COMMERCE OF INDIA. 



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was the desire of acquiring wealth and power, for the idea of 

 the enormous riches of India had strangely taken hold of the 

 mind of foreign nations. Rank egotism can never act 

 benevolently, and the newcomers showed only benevolence 

 towards themselves and malevolence against all others. The 

 behaviour of the Portuguese towards the Natives ; the intro- 

 duction of the Inquisition ; the jealousy of Dutch, English 

 and French against each other, and the means to which they 

 stooped to conquer, could not but create a prejudice against 

 the Europeans. But as soon as India was fairly in the 

 hands of a European nation, the English, that nation did try 

 to obliterate the traces of the bloody conflicts, and the bless- 

 ings of peace began to manifest themselves in this country, 

 as they have never been experienced before. 



And this prosperous state originated from the commercial 

 intercourse between the West and the East, which, though at 

 the beginning, fraught with disastrous events, was the means 

 of introducing to this country, when at its lowest prostration, 

 the arts, sciences and culture of the West. 



Let us hope, that they will remain here for the good of 

 this country and its inhabitants and that the previous oscilla- 

 tions of civilization will cease and one high and moral culture 

 comprise and unite us one and all ! 



Gustav Oppert. 



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