The Feilding Star. AND OROUA COUNTY GAZETTE. SATURDAY, APRIL, 11, 1891 The Minister tor Defence

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 124, 11 April 1891, Page 2

The Feilding Star. AND OROUA COUNTY GAZETTE. SATURDAY, APRIL, 11, 1891 The Minister tor Defence

We -have; a positive pleasure- m doing the Hon. Mr Seddon justice, and com plitnenting him on his evident desire to revive and promote a military spirit in the youth of the colony, by giving judicious encouragement to Volunteers. The rule has been during the last few years for Ministers for Defence to rather throw obstacles iv the way than to give assistance. Perhaps that was not their intention, and they may have hoped to do some good, or to put it another way " they meant well but they didn't know how," They made another mistake, they created, for political reasons, so many staff and and "permanent" appointments that the system was gradually being strangled with red tape and over management. The Hon. Mr Seddon is differently disposed, and clearly has no intention to perpetuate so pernicious a line of action. In reply to a deputation from the Alpha Rifle Club after deputation had stated their views, the Hon. Minister said that the concession granted by the previous Government in the price of ammunition, namely, that it should be supplied at 8s 4d per hundred, appeared to be a saving to Rifle Clubs, and that concession would be continued. With regard to concessions on the railways, it was a matter entirely for the Railway Commissioners, but he would take it into I consideration and represent it to them. The rifles would be supplied at cost price upon requisition. He was of opinion that if too much encouragement were given to Rifle Clubs it would tend to destroy the Volunteer system, and he would do nothing that would have that effect. Here we find no wish on the part of the Minister to follow the bad example given by his predecessors, and snub either the Rifle Clubs ov Volunteers. On the contrary., Mr Seddon, while speaking very much to the point, plainly indicated that he preferred Volunteer Corps to Rifle Clubs, and would do nothing to promote the interests of the one at the expense, or to the detriment, of the other. Although we differ politically with Mr Seddon, yet we are heartily glad to be able tc congratulate him on his recognition oi the fact that the members of Volunteer Corps deserve somewhat better treatment than they have lately received. These men have given time, and -of course monej, iv endeavouring to make themselves competent and efficient to defend their adopted country in its time of need, should their services unhappily be required. They have asked nothing in return for this except fair treatment. They have not even received that, arid it has been notorious that Captain Russel when he held the position oi Minister of Defence in the late Cabinet both felt and expressed a profound contemp for " civilian" soldiers, for which, by the way> he was once, in the House, smartly taken to task by the Hon. Mr Seddon. Volunteere are not to be blamed if they resent this sort of thing, and while they can afford to laugh at the " Hero ol Oinaranuij " they will not forget that Mr Seddon is the first Minister tc treat them with some degree of respect. ,

Notwithstanding the howling oi psuedo-philanthropists, the appointment of a Lord High Commissioner, and the presence of warships in the South Seas carrying the flags of all the na?al powers of the earth— one and all pledged to prevent the slave trade — yet we find actually that profitable business goes on with as much immunity as ever. The only difference is that the name of the industry is changed, and instead of being called " man hunting," or " blackbirding" as in the bad old days, it is now euphemistically entitled "recruiting," which is more pleasing to the ear, and therefore less likely to con yey the idea of a sin or a crime. We were told not long ago, that while two boats containing " recruits" were proceeding to a French schooner lying off one of the Fiji islands^ the ' ' recruits' 1 capsized the boats in the surf and swam ashore. Their doing this was a clear proof, to any ordinary mind, that the " recruits " were unwilling passengers in the boats, and that at the last moment, before they were confined in the sweltering hold of the " labor vessel," from whence escape would be impossible, they made one bold stroke for freedom, and by upsetting the boats, obtained again the liberty that had been stolen from them. The second part of the tragedy is put in lying form in the telegram, because we only get one side of the story— that as told by the crew left on the slave ship. We aie told " the recruits then barbarously murdered the boats' crews as they landed, and it is believed" — it is not said what foundation they have for that belief — "the bodies of the unfortunate men were afterwards cooked and eaten." We have no hesitation in declaring our utter disbelief of this part of the yarn, because under no circumstances whatever will these natives eat the flesh of Europeans, experience having long taught them that such food is unwholesome, and certain to be followed, if consumed, by the most disagreeable and sometimes fatal results, As to the mere killing of their captors, that we fancy to be true enough, but it was in self defence, an act which is allowed by the laws of all nations to be justifiable under all circumstances. We have every expectation that as a sequel to the story a combined fleet of French, English, and German war ships will be sent dowu to shell the island where the affair occurred, aud

, a few more innocent meny and many 'helpless women and children will be massacred in the name of some law the poor creatures never heard of. Yet people say slave the trade is not pr teoted by tbe great nations of the earth. It is not. impossible that good may ariseout of the New Orleans Lynching affair. The promptness of the Italian Government in resenting the outrage must have taught the American authorities that it ! is- a dangerous thing to alow their' citizens "■ to v be a law unto themselves;."' In the United States, we have been taught to- believe at least by th-e literature of that country, that there is no respect for human life whatever, and the most admired citizen is be wbo< has the largest "private grave yard of his own," or in other words, he who has killed or assassinated the most men. Of course we understand that there is.in this the characteristic national exaggeration of American writers, but still there i•■ for, all that a sound substratum of truth therein. It is a well, known article of faith in that free country that with the help of abundance of money, the greatest of criminals can rely with absolute certainty on escaping the most merited punishment, and that knowledge, while it has led to the commission of many unnecessary Iwoundings and murders, has at the same time excited in the minds of those injured, either in themselves or their friends, a desire to find, for themselves, that redress or revenge the laws of their country seem powerless or unwilling to give. If the Government had the courage to enforce their own decrees, there would be no temptation left for the people to take the law into their own hands, or to call in the assistance of Judge Lynch. The pressure from without by the Italian Government may accomplish this, and if does, the lynching will after all turn out a blessing.