730 ON THE EVE OF ARREST
I am conducting them upon the assumption that what- ever view the Government may take of my activities, they at least give me credit for preaching through these newspapers nothing but the purest non-voilence* and truth according to my light.
I hope, however, that whether the Government arrest me or whether they stop by direct or indirect means the publication of the three journals, the public will remain unmoved It is a matter of no pride or pleasure to me but one of humiliation that the Govern- ment refrain from arresting me for fear of an outbreak of universal violence and awful slaughter that any such outbreak must involve. It would be a sad commentary upon my preaching of, and upon the Congress and Khilafat pledge of, non-violence , if my incarceration was to be a signal for a storm all over the country. Surely, it would be a demonstration of India's unreadi- ness for a peaceful rebellion. It would be a triumph for the bureaucracy, and it would be almost a final proof of the correctness of the position taken up by the Moderate friends, viz, that India can never be prepared for non violent disobedience. I hope therefore that the Congress and Khilafat workers will strain every nerve and show that all the fears entertained by the Govern- ment and their supporters were totally wrong. I promise that such act of self-restraint will take us many a mile towards our triple goal.
There should therefore be no hartals, no noisy demonstrations, no processions. I would regard the observance of perfect peace on my arrest as a mark of high honour paid to me by my countrymen. What I would love to see, however, is the constructive work of the Congress going on with clockwork regularity and
�� �
