THE OLD HERO.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 901, 23 September 1879, Page 2

THE OLD HERO.

The following appears m the Weekly Times m reference to the recent speech of the Premier at Invercargilr :— The appearance of Sir George Grey at the theatre before the men and women of the community ; before, so to speak, the good sense and the human sympathy of those whom he had done his best to set by the ears, and to deprive of their , true sense of hearing, seeing, and feeling aright, was not only pitiable as seen from the platform of common sense, but even m some degree affecting.. There stood the old man, whose age, rank, education, and position, as well as his honorable and distinguished career, claimed, and even commanded, the respect of every right thinking man — yielding m second childhood to those vanities and passions which the strong mind of youth and manhood had not only kept m check, but had made to subserve noble and patriotic ends. The beautiful lines from "The vanity of human wishes" flash across the memory and almost bring tears to the eye, as one sees him there, — . •• In life's last scenes what prodigies arise, Fears of the brave and follies of the wise. From Marlborough's eyes the tears of dotage flow And Swift expires a driveller and a show. He is brought face to face with the correct intuitions and the true sympathies for good of woman, "of mothers who cannot be humbugged," of true refine* ment of feeling, ana love of truth ; and of influences to which he has now for a long time been a stranger. The sensible faces m the gallery check his extravagant declamation, and he wanders m his speech to the scenes of his sunny youth, speaks of Lord this, and Earl that, as his familar friends ; talks of his knightly exploits and. " Fights all his battles o'er again And thrice he slays the slain," He appeals to our intuitive veneration for all that is noble and heroic, patriotic and great, for a little sympathy, while he is surrounded bya" guard of honor " of the rowdiest our town can produce, and trying at least to all rank, refinement, and even law and order itself. We pity our poor old hero, as Hecuba did her poor old husband Priam, when Bhe saw him m that dread night when the victorious Greek warriors were insulting his place, binding his- rusty sword to his feeble side, and on his shoulders, tottering with age, the buckler of his youth ; and, kindly and tenderely, as she did, we would use her very words : " Whither away, my poor, old, dear man, with your youthful armour 1 What impulse so foolish has possessed you to assume such weapons ? The crisis needs not such aid ; nor such defenders as thou art ; no, even if my Hector himself were not here. " And just as she tenderly pulled him aside and set down the old man m a quiet nook by the alter, so would we political war, for which he is now utterly unfit ; and from motives of humanity, as well as from the urgencies of the bad times which are now upon us, we would place him m a quiet corner m the Island Kawau, there to enjoy his otium cum dignitate, as well as the love and respect of both high and low, rich and poor, and, we may say without appearing satirical, even of the bad and the good. If anybody has reason to be satisfied with his share of human applause and human glory, it is Sir George Grey. Descended of no great family, he has reached titled honor by his own abilities and energy : and why should he now, on the brink of the grave, undo the work of a life, by exposing, m the weakness of age, the motives which impelled him to deeds and actions, m themselves patriotic and noble, and thus demanding our reprobation, instead of our respect, and even gratitude. And to his party, who cannot be truer friends or more humane to him that we are, we Avould say, m the name of humanity itself : " Don't hunt with an old hound whose teeth can no longer old the prey. Do not urge on so madly and cruelly m the race an old liorse who is as willing as ever for the contest, and as fond to win, but who must inevitably break down on the very j course from infirmity and age, and precipitate, not without danger, the jockey on the turf. Let your old hero retire from the strife, to wear honorably the garlands he has honorably won, and we will admire him with you."