450 EARLIER INDIAN SPEECHES
ever spreads till at last it becomes a dominant factor in the community in which it is brought into play, and if it so spreads, no Government can neglect it. Either it must yield to it or imprison the workers in the movement. But I have no desire to argue. As the English proverb says, the proof of the pudding lies in the eating. The movement, for better or for worse, has been launched. We shall be judged not by our words, but solely by our deeds. It is, therefore, not enough that we sign the Pledge. Our signing it is but an earnest of our determina- tion to act up to it, and if all who sign the Pledge, act according to it, I make bold to promise that we shall bring about the withdrawal of the two Bills and neither the Government nor our critics will have a word to say against us, The cause is great, the remedy is equally great ; let us prove worthy of them both.
��APPEAL TO THE VICEROY
��A publii meeting of the citizens of Madras was held on March 20, 1919, at the Beach opposite the Presidency College, Madras, to appeal to the Viceroy to withhold his assent to the Rowlatt Act and to convey to Mr. M. K. Gandhi their profound and respectful thanks for the trouble he had taken to visit Madras in order to strengthen the^ Satyagraha t movement. Mr. M. K. Gandhi did not attend owing to ill-health. Mr. Desai read the following message from Mr. M. K. Qandhi.
Friends. This afternoon I propose to deal with some of the objections that have been raised against Satyagraha. After saying that it was a matter of regret that men like myself " should have embarked on this movement," Sir Wm. Vincent, in winding up
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