The commissioners appointed by the Congress Punjab Sub Committee have in
their report accused His Excellency the Viceroy of criminal want of
imagination. His Excellency's refusal to commute two death sentences out
of five is a fine illustration of the accusation. The rejection of the
appeal by the Privy Council no more proves the guilt of the condemned
than their innocence would have been proved by quashing the proceedings
before the Martial Law Tribunal. Moreover, these cases clearly come
under the Royal Proclamation in accordance with its interpretation by
the Punjab Government. The murders in Amritsar were not due to any
private quarrel between the murderers and their victims. The offence
grave, though it was, was purely political and committed under
excitement. More than full reparation has been taken for the murders and
arson. In the circumstances commonsense dictates reduction of the death
sentences. The popular belief favours the view that the condemned men
are innocent and have not had a fair trial. The execution has been so
long delayed that hanging at this stage would give a rude shock to
Indian society. Any Viceroy with imagination would have at once
announced commutation of the death sentences--not so Lord Chelmsford. In
his estimation, evidently, the demands of justice will not be satisfied
if at least some of the condemned men are not hanged. Public feeling
with him counts for nothing. We shall still hope that, either the
Viceroy or Mr. Montagu will commute the death sentences.
But if the Government will grievously err, if they carry out the
sentences, the people will equally err if they give way to anger or
grief over the hanging if it has unfortunately to take plane. Before we
become a nation possessing an effective voice in the councils of
nations, we must be prepared to contemplate with equanimity, not a
thousand murders of innocent men and women but many thousands before we
attain a status in the world that, shall not be surpassed by any nation.
We hope therefore that all concerned will take rather than lose heart
and treat hanging as an ordinary affair of life.
[Since the above was in type, we have received cruel news. At last H.E.
the Viceroy has mercilessly given the rude shock to Indian society. It
is now for the latter to take heart in spite of the unkindest
cut.--Ed. Y.I.]