The Evening Star. TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1874

Evening Star, Issue 3572, 4 August 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1874

The unusual demand on our columns during the past few weeks for recording local and Parliamentary transactions, has prevented our commenting upon, what some are pleased to term, the South Sea Bubble Scheme of Mr Yogel. It is not one that ought to be hastily dismissed, nor can its merits and demerits—for it contains both—be disposed of in a few sentences. The natural mode of dealing with matters of this sort is first to asceitain what is the design of the projector; and next to consider, assuming it to be desirable, whether the means proposed are likely to realise the object. Mr Yogel has embodied his opinions in a most interesting State paper, in which such details are given as will enable the people of the Colony to understand the relationship of New Zealand to the peoples who inhabit the islands of the Pacific. We have often brought this field for enterprise under notice: we have pointed out, as occasion presented itself, the dangers to the inhabitants of the islands, through the South Sea slave trade ; we have drawn attention to the injustice done to all the British Colonies of Australasia through the sanction given to it in Fiji and Queensland; but no movement has ever been made by the public towards protesting against it. Perhaps now that it has been brought before us, sanctioned by Ministerial authority,

the subject may force itself prominently upon attention in its philanthropic and commercial aspects. Both these motives, in addition to political advantage, are urged by Mr Vogel as reasons for forming a Polynesian trading company. In a memorandum presented to the Governor by the Premier, he summarises his objects in a series of propositions, each of which deserves separate consideration. The first is that, “ The unsettled state of the South Sea Islands, especially the uncertainty which hangs over their future, is calculated to cause considerable uneasiness to the neighboring Colonies.” Every account we receive proves that the social safety of the Natives of the islands of the Pacific is becoming more and more precarious, in proportion to the settlement of so-called civilised people amongst them. We are not to judge of what takes place in various parts of the groups by the orderly conduct of ships’ crews in our own ports. It must be remembered that when in British harbors they are under the strong control of the law and of enlightened public opinion. But away from those wholesome influences, in far too many casesthe only law observed is that of might; and the only advantage of civilised education is to use superior knowledge for the purpose of over-reaching or entrapping the savage. It cannot be supposed

that the few instances of outrages brought to light are the only cases of the sort that have occurred. The fair inference is that they are samples of a system that has grown up unnoticed for years, and through mere accident have been found out. In a work published in Melbourne by Mr T. A. Campbell, entitled “A Year in the New Hebrides, Loyalty Islands, and Now Caledonia,” the author, speaking of men visiting the islands who are devoid of a sense of moral responsibility, says, “ Tire ‘heathen are nothing to them beyond what they can get from them in the way of pleasure or trade; and as their persons are more valuable than their productions, they will buy and sell them—kidnap and kill them, as it ; suits them to do so.” The naturaleffect of such relations between races is to antagonism. Not mote certainly did Bane and Anglo-Salsdn cion-

tend for the soil of Britain than will it be that the white races will battle with the olive-colored for their homes and persons, if not checked by the strong arm of the law of civilised nations. And inasmuch as our means of attack are beyond measure superior to theirs, as compared with the weapons of Dane and Saxon, the gradual impoverishment and depopulation of the islands is inevitable, should the present indifference to the matter continue. But this is scarcely likely. The probability is that if we neglect to seize the advantages that position and priority of occupation confer upon us, this splendid field for commerce will be occupied by other countries. That such a result is by no means improbable is evident. France has possessed herself of Tahiti, and New Caledonia ; and the United States exert an influence in the Sandwich Islands, and have forestalled us in Pango Pango. Whether the Home Government will take Fiji or not, is not by any means certain ; but if not, former events prove that the United States are not indifferent to its advantages. We do not know that civilised rule and occupation of the islands by other countries, would be nearly so detrimental to our interests as the present unsettled position of affairs. No matter by whom held, if law and settled government were established it would be better than the growth of such communities as first colonised New Zealand. The danger to our interests would be an endeavor to establish exclusive trading a blot on Mr Vogel's scheme but since our present commercial relations may be said to be “ nil,” that would only be keeping us as we are—we should not be the richer nor the poorer for the exclusion. The chief objection is to our relative position to such Colonies in case of war between the mother countries. By present inaction we are affording them opportunity of occupying posts whence our commerce might be crippled, and our ports attacked. We have so long experienced immunity from contingencies of this sort, that we appear to imagine they will never arise. Unfortunately the time has not yet come when swords have become converted into ploughshares. National morality still holds conquest meritorious : the French Rhenish provinces have become Prussian property, and we cannot suppose that Great Britain would be more mercifully dealt with if opportunity presented itself for dismemberment of the Empire. On the first ground, therefore, of the present disorganisation and future uncertainty of many groups, we think Mr Vogel’s proposition should not be hastily dismissed.