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/Ex. 39]      THE  CARNARVON CONTROVERSY                83
never would bo any other. All others were doomed to certain disaster and failure. It was needless to name it; it wsis in every man's mind and on every man's tongue. The statesman who accomplished this task would leave a name which would live as lon^ MS history endures. No one knew better than an ex-Secretary of Htato for the Colonies what pregnant examples the colonial empire furnishes of the supreme policy and wisdom of doing justice to the oppressed. Half a century ago the great colonies were more disturbed and discontented than Ireland in 1HKO.
Lower Canada wan organising insurrection under Catholic gentlemen of French de-scenf, and Upper Canada was iu armn under a Scotch 1'ro.sbytorian. Australia was then only a grout pastoral nettlement, but bitter discontent and angry menaeen were heard in all its centres of population, provoked by the .shameful practice of di.Hcharging the criminals of Kngland like a deluge of filth on that young country.
But Sir Robert Peel net the* example of granting lo the Colonies the control of their own aftau'H, and now Melbourne or Montreal wan more exuberantly loyal to the Kmpire than London or Kdln» burgh. 'The New South Walen expedition to the Soudan wan received with a war of exultation throughout Mnghuul; but that remarkable traiwaction, however warmly it wan applauded, was imperfectly understood. The true moral It teaches Is thin that it is wise and Kale to be juwt. Tho acting Prime MiniKtot* of the colony who despatched that expedition wan an Auntralian Catholic of I rink deHeonl. If hw native country woro governed an Ireland has boon governed, ho had tho Bluff In him to bo a leader of revolt 3hit It IH permitted to govern itnelf, and wo HCO tlio ro«ult. In Victoria tho rink of war with HuHBia callad out a demon,stratlon as e,U(»rgotic. Tho Iri«h ]>opulatuiu undortook to raino a regiment of a thouHouil mon for tho dt^ftnieu of tho territory where tlu\y found froodom and proKpority. Their BpokoHman wan a young IHnlx Catholic, who had boon a Minltitar of Btatti at BIcslbourna at an ago whon big father wiw a priHOuor of State in Dublin for tho crime of insisting that Ireland nhonld POHHOBB tho coniploto autonomy which his children now onjoy in tho now country.1 Thoso wore somo of
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