Justice

Punch (12 September 1857): 109

More commentary on the 1857 Indian Mutiny (Sepoy Rebellion)

The Asiatic Mystery
Full Marching Order
Every Inch A Soldier
The British Lion's Vengeance on the Bengal Tiger
O God of Battles! Steel My Soldiers' Hearts!
The Red-Tape Serpent--Sir Collin's Greatest Difficulty in India
The Clemency of Canning
Mr. Bull's Expensive Toys
Too "Civil" By Half

Scanned image by Philip V. Allingham; text by PVA and George P. Landow

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]

Commentary

This image of a personfied figure of justice in classical garb reminds one of the kind of abstractions one encounters on war monuments and other memorials. In contrast to this Punch cartoon's presentation of justice, the slaughtered native insurgents have much more specific detail, including costume, facial type, and of course skin color. The sharp contrast of the white skin and clothing of Justice and the dark skinned bodies makes a clear statement of what Punch believes about the alignment of Justice with the white race. One should contrast this supposedly high-minded representation of justice with the coarser, implicitly even more bloodthirsty cartoon criticizing British mercy -- "The Clemency of Canning," in which the Governor-General says, "Well, then, they shan't blow him from nasty guns; but he must promise to be a good little sepoy." Canning's remarks refer to the punishment of mutineers whom the British tied to the mouths of cannons and killed them by firing a solid cannon ball through them. The British public, still incensed by the atrocities committed against English women and children, obviously wanted bloody justice, the other side of the classical abstract Justice here depicted. [GPL]

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Last modified 17 May 2004