let him retire on full or half-pay,
according to his period of service. But in the variety
of work required to be performed in India, this will rarely
be requisite.
It is essential to the successful working of the organisa
tion proposed, that the officers on the unemployed list
should be fairly and even liberally paid. The presence