But This Sending Forth Of A Child-Nation To Take Its Own Political
Status In The World Has Never Yet Been Done By Great Britain.
I
cannot remember that such has ever been done by any great power
with reference to its dependency; by any power that was powerful
enough to keep such dependency within its grasp.
But a man
thinking on these matters cannot but hope that a time will come
when such amicable severance may be effected. Great Britain cannot
think that through all coming ages she is to be the mistress of the
vast continent of Australia, lying on the other side of the globe's
surface; that she is to be the mistress of all South Africa, as
civilization shall extend northward; that the enormous territories
of British North America are to be subject forever to a veto from
Downing Street. If the history of past empires does not teach her
that this may not be so, at least the history of the United States
might so teach her. "But we have learned a lesson from those
United States," the patriot will argue who dares to hope that the
glory and extent of the British empire may remain unimpaired in
saecula saeculorum. "Since that day we have given political rights
to our colonies, and have satisfied the political longings of their
inhabitants. We do not tax their tea and stamps, but leave it to
them to tax themselves as they may please." True. But in
political aspirations the giving of an inch has ever created the
desire for an ell.
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