Page:The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago.djvu/259

Rh graphs: it has provided the best possible codes of law which are administered without distinction of caste or creed: it has opened schools and hospitals, and organised all sorts of Government Departments, some of which are unknown even in England. The Tamils should now awake from their apathy of ages, if they wish to reap the full benefit of these changes. They should realise the fact that they are now at the parting of the ways. Mistakes now made will be irretrievable, and will have far reaching effects. If, for instance, they fail to see the utter folly of retaining the caste system any longer; if they avoid all social intercourse with Europeans, being afraid of losing caste, they would surely incur the distrust and dislike of the ruling race. There can be no real sympathy then between the rulers and the ruled, and the gulf that now separates them will widen still further and lead to misunderstandings which may embarass the Government however strong, and in the end prove disastrous to the subject race.

They have too long followed the philosophy of inaction, which taught them to get rid of the sense of personality, with what deplorable results we can all see Will they now adopt the philosophy of action? Will they now strive to acquire the sense of individual life, and develop strong personalities, who will not flee to the jungle to save their souls, but will live in their midst and do their duty, to the glory of God, and the good of their fellow-creatures? If they still cherish their prejudices and superstitions, and be dreaming of a future state: if their wise men still attempt to stifle all desire, afraid of the transmigration of their souls: if they still believe that our faculties were intended not for our beneficial use, but to be repressed and rust in us unused, they would doubtless be left behind in the race of life, and eventually be only hewers of wood and drawers of water. But if they advance on the lines of western civilization, avoiding its vices: if they throw off the fetters of caste, which estrange the sympathy of one class from another and paralize the