The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News and the Morning News. SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 1872.

Auckland Star, Volume III, Issue 812, 24 August 1872, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News and the Morning News.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 1872.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

It does not often fall to the lot of colonial politicians to occupy a position so nattering as that at present occupied by the Honorable Donald McLean. On his word depends apparently the standing or the falling of a Ministry. Pierce is the thirst for place in those who are now knocking at the door of the Treasury, bat they admit that they will not dare to enter withouttheHonorableDonaldMcLean. Oiten and sorely has Mr McLean's conduct of native affairs been criticised. Nothing at times was bad enough to say of him. * His treatment of the natives was un-English and unmanly, and though practical proof was afforded that his policy kept fire and sword from the homes of our settlers, our indignation was invited to boil over because he did not promptly and summarily avenge every slight and wrong at the hands of the native trihes. Now an opportunity is afforded to his criticisers to make Mr McLean stand aside, and for themselves to confront the native difficulty. But no, thank you. They are prepared to walk over to the Treasury benches hand in hand with Mr McLean, but there is a ghost in the closet, and they will not peep in there unless they have Mr McLean with them to exorcise the dark spirit. Bounce is now stilled. Great is the policy of conciliation, and Mr McLean is its prophet; and the intermeddling of any other hands than those of Mr McLean is regarded as sure to embroil the colony in a war of races. Such appears to be now the prevalent feeling in the House of Kepresentatives, and as a party in opposition have an irrepressible craving for thehonoursand emoluments of the ministerial sideof the House, Mr McLean is invited to prove traitor to his colleagues and his party and pass over, and be a tower of strength to their enemies. That such proposal should be entertained in an assemblage of Englishmen shows how all sense of honour can be obliterated by contact with the villainies of colonial politics. If Mr McLean could perpetrate such an act of treason he would give the lie to his past career, and appear the meanest truckster that has figured in New Zealand politics. It so happens that now the Ministry is sheltered under his protection. But a few months ago he was himself sheltered under Mr Vogel and his magnificent schemes, with which the whole colony was then dazzled. Mr McLean's colleagues then shared the obloquy which was considered to attach to his pusillanimous conduct of native affairs. Results have proved that the Native Minister was the saviour of the country. His star is now in the ascendant, and there is a run on Mr Vogel. The Colonial Treasurer has, unfortunately for himself, been taken to task at the most i inopportune conjuncture of ' affairs that has perhaps occurred during the whole course of his career. The whole difficulty of getting the money and making arrangements for public works and immigration has been overcome, yet there is nothing to show by which the eye can be caught., The Ministers have been everywhere scattered, each working out his own portion of the scheme, and just at the moment when they should have come together and concentrated their efforts they are taken to task, and an attempt is made to scatter their preparations to the winds. At this moment Mr McLean is asked to desert his colleagues. "We know not what he may do ; but we know that if he does this he will be branded by friend and foe as the blackest traitor that our chequered political history has yet produced. In a few months, when Mr Vogel'3 various schemes have been got in full working order, and the results begin to appear, every one will get down on his knees and bow the head to Mr Vogel, and when another crisis is imminent in the General Assembly the aspiring party will not take office unless they are accompanied by Mr Vogel. It so happens that we are just at the point when Mr McLean's

policy has matured, and Mr Vogel's j operations are still in somewhat of a ; tangled skein ; and like children our ; representatives can only appreciate \ what is complete. Unfortunately for j himself, Mr Yogel's Ban Francisco j service has temporarily failed at both j ends and in the middle, and it has j given us small - pox, which appears down South to have prodigiously influenced the mind. It is pleasant therefore for those who have been bitterly envious of Mr Vogel's magnificent soaring to see the bird brought clown to earth, and to fling a stone at it., But to expect Mr. McLean to be so shortsighted and so traitorous as to abandon his colleagues and their common policy when it is temporarily under a cloud argues very little sense of honour and manliness in the proposers. Shoulder to shoulder the Ministry have fought together; and side by side we hope for the sake of honour we shall see them fall together if they cannot stand together. The idea and hope expressed that Mr. McLean will let his duty to his country overcome his loyalty to his party is so exquisite bunkum that we cannot avoid contemplating it with pleasure. It assumes that those wanting place and power are animated by a love of their country, and that Mr. McLean must see it in that light. If Mr McLean cares anything for his country he could not fail to view with alarm the smash that is likely to be made of the policy of colonization on the intrusion of those who have never concealed their hatred of it, and he will probably consider it his duty to do everything he can to avert such catastrophe. On this point we think the mind of the colony may bo at rest. If the change of administration is dependent on the Honorable Donald McLean proving traitor to his colleagues and his party we think the Ministry will stand. And if the Honorable Donald McLean does act so traitorously we do not hesitate to say that he will deserve as ho will receive the contempt of the colony.