SEPTEMBER, 20, 1878
Ourselves
IN ACCORDANCE WITH LONGSTANDING ETIQUETTE OBTAINING among the journalistic community, we seeking admission into it as a new member, herald our first appearance before the public, by a leader rather ostentatiously styled “Ourselves in which we will presently set forth the circumstances that justify the appearance of a new paper, its professed intentions and aims, the line of policy it proposes to pursue and the principles by which it is to be guided. It is with great diffidence that we usher this paper into existence presuming that the indulgent public will give us a warm reception by supporting and encouraging us in spite of our shortcomings.
We shall confine ourselves as much as possible to Indian politics. We do not belong either to that class of men who altogether ignore the superiority of western rule and find fault with everything the Government does or to that of those who are so far carried away by the influence of their English education as to cry down everything native and advocate as a rule the preferability of western institutions to those of our community. With many Anglo-Indian statesmen such as Sir Thomas Munro, Sir Henry Lawrence and several others we are of opinion that there has been a tendency on the part of our rulers to interfere too much in the internal administration of the country. We are inclined to be conservative as much as it is consistent with the national progress of the nation. The whole world is destined to be guided by Europe and it will not be desirable even if it were possible to withstand the pressure of the European influence brought to bear upon us by the spread of western knowledge and civilisation among us. The principles that we propose to be guided by are simple those of fairness and justice. It will always be our aim to promote harmony and union among our fellow countrymen and to interpret correctly the feelings of the natives and to create mutual confidence between the governed and the governors. In religion though there have been of late occasions to look with unpleasant feelings and suspicion upon the conduct of a particular sect of missionaries, we shall observe the strictest neutrality; sectarian disputes we shall never allow to appear in our columns. But when religious questions involve interests of a political and social character we shall keep our columns open to any prudent remarks and criticisms.
If our attempt proves successful we shall have reason to congratulate ourselves and feel proud that we have succeeded in doing what we consider to be our duty. But owing to a want of encouragement and co-operation from the public if our attempt follows its predecessors to the fundiscovered country, we shall retire from the field with the melancholy conviction that the native public of South India are not prepared to support among them more than one native newspaper and beg the pardon of the public for having disturbed their equanimity.
Reference:
The First 100
A Selection of Editorials, 1878-1978, THE HINDU, VOLUME I