THE TIGHT LITTLE ISLAND.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 148, 24 May 1879, Page 3

THE TIGHT LITTLE ISLAND.

(From the ‘ Queenslander.’) In answer to a supposed question from a visitor from Saturn, who asks why the hand of Russia should be impotent in the Afghan crisis, the < Queenslander’ says:—To this we can only answer by putting our finger, with a smile of grateful complacency, on the dot on the map that we have already indicated as the centre and focus of the habitable globe, and telling him that there exists most of the wealth, most of the political honesty, a fair share of the intelligence, and the truest conception af liberty that the world knows. Power, we presume, is the natural product of such forces. But power, as a brute force, we should explain was not our onlv boast. We had with our products, manufactures, and fine arts, made the biggest display at the Paris Exhibition; axui after fighting a most terrible famine in India, haxl subscribed more than any other nation in the world to the relief of a people suffering from a still more awful visitation of a similar character Jn China. Wc should then probably remark airily that we had accepted the protectorate of Asia Minor ; with its enormous responsibilities; had siderabio war on band in fiouth Africa ; bad j u't exacted a few millions from the United Mates as penalty for the invasion r L-berv rights in British ■•••- : 7 roA-eciod the

not very sure when the inevitable European conflict would take place that .-houlu tax our resources to the utmost, were w ;n! v to assist Franco in putting down Ihe N.w Cal .lonian insurrection, to suppress llie slave trade in any part of the World, punish piracy in the China seas or elsewhere, and, by jingo, generally act as constable to the universe. At this modest peroration our visitor would in all likelihood spread Lis pinions and wing - away to blow the fame of the “ tight little island” amongst the farthest stars. lie has our permission. Lot him blow !