The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-01
DO Australians Hate England?

Two remarkable articles have appeared
during the last month in London periodicals
on the subject of Australian feeling toward
Great Britain. They are tho outcome OF
long personal observation by Englishmen
who won't to Melbourne and Sydney believ-
Ing the colonists to be warmly attached to
the mother country. What they saw and
heard convinced them that no su.h afrec.
ton is entertained by the majority OF the
population. but that on the contrary feel
Ing OF dislike. if not antipathy. 10 England
and Englishmen is rapidly gaining ground
Mr.. FRANCIS ADAMS. writing in the Fort
nightly Rerieu tells us that he went out to
Australia seven years ago. At that time he
was touched TO the heart with the idea that,
as England had found men great enough to
recreate world wide empire after tho bitter
Lesson Of 1875, SO she would now find men
great enough to preserve it. 1t took but
three years to show him that this was a
dream. Six years left him with the convic-
ton that imperial federation would spell
"swindle" to every one but the greedy Eng
lish traders. II could not be brought about
by brit cry. Lead and steel alone could
force 1t on Australia, and even then it
would not hold its own for twelve
month. Mr.. ADAMS warns his country
men that they cannot treat Australia as
they treat Ireland. They had better
not try. Two Irelnnds. and one OF them
10000 miles off, might bring the national
career of England to n disgraccful close. 1t
is pointed out that the advocacy of the I'M.
perlal idea is left to the average English
politician. tho average English clique, tho
average English constituency. Their busi-
ness is to dawdle and blunder until Canada
Is absorbed in the United States and Aus
tralia st amps ont the faint vestiges OF Anglo
Australian sentiment and stands UP on her
own feet exultnnt and defiant.
Until very recently, indeed. it was
supposed that the mother country
had IL firm friend in New south
Wales. All The rest of the Australian
colonies are ruled by the workinGmcn, and
Australian workingmen arc notoriously
contcmptuous of England. In New South
Wales this summer the workingmcn made
for tho first time an organized appeal to the
ballot box. The result is that they have
thirty out of one hundred and twcnty seats
in tile new House OF Assembly, md they arc
i, expected TO double this number OF represent.
atives next time. In view Of this Lcm0u-
stration in the stronghold CI rc-B.itish
sentiment, we may Iens pnably predict that
federation. il it ever comes to pass. will aim
rather at Australian independence than at
closer rela ions with the mother country.
Mr.. ID. CHRISTIE MURRAY, speaking
through the Contemporary agrees with Mr..
ADAMS in all important particulars. He too
affirms that Australia is governed by tho
workingman. The workingman has discov-
cred that he has good thing in Australia,
and he IL resolved to keep 1t. He has got it
into his head that the one thing hc has to
fear Is an inluX of population. Now Eng
land Is The one country In tho world which,
under existing circumstances. would DO
likely to send any appreciable number OF
new people into tho Australian colonies.
Therefore England Is to DO dreaded and
hated, and Australian workmen even talk OF
war as the answer to an attempt to dcplete
by emigration the overcrowdcd labor mar
kets OF tho home country. SO deeply rooted
10 tho feeling, AMI so passionate are its
manifestations. that no public man dares
even to discuss tho emigration question.
Never, according to Mr.. MURRAY, will
Australia. except under compusion, allow
any large body OF Engllshmcn to enter into
possession Of any part of her territory.
Her ports are definitely closed to immigra-
ton on a large SCALE Mr.. MURRAY does not
approve OF this position from the view point
Of political economist contemplating the
vast extent OF Australians undeveloped re-
sources. He Is simply recording fact. To
the workingmen immigration is bugbear.
and In Australia not the capitalist but the
Vorkingman Is master OF the State.
Wa are told that II an English traveller In