Page:A colonial autocracy, New South Wales under Governor Macquarie, 1810-1821.djvu/69

 papers had been sent by Macquarie's hands to Bligh, not for publication but to assist him in preparing his case against the insurgents. Either by some breach of faith or culpable negligence, their contents were disclosed. At once Bligh's friends proposed to hold meetings at Sydney and the Hawkesbury to vote addresses of "condolence and congratulation," and to disavow a paragraph in the despatch which they considered false and malicious. The passage in question ran as follows:—

"&hellip; it will be apparent that I had no alternative but to put Governor Bligh in arrest to prevent an insurrection of the inhabitants, and to secure him and the persons he confided in from being massacred by the incensed multitude."

It was felt that such meetings would ease the fears of some, be valuable evidence for Bligh, and could not be opposed by Macquarie without giving great offence to his predecessor. Yet it was the very way to rouse feeling of the bitterest kind. A requisition was brought to Gore, now reinstated as Provost-Marshal. The Governor gave his consent, and a meeting was called for 11 A.M. on the 11th of April at Sydney. According to colonial custom, the Provost-Marshal took the chair. The meeting was a large one. Although the New South Wales Corps had embarked a few days before, several of the officers were present. The chiefs of Johnston's party came in feudal bands, surrounded by their servants and dependents. The first resolutions dealing only with the address were declared carried amidst great confusion. Then Gore read the paragraph from the despatch and put the blunt question, "whether any person or persons at the meeting would avow that he or they had had a design to massacre the Governor and the officers in whom he confided, if Colonel Johnston had not seized and imprisoned the Governor?"

At this there was great uproar and cries of "No, no, no such intention," and D'Arcy Wentworth shouted across in just wonder and contempt: "What, man, do you think we are going to put a rope round our own necks?" A question so absurdly worded as that put by Gore could have only one answer, and