keys of the conspiracy in his hand, threatened to
betray all to Surajah Dowlah unless he was promised the heaviest
hush-money, Clive on his side was perfectly ready to promise without
the remotest intention of paying. If Omichund, wary and suspicious,
was determined to have his bond in writing, Clive was quite ready to
meet him with a false and fraudulent bond. Clive professed to be
perfectly willing that in the secret treaty which was being drawn up
between the English and Meer Jaffier a clause should be inserted
promising the fulfilment of all Omichund's claims. But as Clive had
not the remotest intention of satisfying those claims, he composedly
prepared two treaties. One--the one by which he and Meer Jaffier were
to be bound--was written on white paper, and contained no allusion to
the avaricious Omichund. [Sidenote: 1757--The Red Treaty] Another, on
red paper, which was to be disregarded by the parties to the swindle,
contained a paragraph according to Omichund's heart's desire. Thus bad
begins, but worse remains behind. Clive, to his great astonishment,
found that Admiral Watson entertained different views from his about
the honor of an English soldier and gentleman. However convenient it
might be to bamboozle Omichund with a sham treaty, Admiral Watson
declined to be a party to the trick by signing his name to the
fraudulent document. Yet Admiral Watson's name was essential to the
success of the Red Treaty, and Clive showed that he was not a man to
stick at trifles. He wanted Admiral Watson's signature; he knew that
Omichund would want Admiral Watson's signature; he satisfied himself,
and he satisfied Omichund, by forging Admiral Watson's signature at the
bottom of the Red Treaty.

It is simply impossible to imagine any defence of Clive's conduct in
this most disgraceful business. The best that can be said for him is
that the whole process of the {271} treason was so infamous, the
fabrication of the Red Treaty so revolting a piece of duplicity, that
the forging of Admiral Watson's name does not materially add to the
darkness of the complete transaction. Nothing can palliate Clive's
conduct. It may, indeed, be said that as civilized troops after long
engagements in petty wars with savage races lose that morale and
discipline which come from contests with their military peers, so minds
steeped in the degrading atmosphere of Oriental diplomacy become
inevitably corrupted, and lose the fine distinction b