Moore: Letters to the Editor

George Fletcher Moore wrote four letters to the editor of The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Journal (at the editor's request) over the pseudonym of Philaleth (from the Greek φιλαλήθης, 'lover of truth') dated 13 July, 27 July, and 10 August. Another letter, published 13 July and signed 'M', was about an Aboriginal shield.

First letter: published 13 July 1833

To the Editor of the Perth Gazette,
Sir,—A learned commentator on the laws of England, in analyzing the title by which individuals claim exclusive possession of any portion of the surface or substance of the earth, after shewing that it is derived from the natural right arising from prior occupancy, thus proceeds "Upon the same principle was founded the rights of migration, or sending colonies to find out new habitations, when the mother country was overcharged with inhabitants ; which was practised as well, by the Phoenicians and Greeks, as the Germans, Scythians and other northern people. And, so long as it was confined to the stocking and cultivation of desert uninhabited countries, it kept strictly within the limits of the law of nature. But how far the seizing on countries already peopled, and driving out or massacring the innocent and defenceless natives, merely because they differed from their invaders in language, in religion, in customs, in government, or in colour ; how far such a conduct was consonant to nature, to reason, or christianity, deserved well to be considered by those, who have rendered their names immortal by thus civilising mankind." The British nation has deservedly acquired a high name for justice and honor in its national dealings. But the treatment of the original owners and inhabitants of several countries, which have from time to time been taken possession of under its sway, is singularly at variance with this character, and forms an unfavourable exception against the national honor. In the first attempts at colonising America, the utter disregard of the title of the owners of the soil seems a remarkable trait in the character of a people peculiarly jealous of their own property, liberty, rights and privileges. A private individual of an inoffensive yet persecuted sect, "first had the glory (as has been well remarked by a spirited French writer,) to set an example of moderation and justice, which was not so much as thought of before by Europeans." He first regarded the right of the owners of the soil and made a recompense, be that recompense what it may, for the cession of their territory, and Pensylvania now stands the glorious record of his name, and imperishable monument of his equity. "Tis true that this bright example has been tardily followed up at a long distance of time, when lessons of wisdom were learned by a dear bought experience; and that the small and wretched remnant of once powerful tribes, are now at last secured in the unmolested possession of a petty portion of that territory which was rightfully and wholly their own.—Let us now turn to another hemisphere and see what occurred at the first colonising of New South Wales. Here again was no appearance of open and avowed recognition of the rights of the native inhabitants. No preliminary attempt to obtain their consent, or amicable acquiescence in the measure. No preconcerted plan of conciliation. No well-directed efforts for mutual explanation. A large proportion of the population, with whom the natives were likely to come in contact, were the very outcasts from civilised society. Jealousy of intrusion and consciousness of natural right was on the one side, mistrust of intention and haughtly ideas of superiority on the other, so that almost the first meeting was a hostle collision. Feelings of enmity were engendered, and savage animosity was raised in the very outset, which it required years of judicious policy and well sustained measures of conciliation to subdue, and to eradicate. But if we turn our views still nearer to ourselves and look to the history of Van Diemen's Land, what a frightful picture its annals present. Wanton outrage and mutual violence. Hatred almost irreconcileable—revenge as sure as it was deadly, murder in its most appalling form—total insecurity of life and property—plunder, burnings, and devastation. And were the settlers inactive? Have they been supine?—Wholesale massacre and indiscriminate slaughter have marked the traces of their activity in characters of blood. Yet they profited nothing. We have seen few and feeble steps towards conciliation, many and vigorous attempts at extermination, a simultaneous and universal effort at total expulsion, signally failing, and when all other means had been found ineffectual, then—then at last we see earnest and hearty endeavours to bring about an amicable understanding, The effect as described seems almost magical.—Now for the first time since the foundation of that colony is there firm hope and sure promise of peace, and while we hope that the lesson thus taught may not be thrown away upon us, gladly and readily do we echo back the words and wish of its annalist Esto perpetua." Sir, much remains to be said on this subject, and I shall resume it with your permission on future occasions. Believing, as I do that the views of our present local Government, are decidedly friendly to the natives, both upon principle and from motives of sound policy, I trust I am not too sanguine in expressing a hope that the day is not far distant, when they shall be enabled to carry into operation, matured plans of effectual conciliation; and that whilst on the one hand, the condition of the Aborigines may be ameliorated, on the other, our lives and property may be secure from hazard,—so that their procurement of subsistence may be compatible with our enjoyment of the soil.
I am, Sir, yours, PHILALETH.

Second letter: 27 July 1833

To the Editor of The Perth Gazette.
Sir,—In a former letter, having taken a brief and rapid view of the course of policy pursued by the British Nation with respect to the Aboriginal Inhabitants of several countries colonized by them, and of the consequences of that Policy; let us now turn our attention to those settlements with which we are more immediately connected. At King George’s Sound a uniform system of conciliation and kindness was adopted at the ﬁrst, and steadily persevered in, so that a perfect confidence and cordial amity are established with the Natives of that District. One tribe at least, is domesticated and attached though not civilized; and likely to become useful as interpreters between us and the other tribes in case of desired communication, or serviceable as allies in case of unavoidable hostility.—Let us look now to that act in which we are all parties concerned; namely, the Settlement of Swan River,—and here though every praise is due to Governor Stirling for his prompt endeavours to guard the persons of the natives from wanton outrage, by a Proclamation nearly contemporaneous with the very foundation of the Colony; yet does it not strike us all with surprise that such a state of things should have come upon us unawares, that we should have plunged into such a situation without consideration—without forethought. How few of us deigned to bestow even a thought upon the existence of a people whom we were about to dispossess of their country. Which of us can say that he made a rational calculation of the rights of the owners of the soil, of the contemplated violation of those rights, of the probable consequences of that violation, or of our justiﬁcation of such an act? If perchance at any moment the murmurings of our conscience made themselves heard, were not its faint whisperings striﬂed by the bustle of business, or drowned in the din of preparations? Did we not swim the stream in a state of high wrought excitement, from the novelty of our sensation and the rapidity of our course, without reﬂecting that this rapidity might be an indication of the vicinity of an awful cataract, towards which we were hurrying in a heedless and blind security? Did it never occur to us then, that in thus extending the dominion of Great Britain, in thus acquiring a territory for our country whilst seeking a fortune for ourselves, we were about to perpetrate a monstrous piece of injustice, that we were about to dispossess unceremoniously the rightful owners of the soil? Did it occur to us then, that in the battles we were about to ﬁght, the war was to be carried on at our own cost? Did it occur to us then, that in exposing our own lives and property to hazard in thus virtually though not ostensibly conquering a country there were no thanks for our labour, there was no remuneration for our losses, there was no pay for our services, there was no pension for our wounds? It did not occur to us then, or sure am I if it had, we should have paused one and all, and instead of that general application— How much land will you give us? our preliminary cautious inquiry would have been. But what right have you to give the land? What consideration have you given for that right? How am I sure that I shall not be disturbed in my possession of the grants? But, No! the boon was a gift which we were eager to accept;—we looked not too scrupulously to the title of the donor;—we mounted this gift horse and rode proudly away, though at the hazard of being challenged by the real owner for the theft. But what is the scope of these observations? for what purpose do I dwell upon them? not surely for the purpose of making an idle clamour about that which has been done and cannot be undone?—Not surely to make a useless parade of our injustice? but solely with the object of impressing upon the minds of every individual among us, that we owe the Aboriginal Inhabitants of this country a debt which as honest conscientious men we are bound to discharge, and that, not by forbearance alone for petty thefts and triﬂing injuries, as far as our nature will permit; but by acts of substantial good—by advantages equivalent to those of which we have deprived them. And if a state of civilized society be superior to a state of savage barbarism, if a knowledge of the Blessings of the Gospel be better than the grossest darkest ignorance, then I say there are beneﬁts which we have in our power to bestow, there are advantages which we are able to confer, that may make reparation for our injustice, may make amends for the injuries we have inﬂicted. As we are ever quick in ﬁnding out excuses for ourselves, here we are all ready to exclaim,—Why throw the burden of this upon the settlers.—We have already losses enough to bear, and diﬃculties enough to contend against.—It is the business of the Government.—Why do not the Government take the matter in hand?—The question is a reasonable one, I shall not undertake to answer it, save by reference to a strong hope formerly expressed, that the day is not far distant when such a measure may be eﬀectually carried into execution. But if the Government should not see ﬁt to do it, or until it shall have been done, I would say to each settler “Tua res agitur” your own cause is at hearing, your own interest is at stake, while you hesitate the opportunity is lost. The native stops not to discriminate between a measure of Government and a private act of an individual. His enmity may not aﬀect the Government. His vengeance may fall upon you. To the Individual I should say—if your circumstances do not warrant a gratuity to the native, treat him at least with kindness and good humour,—if you can, make him useful to you and remunerate him accordingly. Instances are numerous in the colony of their voluntarily coming at stated periods to perform an appointed task for a stipulated reward. Act always towards him with justice and fairness, and at the same time, with a prudent discretion. What you promise, be careful to perform—never break faith with a savage.—To the Government I should not presume to suggest a course of conduct, but content myself with saying, that to domesticate and to attach them at least is not hopeless—it has been done at Sydney and at King George’s Sound;—but to civilize, nay even to Christianize them, this would indeed be a task worthy of an emanation of the British Government. And let not the epithets, ridiculous and visionary and impracticable be too hastily applied. It is not ridiculous, it is a matter for serious and grave consideration. It is not visionary, it is matter of actual observation and experience. It is not impracticable, for such a thing has actually been done.—To shew Sir, that this experiment has already been tried and crowned with complete success in a case apparently as hopeless, perhaps even more so, I shall on another occasion transscribe from an authentic source, which may not perhaps be familiar to some of your readers: an account of the settlement of the tribe of the Missisaguas in Upper Canada,.
In the meantime, I am, Sir, Yours, PHILALETH.

Third letter: 10 August 1833

To the Editor of the Perth Gazette,
SIR,—The following is Captain Hall's account of the tribe of the Mississaguas :—
"Till within the last three or four years, those Indians were known in that part of Canada as the most profligate, drunken ; and, it was supposed, irreclaimable of savages. Such indeed was their state of wretchedness, that the total and speedy extinction of the whole tribe seemed inevitable. All this was attributed to other causes than poverty ; for the annual distribution of goods to the tribe, either as a bounty from the crown, or as a consideration for lands which they had ceded, was most ample ; whilst their neighbourhood to populous settlements insured them a ready market for their game or fish, if they had been industriously disposed. They owned also a fine tract of land reserved for their exclusive use. But it seems they were lost in a state of continual intoxication, brought on by drinking the vilest kind of spirits, obtained by bartering the clothes, and other articles annually served out to them by Government. Such a state of things of course attracted much attention, and many plans were suggested for ameliorating their condition ; but none succeeded in reclaiming these miserable objects, till about three or four years ago, Sir Peregrine Maitland, then Governor of Upper Canada, conceived the idea of domesticating these Indians on the banks of the river Credit. The ground accordingly was soon cleared, commodious, houses were built, and implements of husbandry, clothes and other things, given to the new settlers. These wretched people were induced to take these chiefly by the influence of a Missionary named Jones : he had acquired a considerable degree of influence amongst the tribe in question ; and his own efforts being opportunely seconded by the Government, the result, as far as we could judge, was wonderful. From living more like hogs than men, these Missisaguas had acquired, when we saw them, many domestic habits. They had all neat houses, made use of beds, tables and chairs, and were perfectly clean in their persons, instead of being plastered over with paint and grease. They were also tolerably well dressed, and were described as being industrious, orderly, and above all, sober. Most of the children, and a few of the older Indians could read English ; facts which we ascertained by visiting their school, and I have seldom seen anything more curious. The whole tribe profess Christianity, attend divine service regularly, and what is still more to the purpose, their conduct is said to be in character with their profession. Instead of hunting and fishing for a precarious livelihood, they now cultivate the ground ; and in place of spending their earnings in procuring spirits, lay them by to purchase comforts, and to educate and clothe their children ; such at least were the accounts given to us. We examined the village minutely, and had some conversation with the schoolmaster, a brother of Mr. Jones, the person to whose exertions so much of the success of the experiment is due. The number of Indians at the Credit village is only 215; but the great point gained, is, the fact of reformation being possible. The same feelings and disposition to improve, are extending rapidly, I am told, amongst the other tribes connected with the Missisaguas, and chiefly amongst the Chippewas of Lake Simcoe, and those of the Rice Lake."
Every sentence of this account is pregnant with instruction and encouragement to us. Here was a people almost irreclaimable - having the worst vices of civilization superadded to the imperfections of savage nature. - Devoted to the chase. Inhabiting a country abounding in game - jealous of control - fond of independence - averse to labour - and all these in an equal, perhaps a much greater degree than the Aboriginal Inhabitants of Australia. Yet they have been reclaimed. There were many difficulties in the way ; but they were not thought insuperable. There were great obstacles ; but they were not considered insurmountable. There were many disappointments ; but they did not induce despair, but rather served as incentives to renewed efforts, as stimulants to increased exertion - Thus far, the policy of conciliating the natives, has been considered on the grounds of justice and equity alone, and I am aware that this view of the case, is liable to be, nay in some instances has been encountered with sneers, and assailed by ridicule. These may be found by such as indulge in their use, serviceable as narcotics to lull their consciences into apathetic insensibility; they will not be found to be specifics to heal the disease. But Sir there is another consideration which affects every individual no matter how callous in other respects ; an argument that comes home to all - that is self interest. It may be easily demonstrated that in whatever light this question may be considered, whether of pecuniary profit or loss, - of personal safety or danger - of security or hazard to property, or in the patriotic light of advancement or retardation of the colony - it is in every respect the interest of the settlers to be on terms of friendship with the natives.
I am, Sir, yours, &c,
PHILALETH.

Letter describing a shield: 13 July 1833

To the Editor of the Perth Gazette,
Sir,—Is it not remarkable that in our encounters with the Natives of these districts whether casual or preconcerted we have never seen them use the shield. Such a thing has not been seen I believe either in their hands, when armed, nor in their haunts when taken by surprise. Is it that we have never seen them arrayed in their panoply of battle ? or that being aware of the insufficiency of their shield as a defence against a musket, they have not incumbered themselves with that which might be an impediment to their flight ; or is it really the case that the tribes in the southern districts of Western Australia are not acquainted with, or at all events not accustomed to it as a means of defence. I am not aware that it forms part of their armoury at King George's Sound, nor has one been seen I think at Augusta. I have not heard of it at the Murray, nor in fact with any tribe to the south of those in the district of Mâyllo, from which quarter two have lately been brought and presented as great rarities, by some of Weeip's tribe to some settlers at the head of the Swan River. One which is in the possession of Mr. Bull, is skilfully formed, and tastefully ornamented. It is made from a piece of light whitish wood (perhaps casuarina,) about two feet and a half long, and about six inches broad ; the face is grooved or fluted longitudinally in regular waving lines, the hollows being painted white, while the rest of the wood is painted red. The back of the shield is thick at the centre, and regularly tapered or fined down towards the ends and sides. In this thick part a hole about four inches long, is cut through as a handle. Grasping this shield in his left hand lightly so as to let it play on his fingers, and holding it in a direction parallel to his body, Weeip warded off all the spears which were thrown at him for trial in sport, by raising the lower end smartly in an inclined position so as invariably to throw them over his head. This must be a great protection in battle among themselves. But what are we to infer from the circumstance, if the assumption be correct, that it is not used if known among the southern tribes. Does it argue a higher or a lower degree in the scale of savage life? we may amuse ourselves with conjectures and inferences which are harmless, at least, if no system be founded upon them. Are the tribes to the North more warlike ? The shield is common at Sydney. Is its use derived from common ancestors situated in the north, and is it now making its way gradually among their descendants to the south? Or may we suppose there can be any communication across the interior to the north. Can the knowledge of this weapon have come "north about?" The difference in the name is no conclusive argument against, it. Eleemong and Arrâgong are the names which the Port Jackson Natives give to their shields of different materials.—"Woanda" is the word, by which the Swan River Natives designate this implement. I have trespassed too much on your indulgence, let me make free with words put into Cato's mouth upon a very different occasion. "I am weary of conjectures, this must end them." I am; Sir, M.

References and Links

Barker, Michael 2023, 'Getting The Voice – Just as I'm sure George Fletcher Moore would have, I'm voting yes for The Voice', Fremantle Shipping News, 18 May: "Moore’s 1833 letters anticipated both the 1992 decision of the High Court of Australia in Mabo nearly 160 years later, and the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart calling for A Voice, Treaty, and Truth some 185 years later."

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This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 20 May, 2023 and hosted at freotopia.org/books/mooreletters.html (it was last updated on 20 April, 2024). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.

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