34 A COLONIAL AUTOCRACY. 



Macarthur refused to go. The plan was abandoned and the 

 money never collected. 1 



On the whole Sydney was for Johnston, but the small 

 settlers from the Hawkesbury to Paramatta stood firm for 

 Bligh, who had been popular with them from the beginning of 

 his Governorship. Even stronger than their affection for Bligh 

 was their hatred of Macarthur. 2 He had started as a Lieu- 

 tenant of the New South Wales Corps, sold out as captain in 

 1804, and devoted himself to the cultivation of the finest estate 

 in the Colony. It lay in the Cow Pastures, the richest tract 

 of land then discovered. There he grew fine wool and made 

 experiments in cultivating fruit and vines. He also carried on 

 trade with China and the South Sea Islands, and was one of 

 the biggest rum-dealers in a rum-dealing community. His 

 enterprise and his success were alone enough to arouse envy. 

 His hot, defiant temper, his commercial greed, his burning 

 conviction that all who opposed his will sought only for his 

 ruin, his power of raising a personal injury to the status of a 

 national wrong, the very domestic virtue which made his home 

 an example to the country-side all marked him out as a man 

 whose few friends would be far outbalanced by the number of 

 his enemies. His multifarious interests brought him into con- 

 nection, and with Macarthur that meant into collision, with 

 nearly every man in the Colony, and his vigorous tempestuous 

 spirit had left not one corner of the territory undisturbed. 

 It was known to be by his persuasion that Johnston had 

 taken the title of Lieutenant-Governor, 3 and it was supposed by 

 the settlers to be for Macarthur's benefit that the Government 

 was carried on. Although he would accept no salary when he 

 took the office of Colonial Secretary and became the real head 

 of the administration, they still believed that he was reaping a 



1 Bligh to Castlereagh, 3oth April, 1808. H.R., vi., p. 607. 



a In 1805 addresses were presented to King on his departure and Bligh on 

 his arrival. They were signed by three persons one representing the garrison, 

 one the civil staff, and one the settlers. Macarthur signed for the settlers. A 

 large number of these protested against this, alleging that his action was " uncon- 

 stitutional and unauthorised," and that they never would or could accept him as 

 their representative on any occasion. H.R., VI., p. 188. 



3 This was never proved in black and white, but short of that it was quite 

 clear that the general impression that this was the case was in accordance with 

 the facts. 



