246 DIFFICULTIES BEFORE US. 



it is too large for me to grapple witli, and 

 that every step we take in it should be taken 

 as if we were men walldng in the dark. We 

 have, however, certain great principles to guide 

 us, and by their light we may make steps in 

 advance, if not fast, at any rate sure. But 

 we start from an unfortunate position. We 

 start from a platform of conquest by force of 

 arms extending over a hundred years. There 

 is nothing in the world worse than the sort 

 of foundation from which we start. The great- 

 est genius who has shed lustre on the literature 

 of this country has said, ' There is no sure 

 foundation set on blood ; ' and it may be our 

 unhappy fate in regard to India to demon- 

 strate the truth of that saying. We are always 

 subjugators, and we must be viewed with hatred 

 and suspicion. I say we must look at the 

 thing as it is, if we are to see our exact posi- 

 tion, what our duty is, and what chance 

 there is of our retaining India, and of govern- 

 ing it for the advantage of its people. Our 

 difficulties have been enormously increased by 

 the revolt. The people of India have only 

 seen England in its worst form in that coun- 

 try. They have seen it in its military power, 



