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out at any time." Now to this general category of useful discovery we have no hesitation in referring the administration of justice principle, in the very peculiar use and application of it, so distinctly pointed out and expounded by Captain Macpherson -leaving every one to make whatever deductions, abatements, or additions he pleases, on the score of relative magnitude and importance.

What! it may here be asked, had no one before spoken of or proposed to deal out juctice to any of the Khond tribes? Doubtless, in the nature of things, cases must have arisen that would lead to something being said about justice; others must have casually arisen that would lead to actual interposition in the way of arbitration with a view to equitable adjustment; and in the case of the Goomsur Zemindary, which had been formally annexed to the British dominions, instances of outrage and other violations of law would occur, calling for the interference of the authorities, in the same way as in the case of out-breaks, disturbances, or violences, among any other class of actual subjects. But all this does not amount to, does not approximate, does not even come within sight of, the specific use and application of the peculiar scheme of justice propounded by Captain Macpherson. Because of certain casual guesses, certain coincidences in expression, and certain incidental vague allusions in the writings of the ancient Greeks, it has been alleged, and a man of learning like Dutens could even write "an erudite but singularly erroneous book to prove" that they had anticipated "the greatest scientific discoveries of modern times." For example, it has been argued that "Empedocles, Democritus, Pythagoras and Plato were perfectly acquainted with the doctrine of gravitation; and, by dint of forced translations, something coincident in expression with the Newtonian theory is certainly elicited." But, as has been unanswerably replied, "Newton's incomparable discovery was not a vague guess; it was a positive demonstration. He did not simply assert the fact of gravitation, he discovered the laws of its action." Paley, in speaking of the clear, unhesitating, emphatic style in which the doctrine of the soul's immortality is announced in scripture, as compared with the doubts, conjectures, and perplexed inquiries of the heathen, thus proceeds :-"it is idle to say that a future state had been discovered already :—it had been discovered as the Copernican system was;-it was one guess among many. He alone discovers, who proves."

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So, in the spirit of these remarks, and without any intended or implied comparison as to the relative importance of the

different subjects would we also say, with reference to the claims of Captain Macpherson and his predecessors, as regards the grand central principle of his proposed scheme for the abolition of human sacrifice among the Khonds. That principle, as expounded by him-seized with a firm, steady and comprehensive grasp-deduced as an inevitable corollary from observed facts and shewn to be at once applicable and potent, does not appear, so far as we can learn, to have been even so much as casually or hypothetically hinted at, or incidentally announced, or asserted in the passing form of a probable guess, by any that preceded him in the work. The Hon'ble Mr. Russel, in the second of his admirable Reports, distinctly declared, that "it had been hitherto our policy to take no part in the internal broils of the hill Zemindars and their subjects, who have been left to settle their differences in their own way.” And amid the valuable suggestions which he offers, there is none recommendatory of a change of such policy. Lieut. Hill, in his able Report of the 2nd July, 1838,-when drawing the attention of Government to the very deplorable state to which the Kalahundy country was reduced, chiefly by civil dissentions and quarrels among the members of the Ruling family,-states, that, in his repeated interviews with the individuals between whom these unfortunate quarrels existed, both parties "earnestly entreated that their claims might be decided by an European authority; and both professed their willingness to give security, for abiding by that decision in good faith." But this is the statement of an isolated fact which is connected with no general conclusion, still less with any scheme or proposal for the extinction of sanguinary rites among the Khonds. Major Campbell, in his capacity as head assistant to the Governor's Agent in Goomsur, was often called on to decide cases in which Khonds were concerned who had become British subjects by the annexation of such portion of their territory as was included in the Goomsur Zemindary. -But we find no trace of his deducing from these decisions

Dated, 11th May, 1837.

+ It must, however, be a bonû fide European, and one, too, armed with discretionary authority to decide in equity and without the formalities of a Law Court. Mr. Hill gives a case which, by contrast, serves to illustrate this point. The European authorities having left Ryepore, the younger brother of the Rajah lodged a complaint against him with the Subah. Both parties were summoned to appear before him, and both appeared in Kachery. The younger brother having stated his case, the Rajah was called on to reply. He spoke indignantly at the insult which had been offered to him in being thus cited like a common criminal to appear in Kachery to answer the complaint of a younger brother, and refused to give any reply to the statement made; but retiring from the Subah's presence to his residence in Ryepore, he shot himself with a pistol!

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any principle which might be turned to account in the formation of a Meriah-abolition scheme. Even in one of the very last of his excellent and statesman-like minutes on the subject, Lord Elphinstone does not venture farther than to say, that, "as our intercourse became more frequent, it would hardly be possible for us to avoid taking an interest in the political relations of the chiefs towards each other, and towards the Hill tribes who inhabit the neighbouring country, but who hardly acknowledge their power." How far short this dim expectation of an ultimate contingency, that might lead to our "taking an interest in the political relations of the chiefs towards each other, &c." comes of the substance and form of Captain Macpherson's proposition, is too transparently obvious to need any illustrative remark.

It remains, then, that to Captain Macpherson we must award the indisputable merit of a perfect originality in his conception of the governing principle of a plan for the extirpation of human sacrifices among the Khonds. The application of force is out of the question. But influence, gradually verging into supremacy, must be acquired. This can only be expected in the way of an equivalent for substantial benefits conferred. As experience and observation prove that, of all social wants, the want of justice is actually felt to be the greatest, this inestimable boon, in conjunction with other subsidiary favours, ought to be conferred through the instrumentality of an agent, bearing the credentials of THE Sirkar, or Supreme Government of India-an agent entrusted with exclusive jurisdiction over the whole of the Khond tribes, and neighbouring Zemindars, with reference to all points involved in their complicated Khond relationshipsan agent, moreover, deeply conversant with the spirit and usages of Khond institutions, and able to administer substantial justice in forms not unsuited to Khond ideas, not unintelligible to Khond comprehension, and not violently and needlessly contradictory to Khond habits and customs. finally, let the paramount influence which such an agent would be sure to acquire over a rude and barbarous, but, in many respects, simple and unsophisticated race, as their acknowledged greatest benefactor, be brought to bear with gentle but resistless energy on the abandonment of the most abhorrent, but demonstrably the most gratuitously useless of all their religious rites.

And,

Captain Macpherson's views were founded on a personal observation of the social and religious characteristics of the Khonds. They were wrought out by himself as the result of independent

research and actual experience. They are on this account the more creditable to their author, and intrinsically the more valuable. They may also be well regarded as eminently philosophical-admirably accordant with the conclusions of the speculative or discursive faculty, as well as the authentic records of past history.

That man is formed to be a social being is a truism. In him the principle of sociality is instinctive. This principle is first developed in the domestic union. It is next extended and manifests itself in the varied family relationships. Of these the source and nourisher is mutual affection. But whenever the social principle, as has been well observed, "extends beyond the family, as it naturally tends to do, it developes a new idea-that of justice, or securing to every person his individual right. Man does not create the relation of right, it comes into existence at the same instant with society." And as society, whether more or less perfectly organized, is founded on right, it follows that "the upholding and enforcing that right," must be one great object of society-an object of increasing interest and importance, at every progressive stage towards the highest summit of civilization. Now, it must be seen, by referring to the IXth No. of this work, that the Khonds are not loose, scattered, isolated, wandering savages-that, though unhappily possessing many barbarous practices, they yet retain many primitive ideas, with a loosely coherent form of organized society, framed after the ancient patriarchal model. To the maintenance of this hereditary form, to which they are passionately attached, in any adequate degree, the enforcement of right or, more generally, the administration of justice, is indispensable. But the provision for securing this earnestly desiderated end, is one of the most defective and incommensurate parts. of all their institutions. Hence their keen appreciation of the value of such a boon, if judiciously conferred, and the boundlessness of the resulting gratitude towards the party which might be instrumental in confering it. And hence, too, the extent and intensity of the influence for good, which such a benefactor might legitimately exercise over them.

The records of history, both ancient and modern, will furnish numberless examples of the keenness with which tribes, not sunk into utter savagism, can appreciate the value and importance of justice, and the eagerness with which they can sue for it, from whatever quarter it may reasonably be expected to be obtained. Looking to modern times, we are informed by Mr. Kolff, that, in his recent examination of the Indian

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Archipelago, he "found the islanders invariably engaged in war, and, conscious of the mutual sufferings they inflicted on themselves, most of them expressed anxiety that the Dutch would establish their supremacy over all parties, and become umpires in their quarrels." Looking at ancient times, we find Herodotus, as quoted by Goguet, telling us, "that the Medes, after having shaken off the yoke of the Assyrians, were some time without any form of Government. They soon became a prey to the most horrid excesses and disorders. There was among them a man of great prudence and wisdom, named Dejaces. The Medes very often applied to him to decide their differences. Dejoces heard their complaints, and determined their disputes. His wisdom and discernment soon gained him the esteem of the whole country where he lived. They came even from other parts of Medea to implore his assistance. But at last being oppressed by the multiplicity of affairs which increased every day, he retired. Confusion and disorder instantly returned. Medes held a public assembly, in which it was unanimously agreed, that the only means of putting an end to their calamities, was, to elect a king. The choice fell upon Dejaces." In the present state of the Khond tribes the spirit and substance of these remarks-embodying the wishes and experience of modern Asiatic islanders and ancient Asiatic Medes-may, mutatis mutandis, with strict propriety, be literally applied to them. Torn and distracted by interminable feuds and sanguinary quarrels, which they have no means of adjusting, except by farther unavailing violence and bloodshed; and wearied and worn out by the dreariness, insecurity, and utter hopelessness of such an anarchical state of things;-they seem fully prepared to have the proffered good offices of a duly accredited British agent, if endowed with "great wisdom and prudence," with as much hearty good will as the Medes of old welcomed the services of Dejœces. And were the decisions of the agent as satisfactory as were those of Dejœces of old, why should not the result be correspondent? If, in order to "put an end to their calamities," they did not unanimously resolve to elect him as their king,-seeing that he would be precluded by allegiance to his own sovereign from yielding to any such requisition,might they not be expected, in imitation of the Eastern Archipelago islanders with respect to the Dutch, earnestly to request him, in the name and on behalf of his own government, to "establish its supremacy over all parties, and become sole umpire in their quarrels ?" And this grand consummation being once realized, in a way so productive of peace, so

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