Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/164

74 THE SOUTH AFRICAN INDIAN QUESTION struck him also, because might he not be a murderer himself, by having participated in that event by having advised Indians to strike? His conscience cleared him from this guilt of murder, but he felt he should adopt mourning for those Indians as an humble example to his fellow-countrymen. He felt that he should go into mourning at least for a period, which should be oo- extensive with the end of that struggle. and that he should accept some mourning not only inwardly, but outwardly as well, as a humble example to his fellow- countrymen, so that he could tell them that it was necessary for them to show, by their conduct and out- ward appearance, that they were in mourning. He was not prepared himself to accept the European mourning dress for this purpose, and, with some modification in deference to the feelings of his European friends, he had adopted the dress similar to that of an indentured Indian. He asked his fellow-countrymen to adopt some sign of mourning to show to the world that they were mourning and further to adopt some inward observance also. And perhaps he might tell them what his inward mourning was-to restrict himself to one meal a day. They had been released, he continued, not on any con- dition, but they knew that they were released on the re- commendation of a Commission appointed by the Gov- ernment, in order that every facility might be given not only to them, but to the Indian community, to bring before the Commission any evidence that community might have in its possession. He thought it a right and proper thing that the Government had appointed a Com- mission, but he thought the Commieion was open to the graveet objection from the Indian standpoint; and he was there to tender his humble advice to them that it