A Self-Dravn Portrait.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7072, 18 February 1893, Page 2

A Self-Dravn Portrait.

Sir Henry ParW estimate of himself, which is to'be found in his book ‘Fifty Years in the Making of Australian History,* is as follows ;— ‘ 1 believe myself to be a proud, but thoroughly unselfish man, with a fervent and unchanging love of my fellowcreatures. I am proud of my strength to stand alone, of my power to resi-t forces brought against me, of the conquests I have made by my own energy and perseverance; but I feel no pride in place or position, or in the possession of the gifts of fortune, which, indecl, have been few with me. I hive never known what it is to feel envy of others morn favoured than myself, and I have never withheld try last shilling from thoas who needed it more than I The influence of these feelings will explain much in my conduct which men havo mi-undeistood, . - . Locking back upon my own efforts in the young public life of. Australia. I (eel conscious of having pursued three clear purposes, at times held with a. relaxed gra«p through the pressure of e.dveri« circumstances, bub never lost to sight- t have tried my utmost to win the first place in Australian progress for Now South Wales, without abating one jot of my loyalty to the dear mother country. I have tried, as occasion has served, to promote the sentiment and to strengthen the nascent ties of Australian union ; and, through good and evil report, I have clung to/this, idea of the expanding, greatness and the integrity of the Empire- • • ; X cannot deny myself the satisfaction' of believing that my influence has tended toconserve the good, to eradicate the evil, tostrengthen the energy and to elevate the 1 sentiment in the national- character. The growth of the colony in which I have live*} and laboured has been amazing in my time. If x dam not ola ; m any large positive share in its advancement, I have little fear of being accused by posterity of having created obstHol-’s in iu its path of progress I joinedi its scanty population when it was little more’ than a scattered settlement, and I have* lived to see it entering into the noble fraternity of nations. Others will arise to examine more critically the work I have done j I can only gay that it has been done with an h meat purpose.”