Alheureusement, cela n'a pas beaucoup change meme
aujourd'hui'.' Vide 'The Times', Ballaarat, Saturday, September 29, 1855,
and Saturday, November 10th - Local Court.]
"...It was not exactly the licence fee, that caused the outbreak, though
that was made the 'nom de guerre,' the 'cheval de bataille,' this was not
the real cause. I consider that the masses were urged on by designing men
who had ulterior views, and who hoped to profit by anarchy and confusion.
['Comment se fait il Monseigneur que vous mettez le prix de 500 pounds
sur la tete du chef de ces blagueurs du Star Hotel, a Ballaarat; et puis
vous lassiez courir le malin a son aise! Avez-vous, oui ou non,
Monseigneur, accorde votre pardon a M`Gill? et les autres Americains
donc?']
"Then we have active, designing, intriguing foreigners, who also desire
to bring about disorder and confusion." ['Cependant, moi, bon garcon apres
tout, et d'une ancienne famille Romaine, j'ai ete VOLE sous arret au
Camp de Ballaarat par VOS gens et avec impunite, Monseigneur. Vous me
faites l'honneur d'avouer par votre lettre la chose, mais vous n'avez
point fait de restitution. Ce n'est pas comme cela que j'entends le vieux
mot Anglais, Fair-play.']"
Hence, I had better address myself to the five hundred gentlemen, who
belong to the brave Melbourne people after all.
Gentlemen,
Five hundred copies of this work, which costs me an immense labour,
for the sake of the cause of truth, will be left with
MESSRS. MUIR, BROTHERS AND CO.,
Merchants, Flinders-lane, Melbourne -
of the same firm much respected on Ballaarat, to whom I am personally
known long ago, having been their neighbour on the Massacre-hill, Eureka.
Ten shillings is my price for each copy: and, as Messrs. Muir render this
service to me gratuitously, so I hereby authorise them to keep
half-a-crown from each ten shillings, and in the spirit of St. Matthew,
verses 1, 2, 3, 4, chap. vi.,share said halfcrowns in the following
proportion: one shilling to the Benevolent Asylum; one shilling to the
Melbourne Hospital, and sixpence to the Miners' Hospital, Ballaarat.
I hope thus to understand 'Fair-play' better than Toorak.
I have not yet done with His Excellency's answer.
"The part which the bankers, merchants, tradesmen and others in Melbourne
and in Geelong ['pas a Ballaarat, Monseigneur'], have taken in coming
forward to support me, I shall be careful to represent properly at home,
where perhaps these occurrences may attract more attention than they
deserve. ['Pour votre bonheur, Monseigneur, Sebastopol leur donne assez
d'occupation pour le moment.']
"I shall declare my opinion that the mass of the community does not
sympathise with these violators of the law." ['Est-ce donc un reve,
Monseigneur, que votre gouvernment en voulait a ma tete, aussi, bien
qu'a celle de douze autres prisonnier, d'etat, et que le peuple nous
a acquitte glorieusement par'
SEVEN BRITISH JURIES!]
'Mon ardent desir, mon tourment presque, c'est d'avoir vite l'honneur
de parler, encore une fois sur la terre, a SA MAJESTE LA REINE VICTORIA.'
'AINSI-SOIT-IL.'
Chapter LXXI.
The State Prisoners.
I Beg to say at once, that with the exception of Hayes and Manning, of the
remaining ten, seven were perfect strangers to me; three I had simply met
at work on the gold-fields; and I won't say anything further.
Yes, though, MICHAEL TUHEY was the stoutest heart among us, an Irishman
in word and deed, young, healthy, good-hearted chap, that hates all the
ways of John Bull, he had been misled by honest George Black countenancing
the two demagogues at Creswick-creek, and had hastened with his
double-barrelled guns to Ballaarat, and stood his ground like an Irishman,
against the red-coats. He never was sorry for it. His brother paid some
forty pounds to a certain solicitor for his defence, but when Mic was
tried for his neck, the Hog was not there. GOD SAVE THE PEOPLE!
THOMAS DIGNAM, a serious-looking, short, tight-built young chap, a native
of Sydney, who hated all sort of rogues, because he was honest in heart.
He brunted courageously the mob fury on Tuesday evening, November 28th,
on the Eureka, and actually saved at the risk of his own life, the life
of a soldier of the 12th regiment on its way to Ballaarat; he took up
arms in the cause of the diggers in Thursday's licence-hunt, was
subsequently under drill at the stockade; fought like a tiger on Sunday
morning; repented not of having put on stretchers a couple of red-coats;
was always cheerful, contented and kind-hearted during the four months
in gaol; paid his last farthing out of the honest sweat of his brow,
to Stephens his solicitor for the defence (above thirty pounds) and when
put in the dock to take his trial for high-treason, lo! there was no
charge against him; the prosecution was dropped. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!
We are however still in chokey at Ballaarat. We were put under the
officious care of Sergeant Harris, who condescended to show some affection
for Joseph, to prove that his Christian love could extend even to niggers;
but the red-coat wanted to draw worms from the black rebel. We were nigh
bursting for laughter, when Joseph during his two days' trial came into
our yard for his meals, and related to us with such eye-twinklings,
widening of nostrils, trumping up the lips, scratching all the while his
black wool so desperately, and the doodle music of his unearthly whistle!
"how old chappyman and a tother smart 'un of spin-all did fix that there
mob of traps; 'specially that godammed hirpocrit of sergeant, I guess."
JOHN JOSEPH, a native of New York, under a dark skin possessed a warm,
good, honest, kind, cheerful heart; a sober, plain-matter-of-fact
contented mind; and that is more than what can be said of some
half-a-dozen grumbling, shirking, snarling, dog-natured state prisoners.
