The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 1877.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 113, 17 August 1877, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 1877.

Large -meetings of the unemployed have, been held in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and'Christchurch. At each of these the language used by the speakers ■when setting forth their wants has been | temperate in its character, and all the more forcible on that account. The greatest order has prevailed ; not an expression has been used which could, be construed into a desire to infringe the rights of property, or to violate the law, in fact, the action of professional demagogues has been distinctly repudiated,' and they have been shunned as so many plague-spots in the community. The cry has been for work, and not for eleemosynary aid. When men, many of whom hay their wives and child__been renr probably suffering the pinching consequent on poverty, and for whom the future presents a cheerless blank, conduct themselves in the manner they have done, their., representations must, and do command respect; nay, their very earnestness stamps upon their Utterances the impress of truth. In each case the mode of action has been the. same. Respectful application to the local authorities and to the Government for employment, and failing that, a request to be furnished with the means of removing themselves with their wives*and families to other colonies where work is more plentiful has been the modus operandi by which the unemployed have sought to relieve themselves from the painful pressure under which they are suffering. They have also intimated a desire that immigration should be stopped, not from a wish to pi event others from coming to share in the good things of the land, or to keep up wages to an unnatural height; but simply for this, that under the present circumstances, when there is such a dearth of employment, and suffering ensues as a natural consequence of such dearth, that it would de unjust and cruel, not only to those who are already here, but to those who may arrive hereafter, to glut the labour market whilst in such a depressed state as it is at present. There is great force in this, and that force becomes the greater, when it is borne in mind that the distress which prevails amongst these men and their families is mainly owing to the cessation of many of our large public works. It has all along been affirmed that, in order to develope the resources of the country effectually, it was necessary that public works and immigration should go hand-in-hand ; and if this proposition be true, it does seem somewhat anomalous to dispense with the one and yet continue the other. This has evidently been felt by the unemployed themselves, as may be gathered from the following quaint remarks made by one of their number at the Christchurch meeting. Speaking on this matter, he said':—"lmmigration and •• the public works policy had been " twins, suckled by the same mother, " and if one had been weaned, why should " the mother still continue to feed the " other ?" It is no easy matter to controvert argument such as this, conveyed though it be in somewhat homely language.

And now a very grave question arises. What is to be done with these men ? It is of no use blinking the question, and saying in general terms that, any man who is willing to work can gain a livlihood in New Zealand, or that the distress is the result of improvidence ; it may or may not be so, but however it is, the fact still remains, that there are numbers of men throughout New Zealand who are without the means of earning daily bread for themselves, their wives, and their little ones. In Christchurch aloue, two hundred and fifty men signed a declaration to that effect, and be it recollected that these two hundred and fifty men represent probably a population of one thousand souls.. These men cry not for charit able aid, but for work, and work must be found them, in order to relieve them from their present, difficulty. On no account must they and their families be permitted to leave the colony. With them would go so much consuming power, a loss which would be felt by all classes, but especially by producers and tradesmen. And then, as to the future. We cannot say that we go with the unemployed in wishing to put a sudden stop to all free immigration, but this we do say, that we believe that the number of immigrants imported for the future might be very materially lessened, to the advantage of all parties concerned. As to the land not being settled if immigration be discontinued, or even lessoned, we must confess that we entertain no stJch apprehension. When we see the number of children-who swarm-in the stree+sof our cities and towns,, who k crowd schools, and cluster arounii every .cottage in our country districts, we have no fear that those who are rapidly coming after us will not settle the land. ' i

When the Russian Emperor reviewed his armies preparatory to sending them to cross the Danube in order to enter Turkish territory, and march onward to the conquest of Stamboul, there were not wanting those who predicted a speedy termination of the war. Turkey was to be crushed by the mighty power of Russia, and her armies were to be scattered like chaff before the forces of the Colossus of the North. At that time, too, the feeling of the English Nation was decidedly against Turkey. •' The Bulgarian horrors " we're yet fresh in the -memory, and this .feeling was artfully kept alive by the Czar, who, when sending forth his troops to their mission of

death}, declared, the tears streaming from his eyes, and his voice choked by sobs, tliat his sole object was to rescue the poor\ Christians from the crnelty-of. their oppressors ; that he was actuated by no desire lor territorial aggrandise ment; and then he solemnly invoked the blessing of Heaven upon his arms. -Subsequent events have proved that all this display of feeling was mere sham, and the invocation of Heaven a solemn mockery and insult to the Most High. The massacres of Ardahan have shewn that acts of revolting cruelty can be - perpetrated by the professed followers of the cross as well as by those of the crescent, and that Russian soldiers—not merely Tarters and Cossacks—can be guilty of as savage butchery as the BashiBazouks. The power of Russia too, has received a terrible check, and the march of her armies has not been one career of victory, but with one or two slight exceptions, sad reverses have accompanied her arms. In Europe, as well as in Asia, the progress of Russia has been successfully opposed, and although' she succeeded in pouring vast bodies' of armed men across the Danube, and wont through the Balkan passes almost unopposed, it would . seem that the Russian armies had been led into a trap, and were pursuing a course which would end in their certain destruction. According to the last ad-, vices, they have evacuated the whole of the Balkan passes, and the Turkish armies are closing them in on every side. It is well known what fierce acts the Mussulmans are capable of when aroused, and it may be that of all those tens of thousands who at the bidding of the Caar went forth to war, but comparatively few will live to tell the tale of their suffering and defeat. Ifr seems as if.that instead of glorious victory, a terrible retribution was impending over the Russian host. But little sympathy is now felt in England for Russia. The mask of hypocrisy has been torn from her face, and it is clearly seen, in spite of her hollow pretences to the contrary, that Russia's realmoti.ve for undertaking this war is territorial aggrandisement, that Stamboul was the glittering prize, to grasp, which she would not have hesitated to pour forth human blood like water and to set the whole of Europe in a blaze. Hence the revulsion of feeling which has taken place ; and that men, whilst deploring the fearful loss of life, and the suffering consequent on war, yet, nevertheless, rejoice in Turkey's success in repelling what was nothing more nor less than a bold attempt at robbery and spoliation.

Many are astonished at the success which has crowned the Turkish arms; but the truth is, that the power and the resources of Turkey have been greatly, under-rated. Instead of the indolent* cowardly race which the Turkish soldiers were supposed to be, they have proved themselves to be alike brave and energetic, whether in defending thesr towns and cities, or in the open field. The Turkish soldier fights under an incentive far more powerful than can actuate the mind of the Russian. The Turk is not only fighting for his country and his home, but for his religion ; and, according to his faith, to be slain in battle is a certain passport to Paradise. The Tuikish 2ommanders too, have evinced a knowledge of military strategy which has hitherto been more than a match for their opponents, whilst it has been shewn that the armies of the Porte, if not so great. in numbers, are better disciplined than those of Russia. We shall, however, rejoice when this war ceases, for war, after all, is a fearful thing, resulting in great loss of human life . and much suffering and misery, which does not terminate when the actual warfare has ceased, for as surely as the night succeeds the day, so surely do famine and pestilence follow the sword.