Congress Presidential Addresses

Political Associations in the Empire were represented by one or more of the gentlemen present while as regards the Press the proprietors editors or delegates of the Mirror the Hindu the Indian Spectator the Tribune and others showed conclusively the universality of the feelings which had culminated in the great and memorable gathering. [...] It was true that judged from the standard of the House of Commons they were not representatives of the people of India in the sense the members of the House were representatives of the constituencies. [...] The Secretary of State in the letter just referred to said :- The position of India in relation to taxation and the sources of the public revenues is very peculiar not merely from the habits of the people and their strong aversion to change which is more specially exhibited towards new forms of taxation but likewise from the character of the government which is in the hands of loreigners wh [...] have always acted and from the number the character ' the position and the attainments of Mussulman delegates from the Bengal Presidency and Hera the Presidency of Madras as well as from the NortWest Provinces and the Thinjab I have not the smallest doubt that this is also the view held with but few though perhaps important exceptions by the leaders of the Mussulman communities throughou [...] consider for a moment the effect of this reckless allegation upon the uneducated millions of the inhabitants of this country upon the hordes of the Russians in the north and upon the enlightened nations of Europe ! I say therefore that the conduct of those who thus recklessly charge us with disloyalty resembles the.conduct of the foolish woodman" who was lopping off the very branch of the tr