Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/296

 the strongest and the most '^objectionable " passages from the '* Extremist " newspapers all over the country and has sought to give them an imaginary unity of time, place and purpose. If an Indian Chirol will follow a similar method, ransack the files of Anglo-Indian papers and select such passages as Sir Valentine had done, he will be able to give a picture of Anglo-Indian mentality at which, the author of the " Indian Unrest" would stand aghast. Fortunately, Sir Valentine Chirol has lived to find that " Self-Go vemment " for India is the goal of British ambition.The very ground on which he bases his conclusions is thus swept away and what remains is nothing but the manifestations of Tilak-phobia. The book sought to eternally discredit Mr. Tilak and his party in the eyes of England and prevent the Nationalists from raising their head again. Here, also, Sir Valentine failed and has lived to witness his failure. To-day he must be finding that the principles for which Mr. Tilak fought have been accepted by almost all his countrymen and if Britain cherishes any prejudice towards the National Party, — well, Britain will regret the attitude, some day or other.

To counteract the insidious poison of Sir. Valentine Chirols' writings, Mr. Tilak, after having taken the best legal advice in England and India, filed a suit against the offending party for damages against libel and for an injunction to restrain publication of the defamatory matter. After a long series of preliminary proceedings, the case came for hearing before Mr. Justice Darling and a Special Jury on 29th January 1919, Sir John Simon, K.C., and Mr. E. F. Spence,