LETTER TO THE EDITOR.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1094, 22 October 1869, Page 2

LETTER TO THE EDITOR.

The Editor floes not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by correspondents. And fierce on sins fcheir quarry fall> Dread locusts that would eat Us M.—PetefPindttfi' Sib, — Your contemporary, finding, pejy haps, a difficulty ia filling his columns since the retirement of his patrons to- the sweet seclusion they are • so eminently fitted to adorn, has favored us with a couple of " leaders,'* which, for cool as* surance, unscrupulous invention, and^er* version- of facts, " out-herod Herod." *• Whether those articles are the compositions of a whilom commander and new fledged knight, from whose erratic vagaries we suffered so much, or the productions of an ephemeral "agent," -whose brief, tenure of office sufficed for the ptofitabie disposal of superfluous sheep and broken-down bullocks, I need not stay to enquire, as the authorship may be safely ascribed to one or other of those two flexible joints in Stafford's taU; neither will it much interest the public, long ; since surfeited with those ingenious novettettes yclept " despatches," which most of us have wondered at and admired, or sick-, ened by the dismal platitudes of the romance writer's polished confrere, whose evanescent career will only be memorable for the Mohaka massacre and other disasters. Nor is it my intention to notice the first of the two articles in question, that: has already been ably refuted in the columns of the Hawke's Bay Herald. I will merely glance at one or two remarks in the later and least offensive effusion, which have amused me and others. \ , ■ • ■'"■. Thus, we are informed—" It must be remembered that Colonel Herriok never Jiad any doubt of the. result of the brilliant enterprise " (the is referring to the Waikaremoana expedition). Think of that ! Why, it was only the other day Mr. Richmond announced that Tie was the projector of that enterprise, and now his admirers try to rob him of the glory,' and bestow it oh Herrick. Such a magnificent idea ! and so cheap ! only involving an /expenditure of £40,000 for a few months! What a pity that Stafford didn't appreciate it, and was about to withdraw the troops from Waikaremoana just as he got turned out. The result would • havebeen tremendous ; three or four empty pas might have been taken, after twp-thirds of our men had been killed, and the enemy had got away up the wooded hills which,descend to the margin of the lake ; and if Whitmore had not run away from the Uriweras, we might have done wonders 1 " Save me from my friends," Col. Herrick may well say, when it is obvious to every one that the object of the silly effusion was to make him the puppet of a disappointed clique. Does anyone doubt it P Let him glance at the antecedents of the gentleman bespattered with such.exagger-? ated flattery. Col. Herrick served (if I* am rightly informed) 16 months as a lieutenant in the Imperial army ; he sold out shortly before the Crimean war; ho passed many years in Hawke's Bay as a sheepfarmer, and was always well spoken of in that capacity ; he has long been on intimate terms with the late Government agent, and he was unexpectedly promoted to a majority, which caused not a few murmurs at the time. His first active service in New Zealand commenced rather over a year ago, I believe, when he volunteered to accompany Colonel Whitmore on his disastrous Ruakiture affair. Col. Herrick has always been rather liked by his men, chiefly because they have suffered much from the peculiarities of a former commander — peculiarities which, to his credit be it said, have never distinguished Col. Herrick. Wow, I think any candid mind will confess that there is nothing in the above . outline of his career, to call for the disgusting adulation showered on him. No one will say an ill word against JHerrick, but are his services to be for a moment compared to McDonnell's, and those of other officers who have fought our battles so many years ? Again, there is reference made to the " money, men, telegrams, and orderlies," being poured into Taupo. With respect to money, the writer refers, perhaps, to the troops being paid by Major Withers ; no other money has been " poured " into Taupo that the public are aware of, and there can be no doubt that the present Taupo operations will prove infinitely cheaper than the wild-goose chase operations which we witnessed under Stafford's administration. As to orderlies, they are better at Taupo than if they were dancing attendance on all those colonels, majors &c. in Napier, as they were wont to do when Whitmore commanded. It may interest the public to know that not only orderlies but officers' servants have been compelled to join their respective corps, — a reform for which, I believe, we are indebted to Mr. Ormond, and for which he deserves great credit. A diligent perusal of the article in question shews it to be indeed, like its elder brother, a poor production, and scarcely deserving the trouble of reply. It was emphatically" written for the many whose avocations leave them scant leisure to investigate a series of untruths. We, who have seen the late miserable Government clinging to office on the strength of a casting vote, knowing that the country abhorred them, and would some day cast them forth, exiled for many a long day from all they cared for — power — wo who have seen this, until we felt how appropriately the poet's lines might have been uttered by any one of the late Ministry and their interested supportersNo, since I've fairly mounted fortune's mast, Till fate shall chop my hands off, I'll hold fast— I we know and appreciate the sordid motives which influence men smarting for lost place and perquisites. This letter will end with a reference to I the concluding paragraph of the article under notice. That paragraph contains a feeble attempt to perpetrate a poor joke ; its wit is not visible, and if it were witty, the writer would owe his inspiration to a Maori woman. Ruined prospects have apparently suggested to his mercenary mind the idea of an alliance with the Princess Sophia. When , peace is proclaimed, no one will have a better right to dispose of the hand of the dusky fair, one than himself, seeing that, he is (however inefficient) the champion of that party which, by their fatal blunders, have done so much to encourage the hostile natives. — I am, &c, Lex Talionis.