We Forbear Saying All That Might Be Said As To The Spies
Being Sent From The Camp To Enrol Themselves Amongst The
Insurgents, And Who, Report Says, Urged Them To Attack
The Camp, Which Was Repudiated By The Diggers - They
Saying They Would Act Upon The Defensive.
That we believed the enforcement of the law in this case
would have the most pernicious effect, not only upon the
commerce of the colony, but would retard, if not prevent,
the accomplishment of those schemes of reform that His
Excellency had promised.
That if he valued the good opinions of the people - the
peace and prosperity of the colony, he would be giving
the best evidence of it by granting the amnesty we prayed
for; but that, if His Excellency punished these men, it
would be calling into existence an agitation which would,
we feared, end in civil commotion, if not in the disseverance
of the colony from the mother country.
That we thought there were reasons sufficiently important
to justify an amnesty, on the grounds of state policy alone.
But even supposing there were no legitimate grounds for
an amnesty, and that the government have been right in
all that they have done - which would be saying what facts
do not warrant - surely the slaughter of some fifty people
is blood enough to expiate far greater crimes than the
diggers of Ballaarat have been guilty of, without seeking
the lives of thirteen more victims. The government would
act wisely in not pursuing so suicidal a course.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 149 of 192
Words from 39945 to 40199
of 51645
