O'Shanassy of Victoria, and Sir James Martin and Mr. Dalley of New South Wales. From an Imperial standpoint, this is no light distinction; as the aims and aspirations of these eminent Australian Irishmen serve to justify those who believe in the eventual fusion and happy blending of the races.
For, let me point out that both Sir James Martin and Mr. Dalley were colonially trained and educated; they, from the first, rubbed shoulders with those of another creed and race during the plastic period of school-life.
With none of the literary taste and culture of Mr. Dalley, or of the legal acumen and judicial training of Sir James Martin, yet, in my opinion, Sir John O'Shanassy quite merits a place beside them. Perhaps naturally he had greater political capacity than either; but he had not the inestimable advantage of a "common" education with his British fellow-colonists. The result was that he was constantly reverting to the narrower plane of the mere local Irish Chieftain; in fact, towards the close of his career be had sunk permanently to that level. But, for all that, he had many of the great qualities of a true political leader, and the general community of Victoria, as well as his Irish Roman Catholic fellow-colonists, may well be proud of so loyal and stalwart a champion as he.
My. Dalley's career, unlike that of Dr. Hearn, has
