the eureka stockade-第29章

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On　this　head；　we　would　wish　to　remark；　that　the　fault　lies　at　the　door　of　the　government；　in　prostituting　the　military；　by　making　them　tax　collectors；　and　placing　them　at　the　disposal　of　a　few　vain　officials；　who　were　not　over…stocked　with　brains；　and　ignorant　of　the　functions　of　constitutional　government。　　But　one　fact　they　seemed　fully　sensible　of；　viz。：　　That　'Othello'　occupation　would　indeed　soon　'be　gone；'　and　they　were　determined　to　'crush　the　scoundrels'　who　dared　to　question　the　policy；　or　even　justice；　or　a　government　keeping　up　such　an　expensive　army　of　La　Trobian　idlers　as　strut　about　in　borrowed　plumes　with　all　the　insolence　of　office；　who；　in　fact；　have　proved　themselves；　with　a　few　honourable　exceptions；　fit　for　little　else　than　bringing　the　colony　into　debt；　creating　disaffection　amongst　the　people；　and　stamping　indelible　disgrace　upon　any　government　that　would　uphold　the　system　that　tolerates　them。　　One　of　these　'retiring'　gentlemen　stated　on　the　morning　of　the　famed　'digger…hunt'　of　the　30th　November；　in　reply　to　one　of　the　refractory　diggers：　〃If　you　do　not　pay　your　licences；　how　are　we　to　be　supported　at　the　Camp？〃　and　further；　〃There　are　some　disaffected　scoundrels　I　am　determine　to　arrest！〃　　To　crush！　for　what？　For　daring　to　refuse　to　pay　taxes　except　they　had　a　voice　in　the　expending　of　them　for　the　public　weal；　public　taxes　are　public　property。　　Some　of　these　'gentlemanly'　officials　made　use　of　language　on　the　occasion　alluded　to；　that　not　only　gave　evidence　of　considerable　malignity；　but　of　a　vulgarity　that　a　gentleman　would　scorn　to　use；　and　we　think　it　not　an　unfair　inference　to　draw　from　the　foregoing　facts；　that　the　digger…hunt　of　the　30th　of　November；　and　the　cruel　slaughter　of　the　3rd　December；　were　unmistakable　acts　of　petty　official　revenge；　and；　therefore；　instead　of　the　diggers　forestalling　the　Commission　of　Inquiry；　appointed　by　His　Excellency；　we　advisedly　say　it　was　Commissioner　Rede　and　Co。　who　forestalled　the　inquiry　by　endeavouring　to　crush　the　'500　scoundrels'　he　complained　ofa　scoundrel　in　that　gentleman's　estimation　seems　to　be　one　who　thinks　that　some　12　pounds　per　head　per　annum　is　rather　too　heavy　a　tax　for　an　Englishman　to　pay；　especially　if　used　in　supporting　men　so　unfit　for　office　as　he　has　proved　himself　to　be。　　This　gentleman　was　the　arch…rioter　of　the　30th　November；　in　this　we　are　confirmed　（if　confirmation　of　well…known　facts　were　needed）　by　the　verdict　of　acquittal　of　the　so　called　'Ballaarat　Rioters；'　partially　on　the　evidence　of　Mr。　Rede　himself。

In　the　latter　part　of　His　Excellency's　reply；　he　very　properly　lays　it　down　as　'the　duty　of　government　to　administer　equal　justice　to　all；'　which　is　no　doubt　the　noblest　principle　of　the　English　constitution；　and　we　certainly　have　no　fears　for　the　peace　of　even　colonial　society；　with　all　its　supposed　discordant　elements；　so　long　as　that　principle　is　practically　carried　out；　but　we　are　under　well　founded　apprehension　if　the　reverse　is　to　be　the　order　of　the　day。

There　is　a　paragraph　in　our　petition　to　the　effect；　that　if　'His　Excellency　had　found　sufficient　extenuation　in　the　conduct　of　American　citizens；'　we　thought　there　were　equally　good　grounds　for　extending　similar　clemency　to　all；　irrespective　of　nationality；　and　that　it　was　unbecoming　the　dignity　of　any　government　to　make　such　exceptions；　and　if　such　have　been　done　（and　that　something　tantamount　to　it　has　been　done；　there　is　ample　proof）；　it　is　a　violation　of　the　very　principle　enunciated　by　His　Excellency　in　his　report　viz。；　'That　it　is　the　duty　of　a　government　to　administer　equal　justice　to　all。'　　What　we　contend　for　is　this：If　it　be　just　to　grant　an　amnesty　to　a　citizen　of　one　country；　'equal　justice'　claims　an　amnesty　for　all。　We　wish　it　to　be　distinctly　understood　by　our　American　friends；　that　we　do　not　for　a　moment　find　fault　with　His　Excellency　for　allowing　their　countrymen　to　go　free；　but　we　do　complain；　in　sorrow；　that　he　does　not　display　the　same　liberality　to　othersthat　he　does　not　wisely　and　magnanimously　comply　with　the　prayer　of　our　petition　by　granting　a　general　amnesty。

But　is　is　stated　further　in　the　reply；　that　'no　exception　had　been　made　in　favour　of　any　person　against　whom　a　charge　was　preferred。'　　With　all　becoming　deference　to　His　Excellency；　we　think　this　does　not　meet　the　point。　　If　the　gentleman　were　innocent；　why　guarantee　him　against　arrest？　　And　if　his　friends　（and　we　give　them　credit　for　good　tact）　anticipated　the　'preferment　of　a　charge；'　it　does　not　create　any　special　grounds　for　an　amnesty　in　contradistinction　to　a　general　amnesty。

Again；　upon　whom　lies　the　onus　of　'preferring　charge？'　500　pounds　was　offered　for　Vern；　'DEAD　OR　ALIVE'　and　400　pounds　for　Lalor　and　Black；　and　yet　we　presume　there　was　no　charge；　or　charges；　'preferred'　against　them　any　more　than　the　gentleman　alluded　to。　　We　yet　trust　that　the　same　good　feeling　that　induced　His　Excellency　to　give　James　M‘Gill　his　liberty　will　increase　sufficiently　strong　to　unbar　the　prison…doors；　and　set　the　state　captives　free；　that　they　may　be　restored　to　their　homes；　their　sorrowing　families；　and　sympathising　countrymen。　　By　such　an　act；　the　Lieutenant…Governor　will　secure　the　peace　of　society；　and　the　respect　and　support　of　the　people；　and　be　carrying　out　the　glorious　principle　he　has　proclaimed　of　'Equal　Justice　to　All。'

J。　BASSON　HUMFFRAY；　C。　F。　NICHOLLS；　（of　Ballaarat。）　Melbourne；　23rd　January；　1855。




Chapter　LXXVI。



Quid　Sum　Miser；　Nunc　Dicturus。


At　Bacchus　Marsh　we　were　thrown　into　a　dark　lockup；　by　far　cleaner　than　the　lousy　one　of　Ballaarat。　　Captain　Thomas；　who　must　have　acknowledged　that　we　had　behaved　as　men；　sent　us　a　gallon　of　porter；　and　plenty　of　damper；　he　had　no　occasion　to　shoot　down　any　of　us。　　I　write　now　this　his　kindness　with　thanks。

At　last；　after　a　long；　long　day；　smothered　with　dust；　burning　with　thirst；　such　that　the　man　in　the　garb　of　a　digger　had　compassion　on　us；　and　shouted　a　welcome　glass　of　ale　to　all　of　uswe　arrived　before　the　Melbourne　gaol　at　eight　o'clock　at　night。

From　the　tender　mercies　of　our　troopers；　we　were　given　up　to　the　gentle　grasp　of　the　turnkeys。　　The　man　in　the　garb　of　a　digger　introduced　us　to　the　governor；　giving　such　a　good　account　of　us　all；　that　said　governor；　on　hearing　we　had　had　nothing　to　eat　since　mid…day；　was　moved　to　let　us　have　some　bread　and　cheese。

We　were　commanded　to　strip　to　the　bare　shirtthe　usual　ignomy　to　begin　a　prison　life　withand　then　we　were　shown　our　cella　board　to　lie　down　on；　a　blanketand　the　heavy　door　was　bolted　on　us。

Within　the　darkness　of　our　cell；　we　now　gave　vent　to　our　grief；　each　in　his　own　way。

Sleep　is　not　a　friend　to　prisoners；　and　so　my　mind　naturally　wandered　back　to　the　old　spot　on　the　Eureka。




Chapter　LXXVII。



Requiescant　In　Pace。


Lalor's　Report　of　the　Killed　and　Wounded　at　the　Eureka　Massacre；　on　the　morning　of　the　memorable　Third　of　December；　1854：…


The　following　lists　are　as　complete　as　I　can　make　them。　　The　numbers　are　well　known；　but　there　is　a　want　of　names。　　I　trust　that　the　friends　or　acquaintances　of　these　parties　may　forward　particulars　to　'The　Times'　office；　Ballaarat；　to　be　made　available　in　a　more　lengthened　narrative。


KILLED。

1　JOHN　HYNES；　County　Clare；　Ireland。　2　PATRICK　GITTINS；　Kilkenny；　do。　3　MULLINS；　Kilkenny；　Limerick；　Ireland。　4　SAMUEL　GREEN；　England。　5　JOHN　ROBERTSON；　Scotland。　6　EDWARD　THONEN　（lemonade　man）；　Elbertfeldt；　Prussia。　7　JOHN　HAFELE；　Wurtemberg。　8　JOHN　DIAMOND；　County　Clare；　Ireland。　9　THOMAS　O'NEIL；　Kilkenny；　do。　10　GEORGE　DONAGHEY；　Muff；　County　Donegal；　do。　11　EDWARD　QUIN；　County　Cavan；　do。　12　WILLIAM　QUINLAN；　Goulbourn；　N。S。W。　13　and　14　Names　unknown。　　One　was　usually　known　on　Eureka　as　'Happy　Jack。'


WOUNDED　AND　SINCE　DEAD。

1　LIEUTENANT　ROSS；　Canada。　2　THADDEUS　MOORE；　County　Clare；　Ireland。　3　JAMES　BROWN；　Newry；　do。　4　ROBERT　JULIEN；　Nova　Scotia。　5　CROWE；　unknown。　6　FENTON；　do。　7　EDWARD　M‘GLYN；　Ireland。　8　No　particulars。


WOUNDED　AND　SINCE　RECOVERED。

1　PETER　LALOR；　Queen's　County；　Ireland。　2　Name　unknown；　England。　3　PATRICK　HANAFIN；　County　Kerry；　Ireland。　4　MICHAEL　HANLY；　County　Tipperary；　do。　5　MICHAL　O'NEIL；　County　Clare；　do。　6　THOMAS　CALLANAN；　do。　　do。　7　PATRICK　CALLANAN；　d