EQUAL RANK AND RIGHTS TO THE COLONIES. 349 



through the clearing of the primeval forest, the petty 

 squabbles of local and angry politics, or the narrow 

 struggles of a provincial assembly ? But open to all the 

 same access to imperial honours make them feel that 

 wherever they go they remain still British, equal Avith 

 the British-born they leave behind and then, instead of 

 lingering through an idle life at home, or vegetating on 

 pensions and ill-earned sinecures, younger sons of rich 

 or ancient houses would start to other lands, give to 

 new climes the aid of their pure but stagnating blood, 

 and revive and perpetuate, under new suns, the deeds 

 and names of their forefathers. 



But of how many obstacles, real or imaginary, to the 

 results we have been contemplating, do the shadows 

 rise up before us. Polemical squabbles convulse the land, 

 rival religious sects contend for the mastery, class strives 

 against class, and men s minds arc blinded to the greatest 

 good and glory of their country. While contending 

 political parties struggle for place and power, the links 

 which connect the several parts of the Empire are insen 

 sibly loosening and preparing to sever. 



Could some pure patriot arise among us, greatly gifted, 

 and stirred with the magnificent idea of giving to the 

 British Constitution, and to this free constitutional 

 empire, a great and permanent future, by grafting really, 

 and as brother-and-sister branches, on the mother trunk 

 the numerous provinces and colonies which now muster 

 under the same broad flag how might the English name 

 and grandeur be preserved secure from all assaults, and 

 English energy, civilisation, respect for law and order, and 

 love for intellectual and material progress, be more widely 

 spread, domiciled, and perpetuated over the habitable 

 globe ! Above all party triumphs, what glory would 

 encircle such a statesman ! An after-name might be his, 

 greater even than that of a Wellington or a Wash 

 ington. 



