'
When he talked of the federation of the British Empire, or of the larger
welding in which he had belief, Sir George would declare, 'No good
service is rendered by creating difficulties ahead. We may be certain of
this that each generation, as it comes rolling on, will hold its own
views upon every subject, differing widely, perhaps, from the views of
its predecessors. The essential thing, in all government, is to secure to
the people at large, the power of enacting the laws they deem to be the
wisest and best suited to the circumstances of their age.'
Thus, while he had worked out definite lines of federation, he was
content if principles were accepted. 'No man,' he argued, 'should presume
to lay down the law in such a matter; just let the vision be realised by
natural process. Be there the hewing of materials, and the building would
follow by and by. If it were possible to solidify the English-speaking
people for common purposes, the gain to them, and to mankind, would be
splendid. The blessings of federation were a hundredfold.
'Why,' said Sir George, 'war would practically die off the face of the
earth. The armed camp which burdens the Old World, enslaves the nations,
and impedes progress, would disappear. The Anglo-Saxon race, going
together, could determine the balance of power for a fully peopled earth.
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