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Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/190

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100 THE SOUTH AFRICAN INDIAN QUESTION Trauevaal, which was degrading, and all these things took Indians into all kinds of undesirable channels. These restrictions would have to be removed. But for that, he thought, sufficient patience would have to be exercised. Time was now at their disposal, and how wonderfully the tone had been changed! And here he had been told in Gapetown, and he believed it implicitly, the spirit of Mr. Andrews had pervaded all those states- men and leading msn whom he saw. He came and went away after a brief period, but he certainly tired those whom he saw with a sense of their duty to the Empire cf which they were members. But, in any case, to- whatever circumstances that healthy tone was due, it had not escaped him. He had seen it amongst European friends whom he met at Oapetown ; he had seen it more fully in Durban, and this time it had been his privilege to meet many Europeans who were perfect strangers even on board the train, who had come smilingly forward to congratulate him on what they had called a great victory. Everywhere he had noticed that healthy tone. He asked European friends to continue that activity, either through the European Committee or through other channels, and to give his fellow-country· men their help and extend that fel|ow·feellng to them also, so that they might be able to work out their own salvation. To his countrymen he would say that they should wait and nurse the settlement, which he considered was all that they could possibly and reasonably have expect· gd, and that they would now live to see, with the co- operation of their European friends, that what was promised was fulfilled, that the administration of the existing laws was just, and that vested rights were