tirement! you have not to prove that. You have to prove that the population is not ill-treated, whether there are sentimental Saïdjahs amongst this population or not; or should you dare to pretend that you may steal buffaloes of men who do not love, who do not sing melancholy songs, who are not sentimental?
On an attack upon literary performances I should defend the exactness of the picture of Saïdjah, but on political grounds I admit immediately all observations on this exactness, to prevent the great question from being removed to a wrong basis. It is quite indifferent to me whether I am thought to be an incapable painter, if it is only admitted that the ill-treatment of the native is excessive; that is the word on the notice of Havelaar’s predecessor which he showed to the Controller Verbrugge:a notice which lies before me.
But I have other proofs, and that is fortunate. For this predecessor of Havelaar could also have been mistaken.
Alas, if he was mistaken, he has been very severely punished for his mistake!
