en
devised, because it touched every one, from the _coolie_ in the bazaar
to the noble in his palace. Before the annexation of Oude opium was
untaxed, and was largely consumed by all classes of the people, both in
the capital and in the villages. Though the mass of the people were
well-affected to British rule in general, disloyal agitators had merely
to cite the opium-tax as a most obnoxious and oppressive impost, to
raise the whole population against the British Government, and the same
would be the case again, if ever the British Government were weak enough
to be led by the Anti-Opium Society."

"Then," said I, "since you are so much against the Anti-Opium Society, I
suppose you are also against Christian missionaries." "That by no means
follows," was the answer. "Many of our most Christian and able
missionaries have as little sympathy with the anti-opium propagandists
as I have. The true missionary aims at reforming the people through the
people, not by compelling moral reformation through the Government,
which would be merely a return to the Inquisition of Rome in another
form. I would encourage missionaries by every possible means; but they
must be broad-minded, earnest, pious men, who mind their own business,
and on no pretence whatever attempt to dictate to Government, or to
control its action either in the matter of taxation or in any other way.
I would never encourage men who go about the country railing against the
Government for collecting revenue from one of the most just sources that
can be named. Missionaries of experience know that the mass of the
population are miserably poor, and a pill of opium is almost the only
stimulant in which they indulge. Then, why attempt to deprive them of
it, merely to please a score or so of sentimental faddists? Let the
missionaries mind their own business, and render to Caesar the things
which are Caesar's, and unto God the things which are God's. Let them
confine themselves to proclaiming the Gospel to the heathen, and teach
the Bible in their schools; but don't allow them to mix in politics, or
in any way interfere with the government or taxation of the country. I
would throw the English education of the people more into the hands of
the missionaries. Our Government schools are antichristian, and are
making infidels of the people."

THE END

_Printed by_ R. & R. CLARK, LIMITED, _Edinburgh_.

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