Page:Convocation Addresses of the Universities of Bombay and Madras.djvu/525

 hard and honest investigation. Let us diligently appropriate these stores. To shut our eyes to them would be worse than intellectual folly; it would be an intellectual sin. Useful knowledge of all kinds must be acquired and assimilated; and political knowledge certainly is not the least important part of it.

It is sometimes asserted in a reckless spirit that the old political condition of India was better than the present. I trust you will not accept such an assertion. Ancient ideals of Government have come down to us in prose and poetry. If the best of those ideals were restored to us in all its integrity, India would loudly protest against it. Coming to more recent times, I do not think India would tolerate any Government as it was in Pre-British times. The truth must be frankly and gratefully admitted that the British Government of India is incomparably the best Government we have ever had. It is the strongest and the most righteous and the best suited to Indians diverse populations and diverse interests. It is the most capable of self-maintenance, of self-renovation and self-adjustment, in reference to the progressive advancement of the subject-races.

But it would be contrary to human nature itself to expect that the British nation should undertake the heavy duty and responsibility of governing and defending India without any advantage whatever to itself. That some advantage should accrue to the British nation by way of compensation is only natural and legitimate. Try to set due limits to that advantage, but it would be irrational to abolish it altogether. It would be impossible to deny all advantage to England for governing India. But, were it possible, it would be undesirable in a high degree. Why so? Because if England got no advantage by governing India, England would say of India what Prince Bismark said of Bulgaria, namely, "I do not care what becomes of it, or who rules it."

Everyone who is not a visionary, and who has paid any attention to the condition of the world as it is, India cannot must feel convinced that India cannot, for a long time to come, be a self-governed and independent country. Her only chance of life, re-invigoration, progress and prosperity, lies in her being under the wings of some strong, just, and generous power. And what power better than England? Without powerful patronage and pro-tection, India, weak and fascinating, would be exposed to the lawless violence of any Imperial Dacoit! Educated men should ponder over these truths deeply and well.