SIR GEORGE GREY! WHAT HAS HE DONE?

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1699, 31 July 1879, Page 2

SIR GEORGE GREY! WHAT HAS HE DONE?

To the Jdditor of the Glohe. Sib, — These are the words with which 4 ho “Star” of last night commences one of the most high-falutin’ articles it has ever been my lot to peruse. The himself would surely prefer to be without the fulsome flattery, which is tho answer to the interrogation, “ What has ho done ?*’ Argument of course the “ Star ” class of journal does not use, but contents itself with declaring that Sir George Grey is the or’y high souled man, the only statesman, the or’y philanthropist, the only self-denying public character in the colony, and winds up its pitiful ranting by spouting the line, “ Awake, arise, or bo for ever £a”en.” Now, if there is one country more than another in which a man is free to do what he likes (except to commit crime), say what he likes, write what he chooses, go where he pleases, and blackguard his neighbour, within legal bounds, to his her t's content, that country is New Zealand. No particular class of men is subject to great -r restraint than another ; all are equal and can start fair in tho race of life, natural gifts alone excepted. There is, therefore, really no occasion for the agony stylo of Writing adopted by the evening twinkler. It is absurdly out of place in a country like th : ', where the government is so entirely -a tho hands of the people, where the fraccHse con be exercised by nearly every man who cares to qualify himself by placing his name on the roll, and where both parties ia Pe-liament are almost fighting over the privilege of being permitted to extend that franchise still fiuLher. I expect, sir, that the lore of tho “ Star” for Sir George Grey is not altogether disinterested. There are always wheels with’” wheels, and the men I pity are those wh. . having no knowledge of how these little matters are “ worked,” and very little lime to consider upon questions that are agitating tho public mind, have to be content to form their judgment by the means of such rnutterable rubbish as is shot into tho coli’~ t of an unscrupulous journal. However, the question has been propounded . What has Grey done ? I will tell you what he has done, sir, heretofore, and what he is now, and what he will do if allowed to fo”ow the bent of his own despotic will. He is >*. man who used all his influence, at that time not inconsiderable, with the Home Government, to burke “Liberalism” in this colony in its inception, and throw all his weight into the scale in favor of one-man despotic Government against Representative institutions and a free constitution. He, who now commands hi* satellites to cry aloud for a Liberal Association it was who went to war with the first “Liberal Association” ever formed in this country, and strove to beat out the Vfe of the infant liberty when it had scarce dra i breath in the colony. He it is who tried to humbug tho people into believing that a colonial Ministry had the power to order her Majesty’s ships of war to bombard Auckland, and were going to use that power, when he knew the whole story to be utterly false. He it is who first introduced into our Parliame 4 '; the practice of hurling mud at an opponen , and set the example in his own knightly person by trying to blacken tho characters of men who had stood before the public for thirty and forty years with unstained reputation. Who has tried to set class against c 1 * s, capital against labor, and impoverished the country by so doing but Sir George Grey ? I am a Liberal, sir, I always have been, and always shall be a member of tho progressive party, my utterances, my pklge., my words, my thoughts have but one tendency—Liberalism, and, as a Libera’, I denounce Sir G. Grey as an autocrat. I accuse him of having thrown our cause back for years by his split with Stout and Ballance, caused entirely by an attempt to assert his despotic will; by his refusal to bring'down a Liberal policy during last session, when tho country had been promised one, and was at hi* back, fearing lest he should lose the sweeps of power even for a time ; and by his alienation of at least a score of real Liberal members from the standard of our party tb-ough. his high-handed and unconstitutional aotr. Is it Liberalism to appeal to the country from north to: south, to aid him inTenfranchising 60.0C0 men, and when that appeal is nobly responded to, and the “Electoral Bill” ; s about to become law, to refuse those 60,000 admission to the privileges of citizenship because he was not permitted to tack on to the Bill that abominable iniquity—the Mao dual vote! f Out upon such Liberalism! Where is the high soul in that ? Where Is the patriot there ? Where is the statesman P Where tho philanthropist? Where the distinguished “Liberal” leader? Let no"; the people be deceived. Greyiem is not Liberalism. The Liberals of New Zealand will ha moving hand in hand with those of other parts of the world along the path of gradual and legitimate reform long e r ter Grey and one-man Government have gone to the grave. I do not doubt, said a real Liberal (Mr Bryce) in the House the other day, that Sir George Grey would like to see New Zealand saved, but I cannot fail to perceive that he considers it of far greater importance that it should be saved by himself. The Liberal party in Now Zealand w -1 I never be united as long as Sir George Grey arrogates to himself its leadership, for no man of really liberal opinions can assimilate himself to autocracy. Liberalism is broad and generous ; its sympathies are large and always expanding; it is dictated by, and springs from, a sincere desire for the welfare and advancement of mankind ; it is nr ; Groyism, narrow, contracted, vituperative, selfish, intolerant of all diverse opinioautocratic. Grey is not a Liberal, his mouth utters the formal* of Liberalism, while his heart yearns for despotic power. He is not unkind when he has conquered, but the man who would receive his favors must do so, not standing face to face in tho true spirit of Liberalism, but with the foot of the autocrat on his reek. Therefore, Grey is not a Liberal, and that is why the bulk of the tiae Liberals in this country will have none of him. To again quote Mr Bryce : —We do not believe that the shrine of liberty can ever be properly served by a tyrannical High Priest, and I will add that I warn Sir George Grey to beware how he dares to use the sacred principles of Liberalism and liberty to further his own selfish and despotic ends. Yours, <tc., SCBFTATOE.