CHARACTER OF THE HIDOOS. Bu the Lote B;slios Heber.
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|" In this work the most important part is to give them better religion. Knowing how strongly feel on this subject, you will not be surprised at my placing it foremost. But even if Christianity were out of the question, and if, when had wheeled away the rubbish of the old Pagodas, had nothing bt tier than simple deism to erect in their stead, should still feel some of the anxiety which now ur- ges me. It is necessary to see idoatry, to be fully sensible of its mischievous effects on the human mind. But of all idolatres which I have ever read or heard of, the religion of the Hindoos, in which have taken some pains to inform myself, really appears to me the worst, both in the degrading notions which it gives ofthe Deity in the endless rounds of it's burdensome ceremonies, which occupy the time and distract the thoughts, without either instructing or interesting it's votaries in the filthy acts of uncleanness and cruelty not on- ly permitted but enjoined, and inseparably in- terwoven with those ceremonies in the sys- than any thing else the devil has invented, to destroy the feelings of general benevolence, and to make nine-tenths of mankind the hopeless slaves of the remainder: and in to- tai absence of any system of morals, or any SiuSlc ltSSOH, WHICH Lllc peOple al IafGe ever hear, to live virtuOusly and to do good to each other. do not say, indeed that there are not some scattered lessons of this kind to be- found in their ancient books; but those books are neither accessible to the people at large, nor are these last permitted to read them: and, in general, all the sins which a Sudra is taught to fear, are, killing a COW, offending Brahmin,or neglecting one of the many frivolous rights by which their deities are supposed to be concilated. Accordingly though the general sobriety of the Hindoos, Ia virtue which they possess, in common with most inhabitants of warm clmates) affords a very great facility to the maintenance ofpub- lie order and decorum, realIys have never met with race of men whose standard ol morality is so low, who feel so little apparent shame in being detected in a afaIshood, or so little interest in the sufferings of neighbour not being of their own cast or family whose ordinary and familiar conversation is SO licen. tious or, in the wilder and more lawless districts, who shed blood with so little re. Dugnance."