THE The New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1873.

New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 2788, 4 January 1873, Page 2

THE The New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1873.

We were the first New Zealand newspaper —indeed, the first of Australasian journals—"which directed public attention to tjie enterprise of the New York Herald, in commissioning Mr Stanley to go into Central Africa in search" of Dr. Livingstone. Our readers, at the time, could hardly realise the fact; but so it was. John Gordon Bennett, of the New York Herald, had anticipated the Royal Geographical Society, and put to the blush the English and Continental Governments, which, profess to take this kind of discovery under their special protection. But, Stanley having discovered Livingstone, what is to be done with him? and what advantage is to be taken of hie discovery ? England is silent on these important points. The Eoyal Geographical Society " don't believe ;" and the Londou daily newspapers, which were anticipated by the New York journal, " don't believe." In short, Mr. Stanley is a highly dangerous character. He has set aside all the convention, alities of his order, and accomplished what, under tho ordinary routine of journalistic life, would have been impossible. Mr. Stanley is, therefore, to be decried ; and the New York Herald is to be held up to the execration of respectable journalism. "We join in neither cry. Now, it is somewhat amusing to contrast the opinion of prudent men on the same subject. We have, in our previous remarks, given an outline of what has been said of Stanley and the Neio York Herald, by outsiders all over tho world. But at the Methodist Episcopal Conference, which recently held its session in the United States—the richest and most influential of all Christian bodies in the Union —it was agreed, by common consent, that the New York Herald had done more to promote the cause of Christian missions than any other agency employed for that object of late years. Tee discoveries of Stanley were pointed to—or rather the verification of Livingstone's discoveries by Stanley were referred to, —aud it was resolved to occupy the new mission field thus opened. The sum of ten thousand dollars vras appropriated by the Conference for the African mission, arid it was resolved to prosecute the same with unflagging energy. We are pleased to see this spirit manifested iii the missionary bodies of the United I States. The extent to which missionary enterprise is carried in the Great Republic, will best be gathered when we state that the sum of nine hundred thousand dollars /has been appropriated for the year 1573 by the Episcopal ! Methodist Society.