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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 916, 24 March 1879, Page 2

CotoHttH. BfttsTt h;is never given any evidence oil being endowed witlt a anjicralnKMianue of goo(.{ se-nae. He t* a volrthie. vain ohl warrior, whose eo»r»gt\ whsn n» eni'-fay «s irt sijchl!. i* to that of a whirls- arttty. i Js says that he is a «t>toneh »:ui. aa tnmt p«»pta tieithtsr «*« aWat ttispßttnjc his wueif. nor hwntiug. op ths army Kaf. he w iUliTwt-cf to «»joy tiv- which tlf 'title arWit.-? t'> som-j On iuX maiU: a patriotic- that eauaetl the heeasfc*©* votttntt-uts am-t eivvfran*—;iy*% svntt :t*diG».. too. who- ttltevl the asftdiry—to- hum -with niifitivryafita-. This wa* amn?emrr.t ins harmlis** a* h«* «onsen««nttat ttomeafi«i:r. 'thsra was nofwciy ti» tight; hat it was jttst ; ;v3 well that his aa»tit'nt;e showtti he |>ritße«S hy ithe r«towatittg. aocGtapanisit by warlike iftMittut* aa*l ti*gic et!«yfa. of the vatwnt Lfo««fef e£ otlWr noMtf he«o«* who Itv««l prior to- Cotosftt rby. anrf who left thw |m»atll«* to tfeat g«nti«roan when he

appeared upon the scene. It most be pleasant for a man of Colonel Brett's temperament to feci thnt he has actually lived in the conntr>* that gave birth to the heroes of Trafalgar ami Waterloo ; and the only objection that anyone could possibly have raised to the Invcrcargill speech of the hero of New Zealand is that his manly bearing, bis gnwiilloqueace, and indisputable courage, at the Invcrcargill banquet, tended somewhat to detract from the glory of ttfo heroes that have preceded him. He has proved himself to be afraid of nothing. In tEie absence of a Russian, a Zwln, or a Khyberce, upon which to test his patriotism and military skill, he the other day tackled an up-country Canterbury policeman. His mode of procedure on this occasion displayed the military tactician. He did not go straight t»p to his enemy and take the field by a coup de main. He is lo<» great a strategist to make any such mistake. Like the pugnacious Irishman who only TK<r|tttres someone to tread upon the tail of his coat to give activity to his shillelali, be. in the absence of real cause for a quarrel, t<w.«!c one with this unfortunate policeman because he neglected to salute him. *' Uon't yon know who I am :** said he in his Inrst military style. Tiie policeman presumed to mutter tliat he did not. He no doubt could have told Item trhrtt *V fit.* : but thnt would have Wen rode, as he- was not asked t« supply such information. But few more words of a similar kind pasa-jfl between the army, represented by the policeman, and the I'fitish Lion, represented by the Colonel, ami the " hohhy " was captured. IStit not by the distinguished Colonel. Such conduct would have been *»/»•«» tCj in a "gentleman and a British soldier. He got another fetb>vr to do it. and his prisoner was, no dowbt amidst great rejoicings on the |tart of the vanquisher, sent in captivity to Chris tetmrch. VVe cannot help admiring the Colonel's courage, for what other man would ftave. dared to speak as he did at Invcrcargill. or tra capture an up-country Canterbury potieenw.it. with an army of only one to offer? IJut the valiant Colonel having maintained the dignity of the British (lag and hi* Jaipeeship. which was at stake when tin- "" Bobby " neglected to salute the New Zealand embodiment of the former and a valuable specimen of the la ter, and the aggressor having capitulated, would it not have been generous on the jKirt of the gallant Colonel t" have let hint go. instead of Mlbjecting him to the humiliation of tra'/el ling to the capital as a prisoner of war, and bavins him mwtcted to tfie trnie of LI. But greatly as wo- at! must adtnire the C'otoast. and grateful as we are that tha:.: is such a matt in the Colony ,%vl:o ? e presence is of itself sittlieient guarantee thnt wc

."•All yujoy the IA-sutHv'st of [>o>:c. y.-t-.>.:i;l wr- s.vy it with oar ryht Siaii.l t • «;:r ta:>. Mri't with aU »ttw rtv-.p-jyt t'-r t-v.-ry l-.i.-'i position that t!»*>■ Colonel i»-t.pi".«. .-.. it i rt-vn'tvuce- for the ot«t sr-.'titietrt'&n itiiti.-i.-lr'-rvvk't't w,- W j>'jrrutit«»t to r»tV-.>r our httmhte opinion ttt.it thertr was no iiv.M.s.stty for the- payment of th<; in.tetittitty money. There were iu> viaii.t-j .*L-ik* of tfamagc o:t the t'otottt'l's* Hh* injuries wero internal, atuf. only hi.-. tlL'titty as .1 Xo'.v Zealand .fiwtke- ft the IVaw ha-l receive.! a suverw shock. It w wolf that fit «"M not a yoanger maw. nr hi.-i opp.ntent might have l>->-n the wa-i:.-*'- of rt'C.tUftti: to hi.-, rnemory tUe event* of W'„".>:i'? 'tay.-f in military hospital.-*—when at the «Vimea—ahem. The Colonel stiouM have hrvl a little respect for the p..tii-etn*Ti. -'"--i iimv.'inc a man like the Colonel .Unem-i avoun.t a fellow. It!.-; true that cue |>f>li«-..rF,.iH hr.rt !.:-■» ■"-'■ intra. f>Mt htf might have shatterc.f e-.vry nerve irt the jkolrmninV W,y. or that frmi-tioriary iu! ± \tt have t'.pa'e't tro::i fright on the spot. AH th:.-* »li.-j»l.iy arose f»;e.T,:t*-;- ttu-- Colonel h-»ppene-t to meet a ma-re who actually till n"t {.now hint. V, e OHtitVsi t-h'it it .foes se 'Rt «Lrat;2« t" «■< ttr.t there- sho:'ttl| ft IV"' heen :■» nv.ui iff Canterbury who.«M tt-.t know Cone! Uni-trr. He is on.- ft tr-,.1- • who apo-.-ai- :•> tltirif: tint the. e-ier.-is.; fiy ilw.'n >~>i w.itiM ti-ia-t rn.u'h-t W -tcfiv.'-t it is hey ."iff ,!f.-ii> an<l rt-.tythtiu' that they and th-ir-t hav.- 'lone front titit'" munen'.rn'-.ria!. v.ivc not ni.Tiu tituv.vn. Ttu: jK'tkcmnti >lh\ not !-:'.iou- litis Atr»vw. ?,;,■!. Kitt'ortutta'cfy t'.>;- !.i.-i [> j.:l».:t anrl hie* tttturu h- hi-i ignor-

arn-i'. iVt'-nte! }U:t;r('.i action in having Ulni. remind* ti-t that tin- iiir.L-.iin.it!; conceit «t srttnt- riii'ti tvi.il lend th-.itt into nl! .vjris or c"<aravag;uit tx'tiavi'iitr. Ww v.otiM :;-.!-: Coion-d whether he thinks that every iidlated human s,t»m that t<> thins him-th' :.i military t;-: / W-'iu-e hv has onee fn-M so !ts .: |id3 ; .t;r»;i or oK;> rin :h-- arm}, or s-itivor: ■ *»''»•> liM done so, and who Ei't.-i *w«ee>'ded iti attain;!:.!:,'to the exceedingly hu'h pvaitioti of J.t'-. iK.-rhr.jw on strength of tlwU of vnh>r performed in his own mouth. shontd I>« permitted to cscrtisc such j>ower ,1.4 that which lis appears to swr.y? Ji" we w.ire 15.v-.KroEir> the policeman, Colonel Bfiktc should afforded an opi<ortnntty of making another speech—hut not an afterdinner one, this time.