LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 977, 12 September 1868, Page 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

The Editor does not hold himself responsible for

opinions expressed by correspondents,

Sib, — In your Tuesday's issue a letter appears xipon the above, signed by a "Subscriber," in which some questionable observations appear. The Napier Brass Band were wishful to enroll themselves in the Napier Rifle Volunteers, when some fearfully musical " Subscriber" at once sees a lot of " manifest injustice," and he sets forth that some great evil would arise, and a lot more bosh. How evil could arise (except in the jealous mind of " Subscriber"), I cannot possibly see. I think that it would be a benefit rather. I was under the impression the subscribers paid their money to hear a little music, caring little whether it was from Militia, Volunteer, or otherwise.

As there seems to be stress laid upon " breaking faith with the public," perhaps that section of the Band Committee who are so anxious that " stern.justice " should be done would advocate the canvassing of subscribers indiyidually, to ask them personally whether they object to the name of the Band being changed to the Bine Volunteer Band.

It would seem some people collect public money for their own private ends. — I am, A Subscriber to the Band.

Sih, — It is said that " lookers-on see most of the game," but the chances are that if the looker-on was placed. in the shoes of a player he would find that a good many things^ are much more easily said than done, in the game under particular operation, as well as in most others. The clever cricketer goes before the wicket to the admiration of the " ins" and the terror of the " outs," but the fatal ball comes at last and out he goes ; that disastrous ball is as likely to be the first as the hundredth, for come it certainly will, sooner or later. He retires amidst the gloomy and sympathetic looks of his friends, and the derisive shouts of his foes. But he may be none the less a capital bat for all that. Some men, with very little real merit, are eminently successful, and shine like very gas lamps ; others again, with real merit in plenty, are as eminently unsuccessful, and don't shine at all. Success or unsuccess is not by any means a safe criterion of the merits of the man.

Your correspondents from Wairoa and elsewhere seem to gloat and glory over the unsuccessful campaign after the escaped Hauhaus; in fact, to judge from their writings, a defeat is not by any means a thing to be lamented over and spoken as little as possible about ; but, on the contrary, it is a pleasant, deadly-lively sort of subject, and to be made the most of, rather than otherwise ; and it would seem also, by the same authorities, that our misfortunes are to be attributed, not so much to circumstances over which Col. Whitmore had no manner of control, as to the accident of they (the writers) not having had the management of the affair from first to last. There are men who get amazingly valorous after victuals, and it is but fair to make allowances for their possible short-comings in that direction on an empty stomach. The very severe strictures passed by your correspondents upon Colonel Whitmore's conduct of the expedition under discussion, are, to say the very least of them, not deserved by that gentleman. True, he did not accomplish the object of the expedition, viz., the capture of the enemy. True, also, he came home rather the worse for the wear. It is very easy for mere lookers-on, sitting calmly by the fire (if they have one), at a safe distance from tribulation, and full to the brim of meat and drink, to point out what might have been done, and what was certainly not done ; but it is also very questionable whether matters would have turned out any the better for their active interference, and most assured^ tilings are not mended by their passive and foolish criticism. We make a most outrageous clatter over our successful men. We never go into particulars as to whether their laurels are gained easily or not ; but, being successful, all their sins are as white as snow, and their laurels are evergreens, — which is as it should be. It would, therefore, be as well for your readers to remember that Col. Whitmore, under the greatest disadvantages, had to undertake an enterprise of the' greatest possible difficulty, and at the moment. A sudden call comes from Poverty Bay, " The Philistines be upon thee, Samson !" and he replies to that call at once with what means he is able to command. But what were those means ? Simply of the smallest ; a few men gathered in all haste, without time for picking; a deficiency of all needful material, and little help anywhere, to meet an enemy who by the time he is overtaken is already flushed with two fortunate skirmishes, is in high feather and full of meat and bounce, and our own men crestfallen and dispirited. Add to which, that the very nature of the country itself was a quite sufficient reason for declining the possible combat. Under these circumstances, I contend that Col. Whitmore, so far from being hooted and abused, should receive the thanks of the country for what he tried to do. It is not necessary to enter into the truth or falsehood of the allegations brought against the Colonel on the score of the rough language attributed to him, because, supposing them to be true, it is quite possible that somebody amongst such a motley multitude might have deserved it. I cau say this much in that gentleman's favor, that when he commanded the expedition to Terawera (of which party I happened to have been one), his conduct to all ranks was just the very reverse of what your correspondent complains of, and I never heard anyone speak in other than the highest terms of his behaviour, and his personal bravery is not open to question.

If Col. Whitmore had returned without striking a blow, he would have been accused of cowardice ; if he had returned successful, we should have called him a hero and other hard names of that sort ; but, returning after a most unfortunate campaign, all he gets for his pains, without a hearing of any kind, is unlimited abuse, and from those too who ought to say as little as possible about the matter, one way or the other. We hear nothing of the bravery and patience of his men — of their sufferings and hardships ; — no, not a word of all that. All we do hear is a great deal of weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. The Colonel says that the Poverty Bay contingent refused to go with him. Therein they showed great discretion ; but they have not on that account any right whatever to abuse that officer, because he showed greater valor and went on without them.

I take it that the gentleman who makes so light of the tremendous difficulties which had to be overcome before even an attempt to follow up the enemy could be made, would find his arguments cut against himself, supposing, for instance, his house happened to catch fire when no water could be easily got at. " Why didn't yon put it out, you nvuff, you ?" says one sympathiser. " Because I had no water," says your correspondent. "Ah well, if it had been my house, I would have put it out somehow," says the sympathiser. In the meantime, the house is burnt, and there an end of it.

I repeat that although lookers-on see a

great deal of a game, they' don't understand half of it ; and they ought to be very cautious how they express opinions about those moves which they don't comprehend, or can't account for ; seeing that, at the very best, they can but take a very superficial view of what is going on. Let us rather give unto Cfflsar the due which is his, and not be too ready to pocket the coppers ourselves. — I am, &c,

O. L. W. BoUSFIELD,