[Editor: This is a chapter from The Eureka Stockade by Raffaello Carboni. A glossary has been provided to explain various words and phrases that may be unfamiliar to modern readers.]
LXX.
Audi alteram partem.
“Fair Play.”
As I wish to be believed, so I transcribe the following from The Argus, Friday, December 15, 1854;
MAINTENANCE OF LAW AND ORDER.
The Lieutenant-Governor received a deputation from, with an address signed by, five hundred bankers, merchants, and other classes resident in Melbourne, placing themselves, their services, and their influence unreservedly at His Excellency’s disposal, for the maintenance or order and upholding of the paramount authority of existing (!) law.
His Excellency listened with marked attention to the address, to which he gave the following answer:—
“Gentlemen . . .
. . . “It is necessary to look its (the Colony’s) difficulty full in the face.
“Here we have persons from all parts of the globe — men who come to look for gold and gold alone; men of adventurous spirit, of resolution, and of firm purpose to carry out the principles which actuate them. If gold fails, or the season is unfavourable, we must expect such outbreaks and such dangers as have given rise to the most loyal and valuable address which you present to me. [Pardon, Monsiegneur, apres lecture des versets 28, 29, du chap. I., et versets 17, 18, 19, du chap. III., de la Genese, favorisez s’il vous plait l’exploitation de l’activite de tous ces gaillards la, par la Charrue: il n’y a pas mal de terres ici, et bien pour tout le monde. Audaces fortuna juvat.]
“I desire to govern by the people, and through the people: and by the people I mean through the intelligence of the people. [Elle est fameuse, Monseigneur l’intelligence de ceux, qui vous ont conseille l’affaire de Ballaarat! surtout in farce odieuse de haute-trahison!]
“In Ballaarat it was not a particular law, against which objection was raised, nor was there a particular complaint made. [Oh, pardon, Monseigneur: ou l’on vous a toujours mal informe; ou l’on vous a souvent cache la verite: malheureusement, cela n’a pas beaucoup change meme aujourd’hui. Vide The Times, Ballaarat, Saturday, September 29, 1855, and Saturday, November 10th — Local Court.]
. . . . “It was not exactly the licence fee, that caused the outbreak, though that was made the ‘nom de guerre,’ the ‘cheval de bataille,’ this was not the real cause. I consider that the masses were urged on by designing men who had ulterior views, and who hoped to profit by anarchy and confusion. [Comment se fait il Monseigneur que vous mettez le prix de £500 sur la tete du chef de ces blagueurs du Star Hotel, a Ballaarat; et puis vous lassiez courir le malin a son aise! Avez-vous, oui ou non, Monseigneur, accorde votre pardon a M`Gill? et les autres Americains donc?]
“Then we have active, designing, intriguing foreigners, who also desire to bring about disorder and confusion.” [Cependant, moi, bon garcon apres tout, et d’une ancienne famille Romaine, j’ai ete VOLE sous arret au Camp de Ballaarat par VOS gens et avec impunite, Monseigneur. Vous me faites l’honneur d’avouer par votre lettre la chose, mais vous n’avez point fait de restitution. Ce n’est pas comme cela que j’entends le vieux mot Anglais, Fair-play.]
Hence, I had better address myself to the five hundred gentlemen, who belong to the brave Melbourne people after all.
Gentlemen,
Five hundred copies of this work, which costs me an immense labour, for the sake of the cause of truth, will be left with
Messrs. MUIR, BROTHERS AND CO.,
Merchants, Flinders-lane, Melbourne — of the same firm much respected on Ballaarat, to whom I am personally known long ago, having been their neighbour on the Massacre-hill, Eureka. Ten shillings is my price for each copy: and, as Messrs. Muir render this service to me gratuitously, so I hereby authorise them to keep half-a-crown from each ten shillings, and in the spirit of St. Matthew, verses 1, 2, 3, 4, chap. vi., share said half-crowns in the following proportion: one shilling to the Benevolent Asylum; one shilling to the Melbourne Hospital, and sixpence to the Miners’ Hospital, Ballaarat.
I hope thus to understand “Fair-play” better than Toorak.
I have not yet done with His Excellency’s answer.
“The part which the bankers, merchants, tradesmen and others in Melbourne and in Geelong [pas a Ballaarat, Monseigneur], have taken in coming forward to support me, I shall be careful to represent properly at home, where perhaps these occurrences may attract more attention than they deserve. [Pour votre bonheur, Monseigneur, Sebastopol leur donne assez d’occupation pour le moment.]
“I shall declare my opinion that the mass of the community does not sympathise with these violators of the law.” [Est-ce donc un reve, Monseigneur, que votre gouvernment en voulait a ma tete, aussi, bien qu’a celle de douze autres prisonnier, d’etat, et que le peuple nous a acquitte glorieusement par
SEVEN BRITISH JURIES!]
Mon ardent desir, mon tourment presque, c’est d’avoir vite l’honneur de parler, encore une fois sur la terre, a
Sa Majeste La Reine VICTORIA.
Ainsi-Soit-Il.
Source:
Raffaello Carboni. The Eureka Stockade: The Consequence of Some Pirates Wanting on Quarter-Deck a Rebellion, Public Library of South Australia, Adelaide, 1962 [facsimile of the 1855 edition], pages 88-90
Editor’s notes:
Ainsi-Soit-Il = (French) “So-be-it” (Amen)
**audaces fortuna juvat = (Latin) “fortune favors the bold” (which may also be given as “fortes fortuna iuvat”, “fortune favors the brave”)
**audi alteram partem = (Latin) “listen to the other side”, or “hear the other side too” (literally “it should be heard also the other party”)
*Cependant, moi, bon garcon apres tout, et d’une ancienne famille Romaine, j’ai ete VOLE sous arret au Camp de Ballaarat par VOS gens et avec impunite, Monseigneur. Vous me faites l’honneur d’avouer par votre lettre la chose, mais vous n’avez point fait de restitution. Ce n’est pas comme cela que j’entends le vieux mot Anglais = (French) “But me, good boy after all, and an old Roman family, I was STOLEN stop in at Camp YOUR Ballaarat by people with impunity and, my lord. You do me the honor to acknowledge your letter thing, but you have not made restitution. This is not how I hear the old English word” (*rough translation)
cheval de bataille = (French) literally “horse of battle”; a warhorse, refers to a line of argument constantly used
*Comment se fait il Monseigneur que vous mettez le prix de £500 sur la tete du chef de ces blagueurs du Star Hotel, a Ballaarat; et puis vous lassiez courir le malin a son aise! Avez-vous, oui ou non, Monseigneur, accorde votre pardon a M’Gill? et les autres Americains donc = (French) “How is it that you put Monseigneur the price of £500 on the head of the chief of these jokers Star Hotel, Ballaarat, and then you run the smart weary at his ease! Have you, or not, my lord, give your forgiveness M’Gill? So Americans and other” (*rough translation)
*Elle est fameuse, Monseigneur l’intelligence de ceux, qui vous ont conseille l’affaire de Ballaarat! surtout in farce odieuse de haute-trahison = (French) “It is famous, Monseigneur the intelligence of those that you have advised the case of Ballaarat! especially odious farce in high treason” (*rough translation)
*Est-ce donc un reve, Monseigneur, que votre gouvernment en voulait a ma tete, aussi, bien qu’a celle de douze autres prisonnier, d’etat, et que le peuple nous a acquitte glorieusement par = (French) “Is it a dream, my lord, that you wanted a government in my head, too, although that’s twelve other prisoner of state, and the people we pay for gloriously” (*rough translation)
*Mon ardent desir, mon tourment presque, c’est d’avoir vite l’honneur de parler, encore une fois sur la terre, a = (French) “My ardent desire, almost my torment is to have the honor of speaking quickly again on the earth” (*rough translation)
nom de guerre = (French) literally “name of war”; a pseudonym
*Oh, pardon, Monseigneur: ou l’on vous a toujours mal informe; ou l’on vous a souvent cache la verite: malheureusement, cela n’a pas beaucoup change meme aujourd’hui = (French) “Oh, sorry, my lord: and you were always misinformed, or you have been often hides the truth: Unfortunately, this has not changed much even today” (*rough translation)
*Pardon, Monsiegneur, apres lecture des versets 28, 29, du chap. I., et versets 17, 18, 19, du chap. III., de la Genese, favorisez s’il vous plait l’exploitation de l’activite de tous ces gaillards la, par la Charrue: il n’y a pas mal de terres ici, et bien pour tout le monde. = (French) “Forgiveness Monsiegneur, after reading verses 28, 29 of chap. I., and verses 17, 18, 19, of chap. III., Of Genesis, promote please operate the activity of all the lads, the Plough: there is a lot of land here, and good for everyone.” (*rough translation)
*pas a Ballaarat, Monseigneur = (French) has not Ballaarat, Monseigneur (*rough translation)
*Pour votre bonheur, Monseigneur, Sebastopol leur donne assez d’occupation pour le moment = (French) “For your happiness, my lord, Sebastopol gives them enough time occupation for” (*rough translation)
Sa Majeste La Reine Victoria = (French) “Her Majesty The Queen Victoria”
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