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and with his signature so exactly reproduced as to defy discriminaTon even by an expert. As both. Prabhas Baba and the police are well aware that there is now no Connection between Sj. Aurobindo and any nuinber in Grey Street; it was obviously the writer's intention' that it should go to the Dead Letter Office and from there to the C. I. D. Prabhas Babu's suggestion was not, As the Hitabadi reported to send it to the Calcutta Police for inquiry, but to return it to the Dead Letter Office. Sj. Aurobindo preferred to consign it tothewaste paper basket as a more fitting repository. We cannot imagine any earthly se these clumsy devices. Even Mr Norton would find it difficult to make anything of a forgery, however ext, more hopelessly Auspicious even than the "sweets" letter.
THE NEW POLICY.
―000
KARMAVOGIN,
of that. which they condemn as disastrous and injusia, but of men who have the nigfortune still to believe in logic, principle and, experience. To be logical is to be a mere theorist, to cling to principle is to be a doctrinaire and to be guided by experience, the world's and our own, is to be unpractical. Only those whose theory is confused and practice self-contradictory and haphazard, can be wise politicians and capable of guiding the country aright. From this standpoint the proclamation of all India as seditions is, doubtless, the first step in the new policy, the policy of concilIt is the ation and liberalism. sign-manual of the great-reformer, Lord Morley, upon his work, the loud-tongued harbinger of the golden Age.
No particular motive' can be alleged for this sudden proclamation, nor is any alleged. The people are left to speculate in the dark as to the mystic motives of Lords Minto and Morley in this remarkable step forward, or to get what light and comfort they can from the speculations of our Anglo-Indian friends. and alvisers, who seem to be as much in the dark as ourselves and can only profess their blind religious faith in the necessity and beneficence of the measure and appeal to all patriotic Indians to cooperate in coercing the national movement into silence. If India had been full of meetings of a seditious or doubtful nature, the necessity of the measure could have been established. Even if the national life were pulsating swiftly though blamelessly, its "aetiology", -if we may use a word which may possibly be condemned by Mr. Petman or Mr. Grey as seditious, could have been understood, though not its necessity. But at present, with the exception of an occasional scantily attended meeting in the Calcutta squares, the only political meetings held are those in which abhorence of Terrorism is expressed or Vigilance Committees of lending citizens organized to patrol the E.B.S.R. at night even in this chilly weather, and those in which thu Deccan Sabha drinks deep of the political ermons and homilies of Lord Morley's personal friend, Mr. Gokhale. Was it to stop these that the proclamation of all India became necessary?
3
It has been freely alleged that the prevalence of bombe and Terrorism in Bombay, Panjab and Bengal is the justification of the measure, on the ground that open sedition lends to secret assassination, Nationalisim to Terrorism. It is obvious that to attempt to meet
secret conspiracy by prohibiting public agitation in a remedy open to the charge of absurdity. The secret conspirator rejoices in silence, the Terrorist find his opportunity in darkness. Is not the liberty of free speech and free writing denied to the Russian people by more - gorous penalties, a more effective espionage,a far more absolute police rule than any that can be attempted in India? Yet where do the bomb and the revolver, the Terrorist and the secret conspirator flourish more than in Russia The conspirator has his own means of propaganda which the law finds it dificult to touch. The argument, however, is that it is only in an atmosphere of dissatisfaction, disaffection and sedition that the propaganda of the conspirator can be effective, and Nationalism creates that atmosphere. Criticism of the Covernment leads to dissatisfaction with the Government, dissatisfaction leads to the aspiration for a better form of Government, aspiration of this kind when baulked leads to disaffection, disaffection leads to secret conspiracy and assassination. Therefore stop all means of critiGovernment and the cising the first cause being removed, the fil effect will disappear. That this is the actual train of reasoning, cons
cious or unconscious,in the minds of those who advise, initiate or approve a policy of repression is beyond doubt. It is evident in all they say or write.
our
A policy of conciliation, a policy of trust in the people, a policy liberal, progressive, sure if slow, that was the forecast made by the Moderate astrologers when the Reform comet sailed into startled heavens. The propheta and augurs of the Anglo-Indian Press friendly to Moderate Indiafriendly on condition of our giving up all aspirations that go beyond the Reformus-prophesied high, loud and often to the same purpose, and if, like the Roman angars, they winked and smiled mysterionsly at each other when they met, the outside world was not supposed to know anything of their private opinions. Even the disillusionment caused by the publication of the Councils Rules has not prevented this party of wise and able politicians from supporting by participation the Reforms which they condemned, and belauding the
intention of the Anglo-Indian roformers while swearing distally and violently at their practice. Bad as it is, we must cooperate so as to make the best of the new measure. To make the best of a bad measure is to make it a success and to prevent or delay the coming of a better. This at least is our idea of the matter, but we belong to a party not of wise and able piticians who take the full profit
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Unfortunately the statement of the premises in this chain is incon
plete and the conclusion is therefore vitiated. The first premise may be granted at once. In a country well satisfied with its lot, n nation at ease and aware of pros perity and progrenn, the propagatida of the secret conspirator must neces sarily fail. In India itself, if we are to believe the Times, secret societies have existed for upwards of forty or fifty years. How is it that they had no success and one was aware of their existene.
