The Southern Cross. Saturday, April 22.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue I, 22 April 1843, Page 2

The Southern Cross. Saturday, April 22.

Luceo non Uro. " If I have been extin uished, yet there rise A thousand b acons from the spark I b re." It is pleasant after a long and cruel absence, to be able again to meet our former friends, and though time may have wrought some change in our appearance, we doubt not they will still recognize and welcome us, and believe that we are in heart the same as ever. Our separation has been painful on both sides, and much longer than either of as could have wished or expected. But these are things which must happen. It is needless now to advert to their cause; we refrain from speaking of the past. We forgive, if we cannot forget, even those who brought about the unhappy separation. We are persuaded they regret the evil they have done, and we hope they will be wise and generous for the future. At all events they cannot now injure us much. We are our own master. We stand in our car of light free and unfettered. Our steeds are sure and steady, and will not like our last, be frighted at the fullest and strong-

est blaze of our constellation. Since our last Herald announced that we had left the course, various nebulous stars appeared upon the horizon, but their light was faint and glimmering, just sufficient to make the darkness more apparent. Some assert that they were not heavenly bodies, but merely those fatuous lights which commonly exist in fens and marshes. We forbear to give our opinion They are now, at all events, nearly all gone, and we hope never to see their like again. Men's hearts sickened at such monstrous objects, and trembled letst the light should not return to dissipate the fearful, but visible darkness which surrounded them. We hear that various opinions are entertained by the ignorant regarding the course and bearings of our own cross. Some are foolish enough to say that we shall permit it to be degraded by being confined in the binnacle of a man of war. Such was never our intention ; but we shall not at any time refuse to throw some light upon its compass. Should it happen to venture on the deep again. On this score, however, we found not our hopes of doing good. The vessel is now a wreck, requiring new limbers and planking, together with copper and copper fastening, to render her again sea-worthy. Our intentions at present, are merely to watch the progress of her repairs, to see that all the rotten timbers are replaced by good substantial new ones, and when she is ready, to take especial care that none of the old officers or crew are smuggled aboard, lest the worm of corruption should follow them. In the meantime we have them gracelessly to eat the biscuit and junk, they have carefully saved from the wreck ; we know the officer of the station will soon look after them. As far as we are concerned, they have done their worst. We leave them to their fate. They are dead ; they have like Esau of old, sold their inheritance, the power of doing good, and they cannot now redeem it. To our former friends the public, we offer a new pledge, we are still the same in weal or woe, our l t is with them. A common, interest binds us together. These are not vain or idle words. We have already given the bitter test of their truth, and we now give another in our present undertaking. Our every interest is neccssarily involved in the prosperity of this Calony. We say not this in ignorance of the taunts of some ephemeral beings, who have followed in our wake ; but with the full understanding that we have been accused of seeking to injure the country, merely to gratify petty feelings, which these narrow minded persons make the rule of their own conduct. We had the deepest stake in New Zealand, before ever these people, or even the government came here. We have continually increased that stake, and we now attempt to preserve our all by thus incurring the additional risk of establishing a newspaper. If we fail, we cannot help it. Ours alone will be the loss. If we succeed, we shall rejoice to think that others, even people who foolishly boast of being our enemies shall benefit. We shall do our outmost to make New Zealand what she ought to be : " Great, glorious, and free.' This is our pledge, and this only. — We have not, and never had any dislike to the members of this government as individuals. We opposed them on public grounds alone, and we exposed their conduct, and abused their measures, because they tended to injure the colony; we care not a pin who the individual may be that rules the government, if his measures are for the good of the country; we receive and value them as such. On the other hand, however much, (as in the case of the late governor) we may esteem his private character and worth, we feel ourselves still bound to assert fearlessly and powerfully, the truth regarding his public mea sures. As private individuals, we esteem men, but, as the voice of the people, we value measures, and not men. In the conduct and management of this paper, we shall be guided by two principles: truth and impartiality, in our estimate of the first, we may err at times, but, it shall not be wilfully, and if, as no doubt we shall be supposed to deviate occasionally from the latter, our judgement must bear the blame. In obedience to these principles, our object shall be the accomplishment of the greatest possible amount of good to the greatest number of our fellow colonists, we have no

party ; no party politics to advocate. As the member of a party, we know no man. Tory, whig, and radical, are names we care nothing about. We leave them and their recollection on the other side of the vasty deep. We are in a new world, in a new state of things. We watch the rise, growth, and progress of a community which in after ages shall become a mighty empire. Our little society is in this sense a germ of great value. Our every energy, our unwearied exertions, shall be directed towards the fair and full developement of this germ. We invite every well-wisher of New Zealand to assist us. Our pages are open to all ; we advocate the interests of the people of New Zealand as a whole. While we would promote the good of our countrymen, we would not forget the claims of the native race. While we seek the prosperity of the old settlers, and the inhabitants of Auckland in particular; our best wishes are ever with the enterprising settlers to the southward; we shall always value the benefits they have conferred on New Zealand, and give them every countenance in making this our common home, in a civil, social, and moral point of view the Great Britain of the southern hemisphere.