THE CROSS AND CONSISTENCY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 346, 21 December 1864, Page 5

THE CROSS AND CONSISTENCY.

To the Editor of the Key,- Zeaiand Hehai.d. Siu, —I scud you u little contribution which I hope you will print in parallel columns just us 1 have sent it to you. It is composed of " elegant extract;)" from the ibusters of the pure unit courteous writers whose lucubtutious adorn the Cross. Like ail honest men, I am thoroughly disgusted with the agility displayed by the Cross in turning its coat. "All thirds by turn, and nothing long," is, or ought to be, its motto. Such barefaced wheeling about 1 nover yet saw or heard of. The Grub-street writers of a hundred years ago, who vomited praise or blame according as tliey were paid is equalled by a daily newspaper, published in the metropolis ot iVew Zealand. Can you wonder at the low opinion held of Auckland and Auckland men when oue of its newspapers is guilty of such audacious conduct as is represented by the extracts below. Let them to read and for yourself. I have put the dato of the paper from which each extract is taken. They all form portions of leading articles, and are genuine specimens of the opinions put forth by the Cross during tho last sit months. I am, Sir, Yours, &e., A Loteu of Consistency. Parncll. July ijth, ISG4. We have been forbearing hitherto with the antics of his Excellency, and his irresponsible advisers, but it is now necessary, for the good reputation of tho colony, to keep a strict watch upon ''hem. * * * i s not to he supposed that they (the Tauranga prisoners) would have died of starvation, becauso no settler would have alio wed them to starve, but we do say that so far as Sir George G i ey is concerned tliuy might havo starved' Dec.!). July 20. "To show tho state of Governor Browne purfeeling at tho public sued a straightforward meeting on the 24th J itne, linglish policy. The 1802, we will make a Natives understood it ; quotation fromMr.Firth's the colonists understood speech, which is equally it,. The policy which applicable at the present succeeded was tortuous, dtii/. And we think we and repulsive to both have had remit instances Maori and European. It I which prove how much failed, as all attempts to i better able Kir George govern solely by bribery, I Grey, unassisted by udvi- and lluttery, and cajolery sers--r. sponsible or irre- must fail. sponsible—has been, to * ' » * * settle great and threatening d : lllculties." Sept. 16. Thu paramount interests of the colony are nothing compared with tho laboiir of love in which he is engaged (looking after tho late Maori prisoners). Dec. 2. " "Wo will lean upon tho Meanwhile ho is enarms that has hitherto gaged at woilc which any protected us ;we will lend clerk in the native oilice our strength to the could do quite us well, Queen's Kepresenfative and perhaps better. * * to quell the native rebel- He will have houses built lion against tho Queen's for them, clothes, tools, supremacy, and establish nnd provisions, supplied peace on a firm and last- them out of tho colonial ing basis. funds ; and he will not move his little linger to iii-sist the houseless and distressed settlers—loyal, peaceable, and respectable colonists—who havo been driven out of house and home b}' tho very men whom ho is engaged in pampering and consoling. The colony is patient, and it has need of patience, but wo warn his Excellency that ho is very near the end of his tether. 1G - fc'ept. 20. « What the Governor Finally—and it is our does matters, indeed, mo st iU.grant offenco—we much to us ; but alter all have asserted over and it is not at our bar that agjiin that the arbitrary his conduct is to be gnmt of a dictatorship judged. over this community by Mr. Cardwcll to Sir George Groy is an absurd violation of our rights— (of constitutional government) —and one so far beyond tho proper powers of a secretary for the colonies that it should be resisted in ever}* way by the colonial Government, and by the colonial people. "Is it revolutionary to defy a minister who would take unconstitutional powers to himself?'' And again —"We should tall il reolutionary to support the unlawful exercise of power by some great man simply because he is a great man, —to cringe and l>ow to all sorts of injurious usurpations, because there is ;t power on the side of the usurper — to advoeato a tame acquiescence in the destruction of our constitution, and the loading our colonists with unjust burdens, because forsooth a Card well and a Grey are thu noble aggressors."

, i »oc. 10. October!. This province does Heplayedinhi louble not any longer wish to capacity, and u auaged be responsible for the eon- his game to perfc. i on." ' duct of native affairs, but "Having fahvl in ' it is ready to the utmost paralysing the c01....y and : of its ability to supply thwarting the i• • lieral, men and money to en- . His Excellency 1. i, back able' tho Queen's repre- upon Mr. Cardv-i.'s dosentativo to enforce the spateh." authority of the law." " In short, Sir 1 reor"e Grey is using t j military expenditure : > build up his own reput. rion as a peacemaker, ant! to attain that end he does not stop at untruthfulness. Helms condoned lrea=ou, murder, and fel.mv in tho Maori, whilst ho has held the scales of justice unequally' balanced towards Europeans. And they hoped that, after dragging tho colony to the verge of ruin, ho would again prove true to his trust. But they were mistaken, and His Excellency still pursued his crooked ways in preference to the manly Knylish policy with which he iiad started." " But tlioy ought to have known tho present Governor better than to have trusted either to his honour or his truthfulness. His whole career proves thai he hits neither; that he kilov.a no higher interest, no other object, than self; and ihat, to build up a personal reputation, he will sacrifice everything that men of honour hold dear to them We warn His Excellency and his friends that they aro standing on tho brink of a volcano. The colony will not pay for his disloyal practices. The colony will not be a party to such illegal and dishonourablo acts, and as loyal men, it may yet become incumbent ou the sottlevs to follow the precedents by New South Wales, and relieve His Excellency from the I cares of state, for which j ho is now neither menI tallv nor bodily fitted." « w , DeL "' 17 " ' Utt - 3 - , , We have been to "He is responsible for bluuic Government unci the daily felonies goiw people—during our whole forward. 5 ' ° sojourn here," &c. Up to this, he has, by his disregard to his plain duty to his Sovereign, condoned treason, murder, and felonies innumerable. " Oct. 5. " .411 the miserable, mean evasions of the truth lately |.raetis<\l can but add to the Governor's name the infamy of falsehood, in addition to the discredit of weakness and shortsightedness." Oct. 0. " Must the colonists always submit to this incubus, this ruinous administration by a Governor who weighs the interests of the colonists in the balance with his own popularity with his Imperial masters and the Aborigines Protection Society ? Is there limit to the ruin which tho Queen's representative may inlliet upon her subjects which may insure liis recall" Oct. IS. " There never was, and probably may not be again, so favorable an opportunity for his Excellency to visit the South ■ and for the Auckland colonists to experience that relief from u sense of oppression which his presence here tends to increase every day." Dec. 10. Oct. 27. Tho Governor lias set "Is not this (the pro the seal to his policy, as clamation of December we predicted ho would 10th) the last throw of set it, when we announ- the political gamester who ced many weeks ago, that has staked all upon the tho " inevitable was be- result ? Truth, trust fore hin.." "And now honor gone—^everything that he has done it, let that man holds dear Jtc us honor him for the act. —all this sacrificed at the And if there be one rea- shrine of sell'! crooked son stronger than another policy; mean ambition," why this province should and again, it is true he continue tho agitation for has deceived the colony, separation, it is to be It is true, he has deceived found in the fact that the natives. It is true, Sir George Grey, al- he has deceived the Imthough unwilling to work perial Government, and with Ministers who insist misled the English peoupon their rights as ' res- pie." ponsible advisers,' and " And unless the action who would, therefore, of tho Assembly bo enjoy tho merit attached prompt and decisive, we to any successful act of fear the estrangement will administration, has shown soon be completed by the himself able to conduct reckless conduct of a natii e affairs himself, governor who has degraand willing to act firmly ded his high eemmission when he dreams the and proved false to both proper moment has ar- races and all parties in rived for acting. Let us, the colony." therefore, allow Sir George Grey to manage native matters."