Excellent ! Play it again, Sam, I mean Finlay!!

This piece most likely is entirely derived from the excellent Biography series of Blogger PIERRE JACQUES STENIO FELIX whom I recommend for a comprehensive history of CREOLES in Mauritius. However for those who are too quick and eager to invoke communal reasons for the lack of recognition of Remy Ollier, then read the following "VOICE FROM ENGLAND". http://histoireithier.blogspot.com/2009/05/remy-ollier.html (Pierre Jacques Sténio Félix) http://books.google.co.uk/books?pg=PA8&dq=remy+ollier&id=R0opAAAAYAAJ&ots=HI9JBV17ki#v=onepage&q&f=false VOICE FROM ENGLAND. In vindication of the Well-earned Claims of Remy Ollier, the founder of the''''" SENTINELLE DE MAURICE" newspaper, to the gratitude of his brethren, members of the Mauritian Coloured Population.

Those men who are forced to expatriate themselves, because they experience certain deep-rooted antipathies towards their countrymen, or because they have suffered many wrongs from their ungrateful country and who, simply because they have become respectable and honourable denizens of far happier climes, never dream that they once had a dearly beloved fatherland if they are not altogether apathetic and indifferent beings must indeed be endowed with very shallow and unemotionable natures, and must possess very callous hearts. Happily, for our own sake, we do not belong to this vile and despicable category of men. Although we have long been residing in England, we have still, in spite of all British influences, remained a true-bred and born Mauritian. At the utterance of the name of one''s cherished native land, the heart of man throbs with joy his whole soul expands with glowing enthusiasm. Such feelings are profoundly impressed by Providence in the savage''s breast, as well as in that of the most civilised and refined of mankind. Whether by birthright, he reckons himself a citizen of a wealthy and glorious nation, or a member of those nomadic hordes, roaming to and fro on the gloomy wilds of the African desert.

A man, whoever he may be, might feel aversion nay, even hatred for his countrymen he might show himself clement and lenient, or rigid and severe, with regard to their faults or errors, but such conduct cannot in the least interfere, when his country''s good or welfare is at stake. Such is our opinion on this subject. The republican citizen of ancient Rome, though absent from his native city, when those great and stirring events occurred at the death of Csesar, felt the self-same sentiments that animated the hearts of Brutus and Cassins, when these staunch republicans, these hardy sons of liberty, decreed that Julius Csesar should die to redeem from his mighty grasp their country''s freedom. (The half-civilised Maori chief, whilst walking under the lofty crystal dome of the immense conservatory in the Botanical Gardens at Kew, perceived amidst the luxuriant tropical vegetation, a tree of his native clime. At this glad sight, he uttered but one deep exclamation—ran to the friendly tree, enfolding its circumference within his outstretched arms then sighed and sobbed aloud. Had he even met with a living New Zealand friend in these gardens, he could not have been more moved. ]''? " Omnes omnium caritatespatria una complectitur.".Cic :

Thus we see, plainly enough, that the love of one''s fatherland is universal it exists in the same degree of plenitude both in the savage and civilised man. We should be ashamed of ourselves, it would lower our dignity as rational beings, were we destitute of these feelings that exalt humanity to its highest pinnacle. Although we may have abandoned our country, on account of certain local reasons not worth mentioning here, but which every Mauritian with an intellectual mind and sensitive heart will easily imagine for himself yet, whenever a fit occasion presents" itself—whenever our country needs our humble pen to defend at a distance its interests or, whenever, by loudly raising our voice, we can avenge an ignominious and repulsive act done by our countrymen, we shall always be ready to perform our duty without flinching. "We have received through the channel of a most dear friend of ours, certain local news which filled our mind with horror, and our soul with disgust at the mere hearing of the barbarous conduct and ungentlemanty behaviour of our fellow-countrymen. That the only beloved son of that great and honourable patriot Remy Ollier has been obliged, through the failure of the subscription in his favour, to accept the ignoble office of a bum-bailiff, as a necessary means of existence. It is an affront thrown in the face of the whole Mauritian coloured population. " 0 shame! where is thy blush?"

That brilliant and oratorical speech, pronounced with such masterly elocution, by that distinguished and courageous young barrister,( *Eugene Bazire, Esq., Barrister-at-Law, (Inner Temple.) with no one to second or back him in the performance of this most arduous task, before a crowded audience in the Hall of " La loge de La Paix" did it not send a patriotic and enthusiastic thrill through your hearts ? The eloquent words he uttered on this solemn and memorable occasion, have they been void of sense ? Did he not explain to you, in most beautiful and clear language, 0 influential and wealthy men of the Mauritian coloured population, that he asked no charitable alms from you, but that, on the contrary, it was a debt that your gratitude had to cancel ? Why did you not answer that appeal ? Perhaps you said to yourselves—to pay a debt, we must acknowledge it. But, you know perfectly well, that you owe that debt to the memory of Remy Oilier, as a very poor reward indeed for the huge work his brief existence has achieved.

Why then did you refrain, men of the Mauritian coloured population, from subscribing? Can you state your reasons for not doing so ? We see, you can assign none then you must be men with flinty hearts, dead to all sensitive impulses! Or have you all listened as one man to the shuffling and clustering’s of those narrow-minded and despicable characters who dared some few years since, to raise a blasphemous cry, denying that Remy Oilier had ever done the least thing for his brethren, whilst the facts stared them in the face.

Were the Mauritian coloured population for one moment jealous of its national honour and party-pride, such miserable and dastardly attempts at tarnishing the unsullied fame of the eminent and virtuous patriot Remy Oilier would have met, on their part, with instant disapproval and due punishment. Shall we tell you, in the fewest words possible, what are his well-earned claims to your gratitude and respect ? The creation of that newspaper: *'' La Sentinelle de Maurice." A man must be an idiot, if not, a wicked calumniator, to say that Remy Oilier has done nothing for the coloured population, and to bring forward as proofs of his assertions such vile and pitiful excuses, such bare-faced lies, such fooleries, when such powerful events speak for themselves. His claim to your gratitude is the maintenance of those rights, which a strong and free press defends daily in its columns.

The press is that gigantic engine of the XlXth century, continually crushing to atoms the mouldy, decayed, antiquated prejudices of past ages. And no one, we think, can deny that Remy Oilier was, with all his uncouth genius, the very incarnation of the liberal publicist. His short political existence was one of abnegation, devotedness, self-sacrifice. " La Sentinelle de Maurice " newspaper was the bold offspring of his great mind. He freely gave it to you, together with his own life. For he was the editor and chief writer in that dreaded journal, whose daily leaders aroused by their fulminations your dormant souls and he thus created for you, at a very tumultuous and troublesome time, that extensive political power which you at present enjoy although the paper, still bearing the same title, has dwindled into mere political insignificance, having fallen into the hands of some speculating and thrifty persons, of very little note or local importance.

For be it known that this once celebrated newspaper had a real existence only under the editorship of Remy Oilier and Emilc Vaudagne. That great, beloved, and popular champion of our political liberties, that disinterested tribune, Remy Oilier after a terrible and tenacious struggle with the strong prejudices of the day, although he did not fully succeed in extirpating them from the Mauritian soil, yet gave those would-be white aristocrats, clearly to understand that we meant to enter into rivalship with them. Death, unfortunately, put a premature end to his noble public career, so rich in public reforms. He found in Emile Vaudagne, a man as honest, upright, self-sacrificing as himself, a worthy successor, and it was the lot of the latter to give the finishing stroke to the work, so happily commenced, of the great master. Both of them died gloriously on the field of party warfare, courageously defending to their last breath their brethren oppressed by a would-be aristocratic White Minority
Their ungrateful fellow-countrymen may even forget their names. They may, with all safety, do so. But an indignant voice will surely make itself heard, whenever to base ingratitude they add sneers, insults, or calumnies. We need not, however, feel surprised at this preposterous conclusion, when we remember that, " No man is a prophet in his own country." A proverb never stale, especially when applied to such a circumscribed, ill educated,* superstitious, pettifogging, money-grubbing, envious little locality as the Island of Mauritius. •With regard to the education of the coloured population and.the free-blacks in the Island of Mauritius, we are happy to bear the tribute of our admiration to the Rev. Mr. Lebrun, " L''Abbé,"Laval and Mr. T. Joseph Jenkins, for the undaunted and indefatigable exertions and Christian zeal they have displayed in the Held of popular instruction.—(Vide Chambers''s Exemplary Biography.) Any intelligent foreigner, who may chance to reach our tropical shores, and wish to make himself conversant with the manners and habits of our country, will, if he peruse our " Colonial Annals," surely be astounded when he calmly and impartially reflects on the various phases of these two noble lives.

He cannot, indeed, do otherwise than eulogize (and that highly too) those two blameless political characters. j " They were men," in the largest acceptation of the word, " take them for all in all, we shall not look on their like again." J Remy Oilier, we repeat it again, had but an uncultivated mind, but he did not lack true and sterling native talents. At that eventful period, when the first sheets of the '' Sentinelle de Maurice" newspaper were issued, our longdespised and abhorred race was +rodden under foot. Remy Oilier, with certain practical means, induced his fellow sufferers to look forward to a better state of affairs he made them feel thus by perseverance, patience, and steady endeavours on their part, they might hope to have their grievances enquired into, and obtain redress at the hands of a free and liberal Government which would place them on an equality with their oppressors, the soi-disant white Aristocrats.

"On his death-bed, the great patriot shook hands with Emile Vaudagne, and whispered to him with his last breath: "Emile, my dear friend, toy our care I leave my work." The calm and stern disciple, as every Mauritian knows, proved worthy of the passionate master. During those eleven years that Emile Vaudagne hid the editorship of " The Mauritius Sentinelle newspaper, he showed himself true to that sacred trust. And still, their fellow-countrymen can think that these patriots have done scarcely anything for the good of their country! We sincerely hope, however, that a future and more just generation will give the lie to their forefathers for, " La Sentinelle de Maurice" may die, but the grand idea of Remy Oilier is immortal.

The sole ambition and aim of the whole political career of Emile Vaudagne was to stimulate the rising generations of the coloured population, to afford them proper weapons to fight their intellectual battles on equal terms with their oppressors'' sons, and if possible, by fair play, to conquer them. This object he felt might best be accomplished by the substitution of the English language for the French, as the vehicle for the transaction of public affairs, thereby removing an odious class distinction, and uniting all orders of people in the Mauritius in one common interest as British subjects. In this noble scheme a triumphant success crowned his steady and untiring efforts. The petition for the suppression of the French language and substitution of the English, presented in 1848 to her Majesty Queen Victoria in Council, was graciously received and its prayer granted. Such are the claims of Remy Ollier and Emile Vaudagne to the consideration of their fellow-countrymen. Their mighty souls may rest in peace ! They have done enough for their country ! * They want no monumental piles, no statues,* to record their patriotic deeds. They care not even for their '''' memories" being -venerated by their fellow-countrymen. The success attending the creation of "La Sentinelle de Maurice'' newspaper, and the granting of that "Petition," whose political axiom was, " One nation, one language" are, in our opinion, ample rewards for the voluntary sacrifice of those two spotless lives. Is it not shameful to hear that 10,000 dollars were collected at a minute''s notice, for the erection of a bronze statue in honour of the late Governor Stevenson, K.C.B., from subscribers of all classes whilst, even the paltry sum of a few hundred dollars could scarcely be raised among the whole Mauritian coloured community for the purpose of sending the son of Remy Oilier to London, to study for the bar and enable him to pursue n liberal profession. This young man deserves the sympathy of all kind souls, not only because he is poor and an orphan, but for the ill treatment he has received from his ungrateful and insulting caste. Such vile conduct needs no comment on our part.