Quotation from: Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard

Written by: Joseph Conrad

"This is the quintessence of my journalism; that is the supreme
argument," he said to Antonia. "I have invented this definition, this
last word on a great question. But I am no patriot. I am no more of a
patriot than the Capataz of the Sulaco Cargadores, this Genoese who has
done such great things for this harbour--this active usher-in of the
material implements for our progress. You have heard Captain Mitchell
confess over and over again that till he got this man he could never
tell how long it would take to unload a ship. That is bad for progress.
You have seen him pass by after his labours on his famous horse to
dazzle the girls in some ballroom with an earthen floor. He is a
fortunate fellow! His work is an exercise of personal powers; his
leisure is spent in receiving the marks of extraordinary adulation.
And he likes it, too. Can anybody be more fortunate? To be feared and
admired is--"