Condemn The Wicked, And Bring His Way Upon His Head, Oh,
Lord God Of Israel!
The first witness against me was such a rum sort of old colonial bird of
the jackass tribe, and made such a fool of himself for Her Majesty's dear
sake, about the monster meeting, where as it appeared, he had volunteered
as reporter of the Camp; that now God has given him his reward. He is a
gouty cripple, still on 'Her Majesty's fodder' at the Camp, Ballaarat.
Who will sharpen my quill and poison my inkstand, that I may put to
confusion the horrible brood of red-tape that ruled on Ballaarat at the
time. To administer justice in the sacred name of Her Most Gracious
Majesty, they squandered the sweat of self-over-working diggers, on a set
of devils, such that they actually competed with one another, in vomiting
like sick dogs! Their multitude was taken as a test of their veracity,
on the Mosaical ground, that 'out of the mouth of two witnesses shall the
guilty be condemned;' and yet, with the exception of spy Goodenough,
and spy Peters, none other to my knowledge ever did see my face before.
I assert and declare as an honest man and a Christian, that my eyes never
did see the witnesses against me, before I was under arrest at the Camp.
My soul was drowned in an ocean of bitterness when of that brood of Satan,
one did swear he had run from before my pike; another had fired at me,
but his pistol 'snapped;' a third made me prisoner within the stockade;
a fourth took me up chained to other prisoners who had surrendered,
from the stockade to the Camp.
Such, then, is the perversity of the human heart! In vain did I point out
to the sitting magistrate the absurdness of their evidence, and the fact
that Sub-inspector Carter and Dr. Carr could prove the contradiction.
I was so embittered and broken-hearted at the wickedness of so many
infuriated mercenary rascals, that had made up their mind to sell the
blood of an honest man, in as much as I had repeatedly told each and all
of them, when they came to 'recognize' in our prison, that they must
mistake me for another as I was not within the stockade that Sunday
morning; that I...but it is too humiliating to say any more.
Mr. Sturt, with an odious face, whose plumpness told me at once he was no
friend to fasting, strutted to the magisterial chair, and committeed me
and the nigger-rebel, to whom I was kindly hobbled, to take our trial
for high treason!
Chapter LXIX.
Vox Populi, Vox Dei.
In the course of the day (December 7th), in spite of all the bayonets and
blunderbusses, the report reached us that the Melbourne people had had
a Monster Meeting of their own, equal to ours of November 29th, and that
Mr. Foster, the 'Jesuit,' had been dismissed from office.
The tragical act on Ballaarat was over; the scenery changed; and the
comedy now proceeded to end in the farce of the State Trials in Melbourne.
Between Wednesday and Thursday, all the 160 prisoners were liberated,
with the necessary exception of thirteen, reserved to confirm the title
of this book.
I do not wish to omit one significant circumstance. On Tuesday night,
December 5th, I was hobbled for the night to young Fergusson, an American,
and shared with him his blankets. I felt very much for this young man,
for he suffered from consumption; and as I do respect him, so I shall not
disclose our private conversation. This, however, is to the purpose.
He was among us, and with us at four o'clock on Saturday, at one and the
same time when spy Peters was within the stockade.
No spy, no trap, no trooper appeared against young Fergusson. Doctor
Kenworthy, his countryman, had the management of getting him off. I was
glad at his obtaining his liberty, because he was a brave, kind-hearted,
republican-minded young American, and I intend to keep his blue blankets
he left to me in prison for my comfort, in his remembrance.
Chapter LXX.
Audi Alteram Partem.
'Fair Play'.
As I wish to be believed, so I transcribe the following from 'The Argus',
Friday, December 15, 1854;
MAINTENANCE OF LAW AND ORDER.
The Lieutenant-Governor received a deputation from, with an address signed
by, five hundred bankers, merchants, and other classes resident in
Melbourne, placing themselves, their services, and their influence
unreservedly at His Excellency's disposal, for the maintenance or order
and upholding of the paramount authority of existing (!) law.
His Excellency listened with marked attention to the address, to which he
gave the following answer: -
"Gentlemen...
"...It is necessary to look its (the Colony's) difficulty full in the face.
"Here we have persons from all parts of the globe, - men who come to look
for gold and gold alone; men of adventurous spirit, of resolution, and of
firm purpose to carry out the principles which actuate them. If gold
fails, or the season is unfavourable, we must expect such outbreaks and
such dangers as have given rise to the most loyal and valuable address
which you present to me. ['Pardon, Monsiegneur, apres lecture des versets
28, 29, du chap. I., et versets 17, 18, 19, du chap. III., de la Genese,
favorisez s'il vous plait l'exploitation de l'activite de tous ces
gaillards la, par la Charrue: l n'y a pas mal de terres ici, et bien
pour tout le monde. Audaces fortuna juvat.']
"I desire to govern by the people, and through the people: and by the
people I mean through the intelligence of the people. ['Elle est fameuse,
Monseigneur l'intelligence de ceux, qui vous ont conseille l'affaire de
Ballaarat! surtout in farce odieuse de haute-trahison!']
"In Ballaarat it was not a particular law, against which objection was
raised, nor was there a particular complaint made.
