Page:Australia an appeal.djvu/19

Rh canting hypocrites, who are virtually the instigators, because ye are actually the defenders of savage outrage; not only in this, but also in other colonies. At the Cape, these pests abetted the savages until the colonists were driven from their homes—until life and property, on the borders of the colony have become not worth a 'pin's fee.' Do their worthy compeers in New South Wales desire to 'do likewise?' The shepherd, the stockman, or the settlers' property is not safe for an instant; and yet, the Government, instead of arming the settlers and their servants, send a cargo of tomahawks and blankets, as presents to the murderous savages! Let the settlers—aye, and their assigned servants, too—rise up as one man in determined opposition to such a system. With respect to the servants, no magistrate would dare to order a man to be punished for refusing to be placed in a situation, in which he would be in momentary danger of losing his life from the blow of a club, or the thrust of a spear. No master could justly complain of a servant for such refusal; because the men, even if armed, fear to fire upon the savages, in dread of being hanged for protecting their own lives or their masters' property. Here is a pretty state of things! In May last, Lord John Russell wrote to the magistrates of the English counties, acquainting them that the Government was willing to supply arms to all peaceably disposed persons, desirous of arming themselves into associations for mutual protection against the designs of the mad-brained anarchists who are endeavouring to excite a revolution in England. When that offer was nade, no overt act had been committed by the disturbers of the public peace; yet, in this colony—where the most treacherous murders and robberies are daily committed by savages, the Government not only does not arm the settlers and their servants, but deals out threats of vengeance to them, and tomahawks and blankets to the blacks! We say that the settlers ought not, and will not endure this. Then, with respect to those humbug appointments—the black Protectors—what effect have they had in suppressing the outrages of their interesting protegés? What have they done? What are they doing? We said, from the first, that the creation of such officers as 'Protectors of Blacks' was nothing but a Whig job the only effect of which would be that of imposing additional expense upon the colony. The result has shown that we were right. These 'Protectors' have not only proved inefficient, but they have, also, in some instances, proved mischievous. One of them, at the southward, is doing nothing whatever, except—as we are well informed—granting pernission to convicts to be at large for their own benefit. Of course, these favours are not undeserved