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483 NON-VIOLENCE IN PEACE AND WAR

India's independence, it was contradicting itself and offer-
ing to pay the price of its principle—for the sake of indepen-
dence. But happily even that offer was rejected. Now comes
the fourth offer in the field: "Simply declare that India
is free to carry on, non-violently and openly, anti-war
propaganda, that India is free to preach non-co-operation
v.dth Government in their war effort, and we will have no
civil disobedience."

That is the lowest possible test of their honesty. Civil
liberties are the very foundation of democracy, and if you
deny them you deny democracy. Only the other day a
British judge defined the essence of democracy. Delivering
judgment in an action brought against The Daily Worker^,
Mr. Justice Stable observed: "The expression of views, no-
matter how unpopular, how fantastic or Kf>w wrong-
headed they may appear to the majority, is a right, and a
right which I, among others, are paid to see preserved. I
subscribe wholeheartedly to the words that fell from the
lips of Mr. D. N. Pritt, K. C. (defending counsel), that it
is those views which are held by only a few, those views that
are unpopular, those views which do run counter to the
views of the great majority of mankind, particularly in
times of national emotional crises such as war, it is those
views which this court should be particularly zealous to
protect." It would seem that what is going on in India is the
most flagrant negation of this elementary principle of demo-
cracy.

This is how Gandhiji put it in his direct simple lang-
uage: "In order completely to clarify our position, I pro-
pose to approach the Viceroy, if he will be good enough
to see me—and I have no doubt that he will—and to-
place my difficulties before him. I will approach him in your
name. I will tell him that this is the position to which we
have been reduced. We do not want to embarrass you
and deflect you from your purpose in. regard to war
effort. You go your way, and we go ours, undeterred, the
common ground being non-violence. If our advice pre-
vails, there will be no war effort on the part of our people*
I£ on the other hand, without your using any but moral
pressure you find that they respond, then we cannot help



	483 NON-VIOLENCE IN PEACE AND WAR India's independence, it was contradicting itself and offer- ing to pay the price of its principle—for the sake of indepen- dence. But happily even that offer was rejected. Now comes the fourth offer in the field: "Simply declare that India is free to carry on, non-violently and openly, anti-war propaganda, that India is free to preach non-co-operation v.dth Government in their war effort, and we will have no civil disobedience." That is the lowest possible test of their honesty. Civil liberties are the very foundation of democracy, and if you deny them you deny democracy. Only the other day a British judge defined the essence of democracy. Delivering judgment in an action brought against The Daily Worker^, Mr. Justice Stable observed: "The expression of views, no- matter how unpopular, how fantastic or Kf>w wrong- headed they may appear to the majority, is a right, and a right which I, among others, are paid to see preserved. I subscribe wholeheartedly to the words that fell from the lips of Mr. D. N. Pritt, K. C. (defending counsel), that it is those views which are held by only a few, those views that are unpopular, those views which do run counter to the views of the great majority of mankind, particularly in times of national emotional crises such as war, it is those views which this court should be particularly zealous to protect." It would seem that what is going on in India is the most flagrant negation of this elementary principle of demo- cracy. This is how Gandhiji put it in his direct simple lang- uage: "In order completely to clarify our position, I pro- pose to approach the Viceroy, if he will be good enough to see me—and I have no doubt that he will—and to- place my difficulties before him. I will approach him in your name. I will tell him that this is the position to which we have been reduced. We do not want to embarrass you and deflect you from your purpose in. regard to war effort. You go your way, and we go ours, undeterred, the common ground being non-violence. If our advice pre- vails, there will be no war effort on the part of our people* I£ on the other hand, without your using any but moral pressure you find that they respond, then we cannot help