New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-21

public Offices open TO them in a decreasing
degree. and that. IN short. India is being ruled
for the welfare Of Great Britain and not OF
India.
Now. a farminded observer cannot by any
means agree with all OF the positions OF the
Indian aRitators: he withhold great
deal OF admiration for the fairness and disnter-
estedness OF the British officials. Nevertheless
he is bound to recognize the seriousness. not To
cay ominOusness OF this "Swadeshi" or india
for the Indians" agitation.
My own inquiries developed the repeated as
surance. on the part OF Informed persons. that
the "Swadeshi" movement has not. to any per-
ceptible degree at least extended 10 tho villages
which contain 30 per cent of the native popula-
ton. Bearing in mind the uudoubted Christian
revival which IS to be found in some parts OF
India and the potency OF this new national
movement It Is evident that mission work there
is bound 10 take an added interest in the next
few years.
Whatever tends to put the stamina Of man
| hood into the people contributes indirectly to
the missionary undertaking. For the first and
last factor of Indian life is the caste system.
which doons the majority of the people TO a lot
esteemed lower than that of the COW. II 1t were
not for this caste system. with Its unabridSable
divisions no foreign power could long control
this nation Of three hundred millions of people.
This same spirit Of "karma -kismet' fate which
leads man to dull acceptance of his lot rather
than to q cherishing OF the spirit OF seIf-im-
/ movement and ambition which marks the West
| erner keeps back the nation from development
so that its golden age is in the past Inc great
est need OF India is simply men
AS is we'll known the converts or the ms
s,onaries have been chiefly from the loWeSt
! cIasses-those who are below caste-in fact. the
outcasts the sweepers. Having nothing TO 1850
! nv accepting Christianity, thousands OF theSe
| have embraced the Gospel; and they are to-day
entering the Christian Church in large numbers.
The motives of many are doubtless mixed puI
/ they at least afford the missionary materlal on
which TO work The material is not or the BEST
hut II is human. Here as in all heather lands,
It is to be borne in mind that the missionary Is
really after his converts grandchildren; no mis-
sionary known expects to see com
| pletely transformed and Christianized people
come out of raw heathendom.
So he bears with the shortcomings of his
! Christians He iaboriously tries TO set them on
! their feet and. though they fall hundred times
from the ideals OF self-respect and self-support,
coming to him with the bland assurance. You
are my father and my mother; please help me. :"
he does not lose heart. for he has ever before
his eyes the spectacle of outcasts who have
been made over into noble men and women by
the power of the Christian religion.
/ Undoubtedly the missionaries are transform
ing their people. One of the Methodist mis-
sionaries at Lucknow pointed out to me young
man belonging to the Church, the youngest of
three sons, whose father never earned moro
than eight rupees a month in his life. All the
bows are products Of the Methodist school. One
of them is secretary to the Governor and all
are In government employ, winning their places
In competitive examination. and the salary Of