The New Zealand Herald AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, NOV. 12, 1864.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 313, 12 November 1864, Page 4

The New Zealand Herald

AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, NOV. 12, 1864.

BPECTEMUJi AGENDO. " Givo ©Tory man thine oar, but row thy voice: Tako cach man's conjure, but reserve thv judgment, TliU above all, —To thine ownsoU be truo • And it must follow, as the nu;ht iho day, Tljou canst not then bo false to any man."

The exceptional nature of the present state of public affairs in the Colony is very naturallv the leading if it is not the engrossing topie of the clay. There is an uncomfortable uncertainty (bit everywhere, not so much in regard to' the final issue of the struggle in which the Colony has now for some time been engaged—for of that no serious apprehension is entertained by any one—but on the ground of the annoyance and

indignity already offered to our rights and liberties, and the injury-to our interest in consequence both present and prospective. The Colony we know must (evidently triumph. It is the wish nnd will of the people of Great Britain that the Colony should triumph, not only over Iter open and avowed (ben, hut also over her more dangerous, because insidious secret enemies. When the truth 'conies to be known the British •people tu a man will rejoice in that justice is rendered to their oppressed and calumniated fellow-subjects in ISe\v Zealand. AVe are yet looked upon as aliens and foreigners. AVe'do not believe that then; is anything essentially anti-colonial in the heart of Grc'U Priiain ' toward her dependencies, or (lull the design to wrong us is cither conceived or deliberately determined on. but she is at this moment unwittingly lending herself to a purpose, the real object of which she has not. perceived ; she is yielding (o an expediency which is gradually and insensibly closing her (yes to facts around her, and to consequences before her which she had never yet taken cither the time or the pains to calculate. There is nothing new- in ail this. Unfortunately, even in the history ofiXew Zealand. it is a thrice told tale. Neither is it new in the colonial history of (he ■ empire at large. .In -America, in the J'".asl; and West. Indies, at the Cape of (rood Hope, in Australia, and other dependencies—wherever any wrong was either threatened or nttempted the moving cause was invariably found to have had its origin in the interest sand prejudices of Home pariiznn intriguer, some "managing" functionary, or perhaps in the -ambitious forecastings of a few over-reach-ing monopolists in the gifts and graces of human merit. So stnmge are Ihe causes which sometimes operate both in the public and private departments of the state to produve.il' unchecked, results the most mischievous, lint such causes iieldom go long or linallv unchecked. ',Ye do not anticipate a Chatham or .1 Castlere.-igh in the colonial office \'\ this present year of grace, and if only ov some means which the Colony hr.s not yet hit upon, it could but manage to make ils case clear at, home, we believe that great results Mould follow. Suhu-Ikx/i/ has managed to set the Colony in a bad light in England. Snmr cue else has succeeded equally well in keeping it in that position ever since Ihe commencement of the war. This much at least is certain, that whatever the Jiritish (iovcrnment actually know of our affairs, the great mass of the British people arc shamefully and lamentably ignorant on the subject. The shame, however, in this instance, is more ours than theirs. Both the Government and people of England, doubtless, have interest nearer home to occupy their attention. It was more our business to furnish (hem with information respecting ourselves than theirs to seek it. "We have not, however, thought proper to do this, ami the consequences, to pome extent, we now reap. An amount of complication and embarrassment has sprung up in our relations with the British Government, which could not have arisen had we from the (irst made our cause more intelligible to British ears. But what we would not heretofore do from choice, we must now needs do from compulsion. 'We shall have to make a virtue of necessity, therefore, and so end, we presume, by becoming at length thoroughly understood at home. In whatever form it may think proper to bring ihe matter before the attention of (he i English (iovcrnment, the Colonial Parliament .can now 110 longer remain silent. The slate of alliiirs in the colony becomes daily more and more alarming. The financial condition of the country is really critical. The proper!v anil lives of the colonists are in imminent jeopardy, and no one can tell to what dire disaster the indecision and caprice of ,Sir George Grey may al any moment lead. I'ndcr such circumstances the people's representatives are bound lo speak out. "We have said that we do not distrust the intentions of Great Britain, but that when the veil which interested and designing men have reared between iicr and the colony is removed, she will yet recognise us as her oll'spring. and treat us accordingly. Jt will not. however, prejudice us in this respect if in the meantime we prove to her that we are not unworthy of the slock from whence we have sprung. "We must not hesitate to insist upon a temperate interpretation of our rights. We must not consent to compromise!! public infringement of those rights against ourselves even with her. If we art' entitled to the privileges of free men it is our duty in the interests of sound policy, to demand fair play. The colony requires this much, an ! it will not be satisfied with less. Already we have taxed ourselves heavily to assist Great Britain in the prosecution of a war which she herself originated. "While the colonists had any conlidcnce in the conduct of the war they ollcrcd no demur to the sacrifices tliev were called upon to make. But that state of things 110 longer exists. .Sir George Grcv never f at any time possessed the confidence of an v large section of the colonists of this country, though men u ere willing in the exigencies of the moment to hope the best, particularly when nothing hctt'r was left them to do. The baselessness of such hope, so fur as his Excellency was concerned. is new pretty gem-rally realized, not only by the coloiiisls 11s a body, 'hut also by the lew credulous individuals who might at one time have tbought that, they saw 111 him the right, man in the right place. Governor Grey has on all hands shamefully betrayed his trusi. lie has broken faith with both friends and enemies. 11 e has deceived alike the colonists and the natives, and has involved the home authorities in almost inextricable ditlicullics with both | parties. His speedy removal, we believe, would j now be bailed with acclamation by cvei'v shade 10l party in ;\ew Zealand. .Some of his more recent proceedings have all but raised an insurmountable barrier to the possibility of further co-operation with him on (In; p ;i it of Ihe colony, and we would not be surprised if on i his ground the first, ad; of (ho Assembly would be lo petition for his recall. He has, without occasion, and without, a pretext, on'ercd it a deliberate insult. in the attack made upon its constitutional rights and privileges. 'Ihe Governor, in faci, has assumed toward tliis colony more than the roval preroga- | five; lor 110 sovereign ol Kinxland. without cause j assigned or pleadings heard ' beforehand, would j .it once, as lie has done, set aside the recognised i lights unci, lihoriies of flu? siiltjorf. (Governor i Gic3 r has now unceremoniously assumed both j the representative and administrative functions .ot Government, and, 111 short, has constituted I hiniscll sole .Al i i.s i'a 1:v .Uk'tatoi; in the country. 11 bo i ! or tin; A.s.si'iiil)!y lo s;iy wi.r: hrr "it w ill receive back again its proper l'in:<-tious al (us hands,.and be thankful for (he boon, until , next deprived of them : or whether it. will ailo- ( getlier ignore Ins recent usurpation and interference. and denounce him accordingly. It cannot certainly adopt, the former course 'and consult its own dignity for a moment, and if it ad>|.;> • latter, his Excellency's presence in tin country will every day become more and more a stumbling-block m Ihe way of any cordial understanding between Great Britain and the colony. 1 We (car we have yet to learn how deeply we lia\e suffered through these untoward circumstances. Ihe duly of our public men. however ' is now clear and straightforward. "We trust, no ! unworthy jealousies, no local or provincial ri- i vairy or mistrust of each other will prevent j muted ad ion on the part of the people's npre- I sentatives. They must pull all together. The I country has to be rescued from the dilemma ! into which Ihe Governor's iufidclit y has brought I it, and this can be effected only by the disnTay ! 01 ynanimify and the exercise of judgment, prudence, and lirmness. "With such' qualities we do not despair of success. England will not . ""Reasonable, and though for a time she may nave wronged us through ignorance or lWtlessm'ss, she will not be slow to listen to a people who, m regard to their rights as Britons, can respect themselves while tliey honour her.