Australian and Other Poems/Extracts from Scrap Book
APPENDIX.
EXTRACTS FROM MR. FLANAGAN'S SCRAP-BOOK
There is nothing fills my heart with a more bitter sense of degradation and indignity than that my equals, those men to whom neither birth, nor fortune, nor education, nor, I humbly conceive, intellect, can give any claim to superiority over me, should come upon me with the air of patronage and protection. — O'Connell
There was a period of similar importance in the history of England. Franklin — Benjamin Franklin — with more of talent than any of us could boast, but with an equally sincere desire of combining America with England and perpetuating the connexion — the virtuous Franklin proffered the dutiful submission of the hearts and hands of America to be devoted to the service of England. And what did he require? A mere act of justice. How was he received? With derision, contempt, and insult. England refused to be just; she laughed to scorn the force of America. She even boasted that by the night-watch of a single parish all the armed power of America could be put down. It was deemed safe to oppress, and therefore oppression was continued. The Americans forgot their feuds, banished their domestic dissensions, combined in patriotic determination, rushed to arms, and — oh! may heaven be thanked for it!— prostrated the proud standard of England in the dust and discomfited her with all her chivalry — Sheridan
The marks of that awful catastrophe, which, so nearly extinguished the human race, are every day becoming more and more visible as geological research proceeds. Thus, in the limestone caves at Wellington Valley, the remains of fossils and exuviaæ, show that their depths were penetrated by the same searching element that poured into the caverns of Kirkdale and other places. — Captain Sturt
The conflict in his country's cause has, in itself, no terror for the Irishman. The maturity of life has reached me in the struggle, but yet my step is firm, and my arm, too, is not unnerved; so that I should not feel any personal deficiency to deter me from joining in the battle's roar in the cause of my country. But I am not without my perception of passing events and instigating causes. Yes, coming events do cast their shadows, and I behold many circumstances which enable me to anticipate the future history of Ireland. The rising generation is not as submissive as their fathers were. It may not be equally safe to treat them ill as it is to ill-treat us. The rising youth of Ireland appear to have their pulses beating with better blood, and I have remarked more than once that, while I myself was tranquil, the eye of youth, scarce reached beyond childhood, was glistening, with indignation at the history of six centuries of misgovernment which this country has endured. "This fiery youth, with hotter blood boiling in their veins, is accumulating fast around us. Whilst we of the old day live, we can and will restrain them ; but when the grave has closed upon those who have been nurtured in submission, and trained in the toils of patient entreaty and constitutional prayer — when we are removed — oh! may England, for her own sake, and for the sake of humanity, above all, turn off the evils which even a successful struggle must inflict upon Ireland — may she learn to be wise in time, and to be just while she may be so with dignity and pride. May she never force Ireland to imitate America, — O'Connell
According to principles of computation which appear to be extremely moderate, the quantity of gold and silver that has been regularly entered in the ports of Spain is equal in value to four millions sterling annually, reckoning from the year 1492, in which America was discovered, to the present time. This in 283 years amounts to £1,132,000,000. Immense as this sum is, the Spanish writers contend that as much more ought to be added, in consideration of treasure which has been extracted from the mines and imported fradulently into Spain without paying duty to the king. By this account, Spain has drawn from the New World a supply of wealth amounting at least to 2,000,000,000 of pounds sterling. — Robertson's History of America.