THE "Wellington Independent." Wednesday, January 22, 1851.

Wellington Independent, Volume VI, Issue 551, 22 January 1851, Page 2

THE "Wellington Independent." Wednesday, January 22, 1851.

Ihe Government organ, the tyeV.afo,' has s,nco Sir George Grey's übited symptoms of restored a,m„ a tio» by what gaUamzmg process resuscitate ' it is not difficult to conjecture But it ' difficult to imagine, how under lh& m Jl duect influence of the despotic authority ot which .t is the organ, so great an hi discretion should have been permitted We allude of course to the attempt which has been recently made in its columns t£ - a series of fictitious letters pretended tn be vvritteirby; a native, .to. instil into the minds of the aborigmes the worst feeling towards a large portion of the "colonists and particularly towards the anti-despotic* party, who are subjected to alarge'amount : of low personal abuse, and pointed out to the natives by name, as persons desirinz to rob them of their lands and inflict ever? injury upon them. That, such" a pro " ceedmg should have been resorted toby the Journal which is the avowed organ of the whose columns "the * r officials are believed frequently to cpntn-" bute.inwhosepagestheirsecretintimationg and betrayels of official confidence usually appear—is certainly nota little .reniarlla. ble, and it exhibits "in a strikingligljt the desperate condition to which the cause of despotism is reduced; That cause must be brought low'indeed. when its supporters feeling that the whole European por:" tion of tbe community is, almost to a man'"'' opposed to it, attempt to excite the.natives on the" subject; and by a tissue of statements the most false'i Itnd insinuations''the most disgraceful, to enlist the' sympathies of the poor ignorauUavages and semi-savages in Behalf of their'ruihed* cause; Nor is the servile flattery; 'mA the fulsome expression of sycbpfianny to-• wards the Governor which abouhds.iri the - letters referred to-less indicative of the consciousness felt by tKeir writer, of the damaged .slate of the'reputation of kg idol. What a comment does the whole'proceeding. , t Q.ffer .on the result of Si*' ; George's -policy i Here in the last year of his administration- insteudof staudmg; as he mightiSurroiinded bvthe free councils - of his conntrymen/revered as-the father • of their freedom, his-name already hallowed and ranked with those ofthe Met- . calfes, the''Raffles, and other illustiious promoters ofthe happiness of their luce, we sec himiedaced to seek'for sympathy in the narrow aud servile circle "of hisofficial adherents, and compelled to court from ihe lips of savages those expressions of approbation which his civilised coun- , trymen withhold. How different might have been his position, had he followed • the counsels of his better genius—had '; he, for once in his life, abandoning' MaT diplomatic arts, aiid resisting liis passiop for despotic rule,; dared to carry into* practice those promptings of a happier moment, which moved him to recommend in 1847, the immediate introduction of" self-government. Then ,'ly. would hkti ., been spared his degrading alliance with 7 nomineeism—then he would have avoided n the hitter and undignified contest which he has provoked .with the, colonists frnni" end to end of the island—thenhe might have ranked equally in opUP ; try and in the colony as the boldest 'ml former of his day, and have enjoyed.so, richest reward a statesman can enjoy; thfe gratitude of a whole people: For whtttliiis he sacrificed this diadem? For four little years of despotic rule, for tbo gootfopinion of the clerks of the Colonial Office, and the tawdry transparent trappings of knighthood. ( .„ '~.':>" Never did man 'more* completely miss a golden opportunity of 'achieving fln honorable, a lasting, and a general. title.; to fame than Sir George has dona". '.C°inV. mencing his career as a mere adv.crittii'e' in the political field,fortune favoured Jiim from the first. The liberality of the' Hojn)Government in relieving, South Australia from the debt mburred* by tie previous governor, .'the establishment of land route for stock,! and lastly' tjieVdis-i cpvery of its mineral wealth, eriflble(£b]J». to leave that colonyjin considerable pibpl pcrity, and to reap' thel credit of its 'success, though., not pnp'. of these circum; stances, on which tJha.it success rested, was in the least degree'attributable to Selected to redeem the shattered fortunes of New-Zealand,'W ; ¥eceived> tiie almost unlimited support of-the «Home Govern* ment; troops and-money, which had bee« .denied to his; predecessor, being lavishes' upon him to anfextent,;that tnade failure impossibly and no test*f nieHf. The mere presence/if the troops-ensured tranquillity; the apending ofthe British gold created a revenue., Neither wejrV'ilC .'■.' ~i ' '■'

the least degi co aid ib .table to Sir George,"] on the oontiai) but foi hmi, the fuicesi might have been more profitably euiplo-,-1 ed, and, the'money better spent \oi j could a title to any prie.it 01 lust'iiig, fame have tested on so slender a basis .At length, howeyer, his oppoitnnity occurred ' The idea that the colonies should lie free,' took possession of the public mini nt horne —an idea opposed to many vested interests- a'ld destined to be made a battle field for home pjulcihns Any real statesman, situated as Sir George Grey was, would have seen his vantage ground with half an eje. It was his cue to take the lead—possessed for the mo nieut of the unlimited confidence of the Home Goyeinmant, it was for him to lush to the van—and hud he placed the standard of self-government on the shoies ol New Zealand at that moment, he would have decided the content as a general question, nnd forever ha\e united his own name with that of the uctoiy Had he letuetl the next year from all political life, that name would ha\e descended to posterity, praised by ull m the parent state, and hououied for ever by all in the colonies. He took one step in the right direction, but only one, and then having no heait in the cause —loving not freedom for its own sake, but only aiming to secure peisonal success—he mistook the signs of the tunes, and deserted to tho enemy. Tne Whigs were in power at h >me, and Lord Grey had declaied in f.uotn of selfgovernment. Sir George was not slow to echo the sentiment —he declined that wo of all colonists wei c the most fitted foi it, and he commenced his preparations for introducing it. Hut the revolutions which toio Europe in pieces and o\eituraed her thrones occurred at the moment Such events operating on the British public, were almost certain to check all liberal tendencies and to cause political re-action It was predicted that tho Whigs would go out—it was also asserted that Lord Stanley would be restored to the Seals.of the Colonial Office. It was well known that he would oppose Coloniul Self-government.. Sir George Grey s evil genius, his diplomatic devil, no doubt, Were quick to suggest this to him. He rashly set his all upon the cast—and the ruin of his character as a statesman is the result of the hazard of the dice. So may it ever be with all who pretend to be with us, but are not of us-—who would make liberty their watchword one hour, and the next be found foremost in the ranks of its oponents. Sir George mar continue to stand well at the Colonial Office ; his talents and his principles are such as gain credit there: But f gno.wiiig..reputation as a statesman, is forever nipped in the bud every where beyond the limits of that harrow bureau.; The Gladstones, the Mbt.esworlbs, Adderlys, Wakefields, and other true-hearted promoters of the welfare of the colonies know by this time how to estimate him- ; The mischief which might arise from the perusal by the natives of the letters above-referred to, it is not easy to calculate'and we should be little worthy of our'position, as journalists, if we did"not devise the means of counteracting' the flagitious attempt? to poison .the,native mind aud cast the apple of discord before the two races- We have fortunately the acquaintance of a native of nomean capacity, arid who has received the benefit of an English education; and we trust that the autidote to the Spectator's poisoh will he found in the series of temperate letters which have been announced in our. columns uuder the signature of P—-——. It is bur intention that "they should be continued- till the'whole subject is exhausted, and the various relations of the two races towards each other, and towards the Government, have been fully explained to the natives, when it is probable that a Maori translation will'be prepared for circulation among thchi' In the meantime, we hope, that such Europeans as 1 have the : opportunity will read (he letters ! to : the natives. Nothing has hitherto tended more to retard their civilisation and unfit them to take rank with the Europeans, than the total ignorance iii which they have 'been kept on--the subject of the 'British/Constitution and history. The miserable pretence that the former centres in Queen Victoria, or Goveruor Grey, the only way in which the* subject has ever been presented to. them by the Government authorities, or the Missionaries, is calculated; no doubt, to exalt the despotic power* of; an arbitrary ruler, but it entirely unfits the native • mind for comprehending " tlie true natul'e of free institution's' or taking part iii- their • adniinis- • ration.? It shall'not be our fault-if they are not'better taught-'for the future; ■