One would not admit to making such a political separation with the people. My plan had nothing to do with politics and would even be recommended by Angas, who I thought was a good Brit. I wouldn't have to decide whether my plan concerned the government or not, but whether I wanted to preserve the language of the people and whether society had ordered me to do so. The latter, I replied, would be viewed by society as a matter that goes without saying, saying in my instructions that as soon as I should be able to speak the language, I would translate the catechism
(50) and the Bible into it, and it would be up to me to preserve the language of the people and, as a people, to form a separate church community among them, which is hardly possible when they are scattered in
( 041 ) large cities; so that out of 500 souls there is hardly one to be found. And why this separateness should take place there, since nature separates it so sharply from the Europeans in color and other things.
Whether I would prevent the people to learn the English language; I couldn't do that at all and I wouldn't because I thought it would be a benefit if the people understood English. Would [I] encourage them to learn English? Individuals, but not the people as a whole; I would introduce their language into church and school if they were capable of so much education, and of course I would then encourage the people to learn their own language well.
I would like to rely on the fact that my plan is a wrong one. Had I not said that taking possession of Australia was an injustice? I don't know that I said that, but now I want to tell him as a friend that my opinion is that the English have no right...
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