"
Yet I would be unworthy of the little queen I serve, whose smiles and
favour are a continuous inspiration to me, were I weakly to forego my
duty, and desire to seek the solace of her presence without having
first acquitted myself with honour on this mimic field of battle. What
is to be the outcome of this strife of tongues, and what the future of
our country, riven asunder as it is by those, on the one side, who are
jealous merely for their own rights and privileges, and, on the other,
by those who care only for the distraction and clamour of fruitless
contention, it were hard to say. With the ever-increasing
complications, the fires of discontent must some day burst into flame.
Even now it wants but the breath of a bold, daring spirit to set the
whole Province in a blaze; and I shudder at the prospect unless a
spirit of conciliation speedily shows itself, and the Executive makes
some surrender of its autocratic powers.
In the discussion of political affairs I had recently with your
father, I am glad to say that we agree very closely as to the inciting
causes of the public discontent, and have a common opinion as to the
best,--indeed, the only satisfactory,--means of applying a remedy.
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