Book Title: Karmayogi
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Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

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Page 158
________________ 2 last. The Greek Government is not likely to give up its methods in Crete, the Christian population their desire for union with Athens or the present Cretan administration their Neret sympathy with and support of these aspirations. It would have been a simpler matter if the population of the island had boen wholly there is a Mahomedas population also which is as eagerly attached to the Turkish connection as the others are desirous of the Gireck. The ancient history of Crete Supports the sentiment of Greek unity,its later history the sentiment of imperial Ottoman greatness. And apart from Crete, there are inevitable sources of quarrel in Macedonia. Some day the Powers will have to stand aside and allow these natural enemies to settle the question in the only possible way. The result of such non-intervention in an armed struggle could not be doubtful. The Mongolian is a stronger spirit than the Slav, the Mussulman a greater dynamic force than the Christian, and it is only ignorance and absolutisin that has for the titne depressed the Turk. The disparity between the Turk and the Greek is abysmal. The former is a soldier and statesman, the latter a merchant and intriguer. A war between two such Powers with none to intervene would speedily end with the Turk not only in occupation of Thessaly but entering Athen". Spain and the Moor. is Another corner of the Asiatic world-for Northern Africa thoroughly Asinnised if not Asiatic, -is convulsed with struggles which may well precede another resurgence. There was a time when the Moor held Spain and gave civilisation to semi-barbarous Europe. The revolution of the wheel has now gone to its utmost length and finds the Spaniard invading Morocco. But this invasion does not seem to promise any Spanish expansion in Africa. With infinite. difficulty and at the cost of a bloody emente in Spain King Alfonso's Governme ut have landed a considerable army in Morocco and yet with all that force can only just proteot their communications and sw facing the foguidable country, where the stubborn Kabyle tribesmen await the invader. There the army is hung up for the present, wawilling to retreat and afraid to advance, * i KARMAYOGIN and the Spanish General bas again sent to Spain for reinforcements, a fent of military strategy at which he seems to be exceptionally skilful. If the men of the mountains are fortunate enough to have a leader with a head on his shoulders, the circumstances augur a reverse can change an ignorant British pub lic into informed and enthusiastic supporters of Indian self-govern ment. It is only political necessity and the practical recognition that change is inevitable which can convert the statesmen of England. AR for the opinion of the civilized world, Spain as decisive and pora wedo Mospise it as a moral ure siniguinary than the life practical effect overthrow in Abyssinia. Meanwhite is so little hs to be almost nil. King Alfonso has sacrificed all his In a constitutional question betyouthful popularity by this ill-ween the present Government in omened war and the bloody severity India and the people we do not see which has temporarily saved his what can be the place or mode of throne. And with the popularity operation of the world's opinion or of the young King has gone the sympathy. An academical approval friendship of the Spanish nation for of our auns can be of no help to us. England, for the Spaniards nceuse Nor is the sympathy of the world that friendship of the origination likely to be excited beyond such of these troubles and the British academical approval unless the Government as the selfish instign Government faithfully imitates the tors of the intervention in Morocco. Russian precedent if dealing with The London Congress. popular aspirations. Even then it is not likely to tell on the action of the Government concerned which reference in its dealings with its will certainly resent foreign interown subjects. The impotence: of the civilised world was strikingly shown in the crisis of Russian despotism and at the time, of the Boer war. Even wore it otherwise, A London session of the Congress would only awaken a passing interest. In that respect the, visit of Swami Vivekananda to America and the subsequent work of those who followed him did more for India than a hundred London Congrosses could effect. That is the true way of awaking sympathy--by showing ourselves to the nations as a people with a great past and ancient civili sation who still possess something of the genius and character of qur forefathers, have still something, to give the world and therefore deserve freedom,-by proof of our manliness and fitness, not by mendicancy. Political Prisoners. Since we ninde "our remarks on the proposal of a Congress session in London, we have seen two sons urged for this reactionary step. It is necessary, it seems, to prevent judgment going against us in England by default and also to wia the sympathy of the civilised world. The former argument we have alalready answered in our last issue. Neither the speeches of a famous orator nor the conjoint speeches of many less famous will win for us the support of the British people for claims which go directly against their interests. Only a prolonged and steady campaign in England all the year round for several years can make any impression of a real and lasting kind and even that impression cannot in the nature of things be sufficient for the purpose. Those who are on the side of Indian interests must always be in the minority and will always be denounced by the majority as allics of the enemics of English interests. Even now that is increasingly the attitude of the pub.lio towards Mr Mackarness and his supporters and we do not think Sj Surendranath's eloquenco has changed matters. Already the most prominent critics of Lord Morley and his policy of repres sion have received intima We extract elsewhere some very telling criticisms from the pan of the well-known positivist Mr. Erar derie Harrison on the treatment of political prisoners. This is. a subject on which a Nationalist writer is naturally somewhat shy of dilating, as any stresa, on the brutality and calloustress of the treatment to which not only convicsod but undertrial prisoners of gentle birth and breeding are sometime subjented in Indian jails, naighte misinterpreted by our oppon an unwillingness to face the pot tion from their constituents of their serious displeasure and are in danger of losing their seats at the next election.. This is in itself a sufficient refutation of the fable that speeches and Congress in England

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