Page:Mahatma Gandhi, his life, writings and speeches.djvu/382

 Gokhale has already said so eloquently and so feelingly and yet with admirable self-restraint. But I will say just a few words on some of the criticisms which have been levelled against His Excellency the Viceroy in England and in South Africa. In the first place his speech has been condemned as undiplomatic. Possibly it was undiplomatic. But there is a time for all things. For many years the Government of India have tried patiently to secure justice for the Indians in South Africa by diplomatic methods and they have failed. And now that matters have been brought to a dangerous crisis and all India is ablaze with a fiery indignation, time has come to put aside the soft phrases of diplomacy, to call a spade a spade and to tell the politicians of South Africa plainly how their action in this matter is regarded in India. We are deeply grateful to His Excellency that he has done this and has come forward at a critical time as the spokesman and representative of the Indian people.

Then, in the second place, His Excellency has been criticised for having, encouraged the men who are breaking the law. No sensible person would ever say a word to encourage law-breaking without a deep sense or responsibility. It is a platitude to say that society is built up on respect for law and order. But there is such a thing as tyranny masquerading