DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3461#0231
216 WHAT IS 10 BE DONE?
poojahs be tolerated; abolish the holidays claimed for
the purpose of assisting at revolting rites and absurdi-
ties, and discharge any man who seeks immunity from
his duties on the pretence of performing ceremonies to
ensure the beatitude of his father's soul. We did not
hesitate in England for centuries to keep Catholics
and Dissenters out of office because of their noncon-
formity (though agreeing with Protestants in principle
and morally unexceptionable), and to thi3 hour we ex-
clude the peaceful Jew from a seat in Parliament. Why
then hesitate to exhibit intolerance of the prejudices, too
often assumed for indolent purposes, of Hindoos and
Mahomedans? The effect of such a bearing on our
part would eventually be the renunciation by thousands
of those people of their preposterous creeds. ■ The idol
Avarice would beat the Koran and the Vedas completely
out of the field.
In connection with this courageous discountenance
of the perpetual pleas of religion for idleness and bar-
barity, it would seem to be of the last importance that
great liberties should be taken with all the native
princes who hold territory in the heart of India. The
intelligent inhabitants of • Europe would regard it as
little less than insanity to place a deposed king in the
very heart of the State he had recently ruled, and to
supply him with all the means and appliances of
preserving royal pomp and dignity. Imagine Louis
Philippe, in 1848, settled with his sons at "Lyons, and
allowed a million of francs per annum, as soon as the
Republic had been established, or the Empire revived.
Imagine a similar arrangement with the princes of the
elder Bourbon family in another part of France, in
1830, palatial residences and large endowments having
previously been provided for Napoleon Bonaparte and
his family, in 1515. What could como of such a
method of disposing of discarded dynasties, but per-
petual disorder ? Each " monarch retired from busi-
poojahs be tolerated; abolish the holidays claimed for
the purpose of assisting at revolting rites and absurdi-
ties, and discharge any man who seeks immunity from
his duties on the pretence of performing ceremonies to
ensure the beatitude of his father's soul. We did not
hesitate in England for centuries to keep Catholics
and Dissenters out of office because of their noncon-
formity (though agreeing with Protestants in principle
and morally unexceptionable), and to thi3 hour we ex-
clude the peaceful Jew from a seat in Parliament. Why
then hesitate to exhibit intolerance of the prejudices, too
often assumed for indolent purposes, of Hindoos and
Mahomedans? The effect of such a bearing on our
part would eventually be the renunciation by thousands
of those people of their preposterous creeds. ■ The idol
Avarice would beat the Koran and the Vedas completely
out of the field.
In connection with this courageous discountenance
of the perpetual pleas of religion for idleness and bar-
barity, it would seem to be of the last importance that
great liberties should be taken with all the native
princes who hold territory in the heart of India. The
intelligent inhabitants of • Europe would regard it as
little less than insanity to place a deposed king in the
very heart of the State he had recently ruled, and to
supply him with all the means and appliances of
preserving royal pomp and dignity. Imagine Louis
Philippe, in 1848, settled with his sons at "Lyons, and
allowed a million of francs per annum, as soon as the
Republic had been established, or the Empire revived.
Imagine a similar arrangement with the princes of the
elder Bourbon family in another part of France, in
1830, palatial residences and large endowments having
previously been provided for Napoleon Bonaparte and
his family, in 1515. What could como of such a
method of disposing of discarded dynasties, but per-
petual disorder ? Each " monarch retired from busi-