WHO ARE THE REAL REVOLUTIONISTS?

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 280, 5 October 1864, Page 6

WHO ARE THE REAL REVOLUTIONISTS?

To the Editor of the Nkiv Zeai.and llkhai.d.

PlK,—I respectfully invite tho attention of your readers to tho following passage in Mr. Cardwell's despatch to the Governor of New Zealand. It appears to me to lie as pregnant of future evil as it is creative of present difficulty. The suggestion contained in it, I also lake leave to think, is one that would deprive this colony, or any colony to which it was applied, of the slight, constitutional privilege which unworthy, incompetent, oppressive, or unscrupulous Governors cannot now take uway. I give the passage in its entirety "I entirely anticipate that your Ministers will be animated In'a just sense of the exertions and sacrifices which have already been made by the mother country for the colony, and that "on colonial grounds," they will be as anxious as you can be yourself to terminate the prose lit hostilities. But it is my duty to say to vou plainly that, if unfortunately their opinion should'be different from your own as io the terms of peace, Her Majesty's Government expect you to act upon your own judgment, and to shite to your Ministeis explicitly that, an army of 10.000 English troops has been placed at your disposal for objects of great Imperial concern, and not for the attainment of any merely local object; that your responsibility to the Crown is paramount ; and that you will not continue the expenditure of blood and treasure longer than is absolutely necessary for the establishment. of a just and enduring peace." 1 am inclined to give the tecrctarv of State for the Colonies credit for the best, intentions. In saying that the Ministers of the colony, on colonial grounds, would co-operate with those of Her Majesty, he simplv said what, it was their interest and that- of their constituents to do. Nay, more, 1 may aver that on grounds of public policy, as well as lor the greater reason of humanity and lasting peace, they were equally disposed to do so. A\'e must, however, recoiled that the " colonial" ground has been taken from under their feet. The policy to which they were committed, and for the carrying out of which thev took office, has been betrayed with a duplicity that docs the powers of tho betrayer little credit for sagacity, though much for native cunning. The colonial grounds referred to by the Imperial Minister have been taken from under their feet by the Colonial Governor. The problem then resolves itself into this, that Ihe grounds upon which co-ope-ration could have taken place are annihilated without the knowledge of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and the Ministers, deprived of the power of the solemn invitation given them, liud themselves in the position that they must either resign, or he mude pliant tools —the creatures of a single will against their own individual and collective conviction. "Wind, could they do 'i They resigned. The impossibility of their co-operating with Her Majesty's Government has been secured by means which I will not stoop to characterize. No doubt the victor chuckles at the success which bos so far attended his ignoble artifice. But violent or dishonest success invariably works its cure in future trouble or sure disappointment. It only needs that those who are its victims be aroused to their position and danger. Lot us calmly consider what tlio second .sentence of this official., missive portends. " Her Majesty's Government expect you to act upon own judgment, and to state to your Ministers explicitly that an army of 1 0,000 English troops has been placed at your disposal for objects of great Imperial concern," and not for the attainment of any merely local object." Is this a threat r Dees it mean that tho Government may use these means to coerce the colonists Does it mean that no merely local object has any concern for tho English Crown "r Your responsibility to tho Crown is paramount "r Can' this be interpreted by an unpopular and arbitrary Governor, into, 1 owe noconsidcration to those plebeian and beggarly colonists. Is not, I. ask, the whole context" of this dispatch a repetition of the instructions signed and countersigned, acted upon and revoked by turn, the very material of which so many skeins of' trouble and disaster have been woven. If ten thousand troops are given to Governor Grey for objects of great. Imperial concern, and no merely local concern, and if he is to have any weight in tlu-ir disposal, it is not. too difficult to recognise the use that will be made of them. Tho colony will have yet to pay, and .-it while it pays in deep humiliation, for troubles yet untold, but not in, thought of, bv< ne crafty, though impolitic, unscrupulous, though dark working mind, in this part of 11 or Majesty's dominions.

But there is n view of this dispatch which litis not boon taken, which should, just now, employ everv thii.king mail's most serious consideration. .1 [as the Minister for the Colonics power, without the consent of Parliament, to tell ;i colonial Government that lie is to use Imperial troop?', not under tlio advice of counsellors chosen under the form of a Constitution, hut as he thinks proper himself, and even agaii.st those advisers if necessary. What is the condition of a colony ? .Are not tlio terms of its allegiance as precisely defined as tlnse of any other municipal hotly. To whom is a colonial Assembly responsible, not surely to jNIr. Caldwell, but to Parliament., as the great Council of tlio Crov.-n. Til-re is reason for thinking that the very tone of this despatch furnishes secondary proof of the means, the ignoble and calumnious metins, that have been resorted to, to prejudice tlio colony and colonists, in Eugland. it is hardly possible that. 11 r. Curd well would have written this despatch in respect to this colony. That an English statesman should seriously tell a Colonial Governor to act without the sanction ol' liis own Government, and that lie lnid 10,000 troops to support him in doing so, is something so uiiprccciited as to warrant t he belief that some mistake lias been made, or if not that, a scheme is progressing, a deep one it may lie, this only showing the first ripple on its surface, which will involve the colonists in years of trouble and cost, by which their rights will be compromised at home if not in the colony. That il. wiji stop its course lor any gentle words that may be poured out before the viceregal cause of all this mischief, is what no one need expect. It really behoves the colonists to become jealous of such constitutional lights sis they have. Otherwise tluy will soon be without any whatever. Yours &e.] Colon i:is Agiuiuw.

To the Editor of the Is lay Zea'axd Ilr.uAJ.n. Sii;, —In rending your paper of yesterday, I saw n latter regaining George Grey's policy. I quite agree with that gentleman that signed his name " A Suffering Settler," with respect to calling a meeting to know what is best to ho done regarding shifting. Sir George Grey from New Zealand. It is ipiite clear hv ougbt to ho shitted cKhnr hy a pi-t.ition nvni; to

himself to ask him to Tesipn, or a largo petition got up and cent direct to the Queen. lam sure if a petition was got up, 99 out of every hundred, men and women would sign it. It ought to have been done two years ago, and long before this we should have had tirm peace throughout Kew Zealand. I wish the mooting: could he called together before next mail starts for England, as that would let the people in England see who is to blame, the Governor, or his Ministers* Many people think that if a few of the leading gentlemen oi Auckland, were to call on his Excellency and beg of him to give up his Governorship, he would resign it at once. The way I think ttr George will leave us, will be something like he did the last time he left-Auckland. He will be missing very early some wet morning, on a leave of absence, and few will mourn his loss. I ain glad to hour jou are going to gi v c us another monthly summary. Tou, Mr. ji ditor, receive great credit for the way yon state the whole truth in your journal, cf matters post and present in J\ T ew Zealand, and 1 hoj-eyou will continue toiollowit up, andlhope you will do all you can io lavonr us at this monster meeting. I see an article in the hew Zealandcr of yesterday, that Sir George Grey has reiused to sicii Crown Grants for theallotmeiitsatNgarnawnhia, which were a few weeks agt> sold by authority oi the Colonial Government-, with his sanction. 31 it is true that Sir George dors not mean to give Crown Giants for the allotments, onirht- he to make it known to the purchasers of the allotments he gave next 1? ridav, as that is the dav the remainder of the money ought to be paid. IHs*Excellency puis mo in mind of our old Superintendent, when ho brought the Provincial Council to a dead lock. Sir George Grey ha.r> brought the whole of Now Zealand to a dead lock, I very much pity him, lie has no one to advise with him, only a few philo-maori gentlemen. I am, sir, Your most obedient, A Tun: Bijitox. [Our roirespondent is in error. Sir George Grey does not refuse to sign the Crown txrants for the allotments sold at Ngaruawahia.—Ei>. iS'.Z.II.]