Now
our country is fashioned by nature in a remarkable manner--in a manner
which distinguishes it from all other countries in the world for
unification for family life--if I may use that term in a national sense.
We are separated from the rest of the world by many leagues of sea--from
all the old countries of the world and from the greatest of the new
countries; but we are separated from all countries by a wide expanse of
sea, which leaves us with an immense territory, a fruitful territory, a
territory capable of sustaining its countless millions--leaves us
compact within ourselves; so that if a perfectly free people can arise
anywhere, it surely may arise in this favoured land of Australia.
Whatever our views may be on other points, I think we shall all be
agreed upon this; that for the defence of Australia to be economical, to
be efficient, to be equal to any emergency that may arise at any time,
it must be of a federal character, and must be under one command. I do
not mean that the naval and land forces shall be under one
commander-in-chief, but that they should be under one kindred
command--that the naval officer in command equally with the military
officer shall be a federal officer, and amenable to the national
government of Australia.
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