The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1884. Mr Wakefield’s Apology.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1397, 5 December 1884, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1884. Mr Wakefield’s Apology.

The member for Selwyn reason to congratulate himself on the success of his speech to his constituents at the Leeston Town Hall on Monday. His conduct during last session had undoubtedly made him unpopular in the district he represented, and the occasion of his rendering an account of his past actions was looked forward to with a more than common interest. That Mr Wakefield would deliver a clever speech was certain, but people were naturally curious to learn how he would excuse what was generally regarded as an inordinate desire for office, no matter who might hold the reins of power. His previous career as a politician had caused him to be distrusted, but his enforced absence for a time from the House was supposed to have given him that stability the lack of which was held to be his most conspicuous fault. As a debater, the present Parliament does not possess Mr Wakefield’s superior, but his political principles have never been fixed enough to make him a good party man, and hence his undoubtedly brilliant talents are comparatively wasted. No more striking instance of the power of mere words to sway the mob could be afforded than the result of the speech of the member for Selwyn on Monday. Coming back from Wellington with the unenviable reputation of an office-seeker, he met an audience the greater part of whom bad already condemned him, and in the space of two hours and a half he had, totally against their will, convinced them of his spotless integrity. The victory was to all appearances complete, but Mr Wakefield will do well to bear in mind that its value can easily be exaggerated. As a matter of fact, it is by no means difficult for a practised speaker to create a sudden revulsion of feeling. A few clap-trap phrases, the assumption of injured innocence, and the use of arguments that appeal to the ear rather than to the mind are pretty well ail that is required. It is, however, quite a different thing when the report of the speech, as published in the papers, comes to be read and considered quietly, when the environment of a public gathering is wanting, and we fear that Mr Wakefield’s address will not bear this ordeal. The electors of Leeston were first treated to a history of the session, from the point of view of their own member, and the picture drawn of the endless intrigues and. struggles to obtain office during the early days of the present Parliament is far from pleasant to contemplate. We do not question that Mr Wakefield has ■ thoroughly convinced himself of the absolute accuracy of his account of what took place—want of self-appreciation has never been a striking failing of his, and the fact of his having been a Minister, although only for the short period of twenty-four hours, would affect the mental eyesight of a less conceited man—but we do not think he will be able to convihce the colony as a whole quite so easily as seems to have been the case with his own constituents. It we are to believe

the member for SeUvyn, Parliament does not contain a more publicspirited and conscientious representative than himself. His reason for taking office under his whilom bitter aversion, Major Atkinson, was solely due to his conviction that his presence in the Ministry was necessary to the welfare of the colony, and he determined to sink his private opinions altogether. To use his own words (we quote from the Fress report), “a great many of the party represented to him that it was necessary that he should join Major Atkinson. It was represented that there had been a wide difference between himself and Major Atkinson, and he was not the least for- j ward in pointing out those differences. 1 The judgment of moderate men was that they should lay aside feelings of a personal and political character as far as they could do so, in order that they might form some sort of an administration which might hold together, and thus enable the business of the country to be carried on. He (Mr Wakefield) had over and over again in that room pointed out the differences which ■ existed in opinion between himself and Major Atkinson, and Major Atkinson had pointed out with equal candour the points on which he differed from him. Major Atkinson said, ‘ Cannot we lay aside a great deal of those feelings, and meet together as public men who desire to forward the public business ?’ ” In short, Mr Wakefield considered himself to be that impossible creature, a necessary man, although one would have thoughl that the fallacy of this idea would have been brought home to him by the sum mary dismissal of the “ New Blooc Ministry ”by the House. The mem her for Selwyn excuses his opposition tc the first Vogel-Stout Ministry, on tin ground that it was an unnatural com bination, and in this opinion he wil find many to agree with him. But th< strange thing is, that he is apparent! entirely unable to see that his owi union with Major Atkinson wa every whit as unnatural, so thorough! blinded is he by political bias. If M Stout thought Mr Wakefield’s speed worth answering, he might bring foi ward exactly the same argument ! favor of his accepting the post c Premier in the Vogel Cabinet, namely that he has agreed to surrender certai political opinions in order that publi business may be proceeded with. A a fact, the present Ministry will onl retain office so long as the Radic: members of it consent to allow the: fads to be kept out of sight, and owes its existence to the recognition b the House that a Stout-Vogel con bination—imperfect though it be —is i all events better than an Atkinsoj Wakefield administration. As to thi portion of the Leeston speech nc directly concerned with an apolog for the past, it does not call for muc - notice, as it was mainly a repetition c opinions passed by Mr Wakefield o various measures when they were dii cussed in Parliament. We quite agre with the member for Selwyn in his di nunciation of the foolish system < burning in effigy and the sending ( _ rude messages to representatives. Stil " it must be remembered that though we may object to the method of expressing * an opinion it does not follow that the opinion itself is not justified. = What Mr Wakefield had to do when he met his constituents = was to show that the view held of his conduct during the past session was not in accordance with the facts, and in this we think he most certainly failed, despite the vote of renewed confidence passed by the meeting. It may be obstinacy on our part—but it will be an obstinacy pretty general throughout the colony—-but it will take a good deal more than mere assertion to convince us that Mr Wakefield was not ready to coquet with any member who might be asked to form a Ministry, and that thereby he has not blasted his political reputation.