234 POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. 



among rude peoples which compare well with those of the 

 best among cultivated peoples. With little knowledge and 

 but rudimentary arts, there in some cases go virtues whic] 

 might shame those among ourselves whose education anO 

 polish are of the highest. 



Surviving remnants of some primitive races in India, have 

 natures in which truthfulness seems to be organic. Not only 

 to the surrounding Hindoos, higher intellectually and rela 

 tively advanced in culture, are they in this respect far superior; 

 but they are superior to Europeans. Of certain of these Hill 

 peoples it is remarked that their assertions rnay always be 

 accepted with perfect confidence ; which is more than can be 

 said of manufacturers who use false trade-marks, or of diplo 

 matists who intentionally delude. As having this trait may 

 be named the Santals, of whom Hunter says, &quot; they were the 

 most truthful set of men I ever met;&quot; and, again, the Sowrahs, 

 of whom Shortt says, &quot; a pleasing feature in their character 

 is their complete truthfulness. They do not know how to 

 tell a lie.&quot; Notwithstanding their sexual relations of a 

 primitive and low type, even the Todas are described as con 

 sidering &quot; falsehood one of the worst of vices.&quot; Though Metz 

 says that they practise dissimulation towards Europeans, yet 

 he recognizes this as a trait consequent on their intercourse 

 with Europeans ; and this judgment coincides with one given 

 to me by an Indian civil servant concerning other Hill tribes, 

 originally distinguished by their veracity, but who are 

 rendered less veracious by contact with the whites. So rare 

 is lying among these aboriginal races when unvitiated by the 

 &quot; civilized,&quot; that, of those in Bengal, Hunter singles out the 

 Tipperahs as &quot; the only hill-tribe in which this vice is met 

 with.&quot; 



Similarly in respect of honesty, some of these peoples 

 classed as inferior read lessons to those classed as superior. 

 Of the Todas just named, ignorant and degraded as they arc 

 in some respects, Harkness says, &quot;I never saw a people, 

 civilized or uncivilized, who seemed to have a more religious 



