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for more than two thousand vears. The readers of this little book have not visited Europe, it is probable also that
many of them arc not well acquainted with European af
.——
fairs. 1 shall not, therefore, say anything here about the character of the Christians who live in Europe. You all know something of the white men who have come into this
country and who live amongst you. Weigh their conduct
and character, and judge for vourselves whether they, as a body, or the followers of the Hind gods, as a body, are the
more virtuous? There are doubtless lindas who live well
ordered lives, and white men who live disorderly; but for
the purposes of this comparizon all the white men are te be thrown together into one account and all Hinds into i
another, and both are to be compared collectively.
If vou inquire amongst the people in any Hindi village, vou will find that every ryot, without exception, complains| of the injustice of the other rvots, or of the native Government oflicials. Every person you speak to tells you that
he has suffered a great deal of injustice, and that he is
oppressed with anxiety on account of his wrongs. Reader! have not you also got many enemies? and are you not full of complaints about the wrongs that have been done to you? This is but a specimen of the miserable condition of this country. The country is full of heathenism,
and, therefore, full of injustice.
In former times the worshippers of Siva and Vishnu and the followers of Mahommed had supreme authority and rule in this country, but in those times the wrongs of the common people were not redressed. The rulers of that peviod paid no regard to any laws or regulations, but made their own will their law, and oppressed the poor and plun