The Evening Star. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER, 12, 1874.

Evening Star, Issue 3658, 12 November 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER, 12, 1874.

Sni Donald M'Lean does nob often figure prominently before the public : ho does not appear to seek notoriety. The work he has done has been quietly and unostentatiously perfovmedj without parade, and Consequently almost without attracting public notice : but it has been well done. Many have tried to detract from his merits as a statesman—some on one ground, some on another. Energetic, bold, thoughtless characters have been accustomed to sneer at *vhat they term’, <£ the sugar and blanket policy.” They pronounce it a mark of timidity and pusillanimity to, Avhafc they term “purchase peace" where they could command it by force. Very possibly this class of men, of whom there are many, will not even accept the refutation by facts of thentheory : still less will they be prepared to admit Lnab feir Donald* bas sliown calm courage and wisdom superior to what they profess to admire in the course he has adopted towards the Natives. Yfe do not consider the highest courage is shown in braving a momenta) y danger. Many men who would coolly face a storm of bullets or stand with nerves unshaken before an enemy’s cannon would shrink from encounterin'* the taunts and sneers of their own race and kindred. The statesman that enters upon an untried course of action knows well that he has to brave opposition from many quarters : that Ids motives will be misinterpreted, his measures misrepresented, his ideas ridiculed; that traditional policy will rise up in judgment to condemn him ; and that, should he fail, he must be content to sink under the imputation of incomnctence, and henceforth be treated with contempt. He, therefore, who dares to brave this—an ordeal, it must be remembered, that is not passed through in an hour or a day, but which is to endure for mouths or years—is no ordinary man. He knows the price he lias to pay for his experiment, and deliberately enters upon a course involving even if successful, much self-sacrifice! Years of opposition lie before him ; years of anxiety are in store for him. His reputation —perhaps his very fortune, depend upon the result. All this Sir Donald M'Lean has endured. His Native policy is a reversal of all preconceived notions of dealing with barbarous tribes : he has depended for success upon justice, benevolence, and forbearance ; through good report and evil report be has persevered, and that which the sword could not effect he has secured by peace. He lias sown peace and reaped an abundant harvest. Sir Donald, in his speech at Napier, said “ he did not believe in continuing in waifaie with a chivalrous race whenever proper means of conciliation were available. He believed more in education than fighting.” The principle he has acted upon is tersely stated, but will bear abundant development! He has succeeded in pointing out the way by which the end proposed in colonising New Zealand may be achieved. The desire was to found a prosperous Colony without exterminating the aborigines. This has not elsewhere been found practicable. In fact so difficult has the effort proved, that it lias become a maxim in social science that wherever civilised races have obtained a footing, barbarous tribes have disappeared. The process of extinction was rapidly proceeding when the change of policy initiated by Mr box’s Ministry was adopted. The war of races seemed likely to become chronic. Each was preparing for a more deadly struggle than had ever before been entered upon. Had it taken place, the result cannot be doubtful : the Maoris would by tins time have been all but exterminated. We know there are those who think that this was desirable. We differ from them, and think Hir Donald M'Lean has achieved a far higher victory than would have been then gained. It is not brilliant, as the world regards it; but it is enduri);g. It is a victory over barbarism it is a victory showing the superior power of peace to that of war : the one

has, to a great extent, promoted unity of interest; the other would have created and perpetuated isolation and division, and tended to the barbavisation Oi the Europeans, and degradation ot the remnant of the Maoris. The sentimentalists of this world, who livein a superior iitmosphe.ro to that of us hardworking matter-of-fact people, scout, as something beneath notice, the introduction ot the notion of “material wealth” in social and moral.questions. For our own parts wo look upon it as a very important item ; for, setting aside “the higher education” as a not very important consideration for the Maoris at present, without the help of a little “ material wealth ” not even elementary education is attainable. It is, therefore, in our opinion, no slight recommendation of Sir Donald M'Lean’s Native policy, that it lias tended to enrich the colonists and the Natives also, and thus given opportunity for the refining influence, of education to operate on both. Both have been enabled to pursue their industries without let or hindrance. There Las scarcely been the drawback of mutual fear. Those tribes who drew around themselves a boundary within which the influence of his administration was not to be felt, have learnt to look with envy upon privileges they do not enjoy ; while a landed estate that, taken by force, must have been retained at heavy cost to the Colony, has been acquired for a few thousands of pounds on a secure and well understood basis of transfer. Vv T ar is at all times an unprofitable game, but to a civilised nation tlie most profitless of all wars is one with a savage race. Although victory is certain, “ the game is not worth the candle there is little honor and less profit to be gained by it. Without peace, the public worksand immigration scheme was impossible ; with it. success is not doubtful. ]t may suit some to forget or malign the policy that has clone so much for the Colour, but we envy neither their feelings nor their intellects. Sir D. M-'Lkan has well earned the mark of honor conferred upon him by his Queen.

Wc learn that l J roiV. sor Sale is a candidate for the position about to hi vacated by ; ’>r Hromhy at the Church of England Grammar beiieol, Melbourne. A reward of lifly pounds hj is b:en rdf-rod fur he 0.-n. i-;;:km o: the p. rso ; or persons who c'U.i'.i toe death of Cm female infant chid found near Morningtcu on the Jrd instant.

A parly of about fifty ladies and gentleui 'ii. unhiding toe Suporiut-cn lent the Mayor, and aomi of our loading resi lints, accepted the hospitality of Gap lain Jicquemu t ami his officers on board the Vire this afternoon.

At tho Pwsidmit Mn;ivtrnfco'f! Court, Port Oha;rue:« tins morning, before Mr Man b’.M., Joseph Turner was lined ns for dnnkornew ; Hemic Goc-rio and J’or.j niiu Irvin:?, remanded from yesterday for doiorli°o born. the ship Celestial Qaoca, refused to i?o ojf ho .ml, aii i wore scmcncc-l to twelve ivceks’ hard labor ; the captain to have the option of baking tliem wlieti ready for sv:i. From SoirMand comes a strong cry of a dearth of labor. The ‘ rows’ states that ynan for the railway works arc not- to he tfo t, nor single men fir c-ii-wmi hj, thou;h wiyes arc high.; while application-) f or ploughin' m and general farm and domestic servants arc numerous. Marri-rd men witli families, even ploughmen wikli wires able to milk, wash, and cook, however, arc objected to. the fanners having no accommodation for them. At the monthly meeting of the Melbourne Presbytery cm .November the Uov. Wm. by Icy, of nt-ypopn, took his so it as aa .associated member The ca 1 from the First Church, Dun. Min, was taken up, when the Uev. W. G. Frassr ami Mr James Balfour, cmnnvs -ioners from the Dunedin c.mgrejation, and Mr vV Iv. Tho.np.son and D. M)s- - commissioners from the eon ye' Won i-f El-.termviek, were heard, and thereafter the ca 1 was put into the hands of Mr Mackie, and cordially accepted by him. The following theatrical items have reference to Victoria. The Willia ns ms continue to do excillmb business at the Royal, and have reproduced “ Struck Oil ” f u-the race week. The '"arandinis hj ivo aopoarod once more at the St G:.orge’s Hall and arc giving a series of concerts to tolerably good houses!’ Tnc Dali mi Opera Compiuy arc about to visit liillarat, ' ;iU'l )ur.-;t, an \ other couulrv towns, where they purp wo giving short, seasons prior to the c unpanx; being disbanded. The nn.jor portion will ro urn to iiur ))e. but the more ]>r>|.>ulnr will bj r»fcatned for the season of lS7d. Miss Menbow, who has bc.n known as an artist, has an’ poured before the public as a dramatist a piece entitled “For L3U.000 ” from her non having been produced at Handh :mt with ma-ked success.

An alarm of fire in Bed Ward was given from tlie tower at about a quarter past eleven last night ; aud a few minutes tinbrigade with their gear were at the scene of too lire, which proved to be in Cumberland S', root, between Albany and Frederic: s .roots. The place destroyed was a fourroomed house belonging to, and uec op’cd by Ar Simon Hanlon, gard-. mm. It appears tint tni minutes before the fir-, w n discovered Mr !lanlou left in his bedroom a patent safety lamp, and went into his yard to enjoy a smoke ; and while so engaged tanciod lie saioit dro. and oi\ returning to die loom found it m Harms Fanned by a strong breeze, the II ones spread so quicklv that he had only time to get his wife and family —owo of whmn were in bed —out, ami with tho assistance of his neighbors save ahttle furniture. The hou e was insur.-d in toe National otlioe for LI.T) ; and Mr Man’on says hj ; ,o=lo3 on tho Inxiklin . f.n j over that sum, and the bulk of his furniture

'Wongh, of* Auckland {■* Poly Lhmi ), b;i3 ’men airing in Melbourne her peculiar notions of the rights of woman, and failed to m-;et with encouragement or lympathy The ‘Ago,’ in an edit.rial, thus es rUl< * remarks upon the lecture: *'sd:c lady lecturer seems to have revo’lel in toe duseripsiou of po; si ole and actual connueri! jars, at the imminent risk of hanrowuig the feelings of her h- ar rs. However the excitement of the audience did not at any pci led become dangcrum, and the declares.uutr ns of the speaker r n behalf of oppressed Wives nare placidly rec ived. This hj nosstb.y due to the fact that the ter oration ot sympathet c electricity is d IHculfc in a large loom containing only an incoherent group of sixty people, and not to any want of graphic power in the lecturer, in a truly feminine conclusion the lecturer _ remarked that ‘ she would have to write to her friends and say that there wag little desire to support the cause of

woman’s rights in Melbourne and that, though she bad designed a four mr.-ths’ ’eel wring campaign for the benefit of the unprotected women of Victoria, she was so di?cour ‘-ee-l by the smaUnos of the attendance that her re anpc iramm before a Melbourneaudience was exceedingly problematical.”

The. L. 0.1/. Star of Otago meets to-morrow evening at 7. SO.

We have to apologise for a typographical error which occurred yesterday in Messrs M‘Laiulre.s<, Hepburn, and Co.’s advertisement of the sale of sugars ex Ardour. The word “ teas” was inadvertently inserted in the place of “sugars.”

On Monday evening last the Hops of Lalclutha Lodge, 1.0.0. T., was instituted at B.ilolmha, under instructions from the G. U'.C.T. by Lro. J. A. D. Adams, assisted by lire, c! G. bslby. Twenty-one members were initiated, and the following olfleers for the present term Were elected, and duly instilled W.G.T., Lro. A. A. Adams; W.V.T., Lro. J. lb Martin; W.S., Lro. T. S. Poole: W.E.S., Pro 0. 0. Maclntyre ; WA Lro. E. Teague ; W.M., Lro. J. .Smith; YVD.M., Lro. R. Mason ; W.1.G., Lro. J. Hogg; W. 0.5., Lro. M‘Nei! ; R.H.S., Sister E. Miller ; L.H.S., Lro. W. Matthews. Lro. Ib Wilson was chosen to fill the chair of the P.W.C.T. for the quarter, and was also recommended for the vost of L.I). After certain necessary bumm a; bad been transacted, the lodge was closed, and Loos. Adams an I Selby afterwards conferred the degrees on the t..T). and a few other members of the bulge. Votes o. than its were given to the k-nnedin brothers, alio were then entertained by the lodge at supper in Mr Robertson’s Temperance Hotel.