The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. MONDAY, JUNE 23, 1879

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 991, 23 June 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. MONDAY, JUNE 23, 1879

Atraot'OH we have not, at the time wo arc writing, received the news of the Hon. the Attorney-General's ultimatum, which he said he would give to-day, it requires no prophetic capacity to foretell what he will do. That he is self-sacrificing will be acknowledged even by his worst enemies; but he is not so foolish as to allow his love of taking a prominent part in the Government of the Colony to lead him to entirely lose sight of his duty to himself and his business obligations. That he will resign is almost certain. But he ha 3 not become appalled by the spectacle around him, in the creation of which he has played no unimportant part. He may be rabid, irrespressible, and unyielding, but he is no coward. The sight of blood whets his appetite ; and the dismal predictions of the political party opposed to him and his colleagues would only add fire to his zeal. He likes to lookaround him, and see the dismay lie has spread in the ranks of opponents. ; We are not so sure that he docs not enjoy < their discomfiture more than his own victory—more than the accomplishment of I those things which he believes are neces- : sary for the public good. His fluency of speech makes him Herculean in a political ; tight. He never give 3 way whilst his f physical nature holds out, and that has ' always been as unyielding a3 his disposi- [ tion. We do not know where such another will be got to fill his place ; certainly not from the ranks of members of Parliament. But whilst it would perhaps be difficult to equal the debater, it would not be so difficult to equal the AttorneyGeneral. Nor do we think that any particular harm would accrue to what is called the "Liberal" party in consequence of Mr. Stout's retirement. A year, or two years, ago it would have been different. War was then waged hotly between the political parties constituting the Piirliameiit of the Colony. The " Conservatives" had held otlice sufficiently long to prove what they were made of, and Mr. Stout and his friends concluded that they had held it too long by just the length of their terms of office. Resolute men turned these limpets from otF their benches, and instituted a new order of things. We cannot say that in everv respect what they have done and tried to do have always been beyond condemnation ; but their worst acts cannot be attributed to dishonesty, and that is more than could he said of their predecessors. Old selfish principles havingbeen abolished, and new and popular ones instituted, the work of the Liberals lias changed in character. A reformer may be able to upset old iniquities; he may lay the foundations of a new dispensation ; but he will probably not be the man to work out successfully all the details of the new i order of things. It i 3 so with Mr. Stout. He has done much good for the Colony, by assisting in disintegrating concrete, fossilised, and self-seekingpolitic.il parties, but he has not been so successful in helping to build up a new party and a new policy. He is a greater lover of his own convictions which, being human, are almost sure to be sometimes erroneous —than he is of expediency. Hi 3 determination to have his own way in matters which might, in the interests of his cause, have been passed by, has helped to make enemies and to create a middle party, who, while thej will not assist the opponents of the Government, will not give their systematic support to the other side. In Sir. Stout there are the qualifications which are necessary in a prominent politician ; but there are also tho3ewhichare theoutgrowth of too much theory and of too little that is matter-of-fact. Retirement from active political life for a season will probably produce a change that will be aa welcome to the public as it will be creditable to Ocago's valiant, but too uncompromising, Liberal.