Life of the Amîr Dost Mohammed Khan, of Kabul; with His Political Proceedings Towards the English, Russian, and Persian Governments
Including the Vi
Description:... This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1846 edition. Excerpt: ...IT. " The power to put to death a prisoner in cold blood, without any public investigation or trial, supposes the power to destroy any other life whatsoever; and if we take into account the possibilities of insanity on the one hand, and blind obedience on the other, the hazards of the abuse of power are most fearful, and it is high time that such a law should be amended. " The circumstances connected with the capture of the unhappy man who suffered, and whose name was Vali Mohammed, are most probably correctly stated by Colonel Outram. The manner of his death was very affecting. The Commander-in-Chief, having heard some such charge as Colonel Outram has related, probably the same verbatim, sent his Persian interpreter, Major Powell, on the evening of the 24th---that is to say, twenty-six hours after the capture--to single out the culprit from among the other prisoners. Major Powell called out, in a court-yard where the prisoners were, that he required Vali Mohammed; and he, little dreaming of what was intended for him, sprang up with alacrity, and at once presented himself to Major Powell, as one who probably fancied that he was ' a man whom the King DUPLICITY OF THE DURRANI CHIEFS. 245 might delight to honour.' He was led forth to the c& and the next morning marched to the rear of the staff lines, and shot by a party of the Bengal 35th regiment of Native infantry. " Much public discussion has been excited by this tragical occurrence. As to the guilt of the sufferer, I should hope it was so established, that, in a civilised country, and among educated men, the sentence of death would follow of strict necessity. But among such people as those with whom we were in collision, the turpitude and heinousness of guilt are to be weighed by...
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