19 July 1869 Glenorchy My dear Donald The want of time and paper prevented me from writing you my views about the defence of the country up to now. The news I have always held is this. England has been playing fast and loose with us. As to a certain extent we have been doing with her, and England, knowing we are poor and striving to make a home for ourselves as colonists & well [k]nowing we have not the wealth and riches produce of India to pay her for man...ing her soldiers in this Island, gaving us the cold shoulder and refuses all aide in this our most dire necesity and actually shows all sivilized nations of the world her weakness and as I have long predicted her first downfall. The only news I now hold after reading the last telegrams from home are that as the country is on the verge of ruin and bankruptcy we must one and all turn out in a body for say three or four months in the Spring & Summer & distroy as many of the enemy as we can and subdue them into terms and if that does not do, let us all, while our heads and hands are left us, turn against England that has so basely used us in the time of need and go with clear heads and willing hands over to our cousins in the great republic who I am certain will send us men and money to protect us from the savages and oppen our country out to make it of value to us and the rising generation. Every man in America is a politician by virtue of citizenship and can call for all their own leading men and governors those best suited to the ca[u]se and people they have to govern. As for men and money we will have them in plenty and the country layed oppen for every interprize and not lay dormont for years with men writing dispatches to a country that is doing all she can to throw us of and at the same time sending us Gov. emigrants which in many cases are little better than pa[u]pers for us to nurse and provide for and will not even allow us one single regiment for their protection who with the blood of a man in him will but rouse himself up when he sees that the country he so fondly looked to for protection allows him none. Where better could he look to than towards his cousins in the north where England's mismanagement caused the b[l]ood of their veins to run cold till they could not stand it no longer and fought for their independence. We need not do that as she has left the coast clear for us to take care of ourselves as best we please. There has been some very good letters in the paper of late on much the same strane and in my oppinion if the cry will get up strong will soon see she must send us protection & pay the cost. If you see any remarks in this letter but what is good and .... I will say no more. Your ever affectionate brother Archibald John McLean