The Evening Star THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3854, 1 July 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1875.

In the dearth of news rumor is busy, and as it is a free and easy way of damaging character or marring prospects, it is a favorite ruse of opposition journals to get up an on dit when a purpose is to be served. Two phases of tactics present themselves in respect to the present position of ministerial affairs: the reticence of the Executive and the busy-bodiness of their opponents. That the Government should not publish all they know concerning Sir Julius Vogel is only what might be expected. Those who approve his policy in the main, and have supported the Ministries of which he has been and is a membei’, who conceived and adopted the system of public works and immigration which has proved the peacemaker of New Zealand, sympathise with him in his sickness, and appreciate the indomitable spirit of the man. HeJ had a work to accomplish, and, though racked with pain, and obliged to be carried from place to place because unable to walk, that work has been done. He has secured the loan—the main object of his mission, but he has not stopped there. He has defended the Colony in its policy and finance against the attacks of a frivolous but specious slanderer; he has arranged for the cable connecting New Zealand with England; he has evidently set himself to remedy those defects in our immigration arrangements that have led to so many well-founded complaints here; and he has watched over New Zealand’s interests in the San Erancisco mail service, besides having an eye to other matters connected with its general welfare. • To a man in robust health, so many important matters would have proved a heavy tax upon his energies \ but to one suffering from the inroads of a painful and dangerous malady, the wonder is that they have been attended to at all. And what is the return he meets with at the hands of some of the Colonists 1 Few appeal' to have realised these facts, if an opinion may be formed from the style in which his doings are canvassed. It is, no doubt, Well to be prepared for all contingencies aud to have an eye upon an efficient man to supply the place of one rendered hors de combat. But there is no necessity to detract from the merits and character of the disabled one in order to this end. Hia labors and .efforts have been the same, no matter who"follows him. But to our minds, nothing is more disgusting than to squabble about the property or place of an officer who is neither dead nor is known to have resigned. This view, which we believe to have been entertained by the best classes of men in all ages, finds no acceptance with many of our New Zealand journals. There is a clique, of which the Wellington ‘ Evening Post ’ is the centre, which has branches in the ‘ Daily Times ’ office, Dunedin, in one or two other towns in the Colony, md m the ‘Age’ office, Melbourne, may be designated a canard manuactory. The self-constituted “ leading ,

journal ” here accepts its "Wellington 1 items as true, and from time to time 1 weaves a commentary on the texts they afford ; the Melbourne ‘ Age ’ publishes a report most probably transmitted from Wellington ; and gullible journals here seize upon the paragraph and .give it currency as an independent corroboration of a New Zealand invention. The clique has set itself to lead to the belief that Sir J ulius will not return to the Colony ; and accordingly reasons are adduced which vary, in order to keep up the sensation. Although he is 16,000 miles away they are fully acquainted with his every movement and every aspiration. They know he will not return—first, because he is about to seek a seat in the British House of Commons; or—if that will not do—he has received ’a lucrative offer from Messrs Rothschild to take an active part in conducting their affairs. This, of course, must be true, for the 1 Age ’ has received an intimation to the effect “on good authority.” For our own parts, we, like a great many other ordi nary people, are in complete ignorance of the matter; but we do not believe it. It seems to us, however, that it should be a very good offer to induce Sir J. Y ogel to resign the distinguished position he has attained as a Colonial statesman in order to bury himself in the obscurity of a subordinate post in a money-brokers’ establishment, although it is said to be that of the Rothschilds ; nor are we certain that his peculiar talent lies in drudging in such a position. But that is not the meaning of the canard —for we believe it to be one, and not a Melbourne but a New Zealand one. It is and mean attack upon Sir J ulius, insinuating that he has sacrificed New Zealand for his private interest; and is a poor return to him for the efforts he has. made to forward its best interests and prosperity.