THE PORTUGUESE AND THE
DUTCH IN CEYLON.

(Being a Lecture delivered before the Dutch Burgher
Union by Joseph Grenier, Esq., K.C.)

Several years ago, in my moments of leisure, I wrote a
short paper on the subject I have selected for this evening's
lecture. I never made use of the contents of it in public,
but it has helped me in the preparation, and I trust careful
presentation of a subject which cannot but be of engrossing
interest to all of us at the present time, when we have
but recently passed through a crisis in the political
history of this country, and have been given certain rights
and privileges which are in our power to employ either for
good or for evil. My lips are unsealed now, and I feel a
certain sense of freedom in the present position I find
myself in. I am untrammeled by the obligations of office.
So long as I was in I told the Bar when I took my
farewell of it, I never swerved from the straight path
of duty. I did my duty fearlessly and to the best of my
ability. And now that, I am amongst you once more, I will
try to be of the highest service to the community to which
I have the honour of belonging, as well as to the other
communities amongst us, by advancing and protecting
their true interests as much as lies in my power. I am
saying this in no vain glorious spirit. There is

A G00D DEAL TO BE DONE

in several directions, which I will indicate as I go along.
I am afraid we have grown too apathetic of late.
On several burning questions of the day we have not
presented a united front. I do not forget what has been
done, but more has to be done, and unless we are one in
thought and action, we can never succeed. We must
always remember that this Island is our permanent home,
that we have lived under the protection of the British Flag
for nearly two centuries, and that any glaring act of
injustice or wrong that may be perpetrated here does not go
unremedied in England. So that we are never without the
safeguard of the watchful eye of British statesmen, who
make no distinction of race or colour or creed, but are true
to the noble traditions of the nation to which they belong in
protecting the weak against the strong.

        

08/14/99