THE VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 849, 24 October 1870, Page 2

THE VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT.

[FROM THE WELLINGTON INDEPENDENT, OCT, 15.] We reprint to-day an abstract of the rules and regulations for the annual colonial prize firing, which will be contested at Auckland in March next, and in doing so we take the opportunity of making a few general remarks on the necessity for arousing ourselves in volunteer matters. We lately called attention to the necessity of some greater recognition on the part of the public of Wellington of the volunteer movement. Further enquiry has only served to convince us, that the volunteering spirit is not dead among us, but only languishing from want of support. We do not mean material support so much, as those nameless influences which society can bring to bear, on any movement that it really loves and approves, It wants, in the words of Charles Lamb, not broth but brotherly love. The causes of the comparative failure of the movement in Wellington are not far to seek. One great cause underlying many others, is the failure of the public generally to view the question in an earnest spirit, They do not fully recognise the necessity of the movement. They underrate its importance. They seem to forget, that it is the duty of every man to render himself an efficient citizen. It is a citizen's duty not only to obey the laws, but to defend them. A genuine feeling of patriotism cannot co-exist with apathy in guarding and defending the country that we love. We base this and all other duties proper to colonists on patriotic considerations. But we maintain that even on the low ground of self-interest, the public are not justified in their present apathy. It is the interest of ©very colonist, as well as his duty, to encourage every movement which has a tendency to infuse a national spirit, and, by bringing all classes of the community together under one common patriotic bond of union, to make the laud of bis adoption more pleasant for himself to live in, and more attractive in the eyes of intending immigrants. Everything that has a tendency to increase his attachment to his new home, nerves his arm with greater Strength for the difficulties he will have to face and conquer. No settler in a colony can ever hope to be really successful,, if h$ does aot love the laud of his

adoption. So long as he only considers it as a foreign country, in which he may amass a competence with which he can go home and live comfortably, so long will he be unsettled, and liable to all the evils which discontentment brings in its train. It is only when this illusion, most prevalent in goldmining communities, but spreading through all the ramifications of colonial society, is dispelled, that the settler, as becomes the name, actually settles down to his lot in the colony, and to its corresponding duties. Then he feels a new well-spring of pride and pleasure rising within him, as he observes the cheering progress of colonisation around him. He gratefully accords his meed of admiration and praise to those early pioneers who have gone before biui, and rescued the waste places from the wilderness, made roads and bridges, and enriched his life with the innumerable blessings of civilisation. For it is a sublime and heroic work, this work of colonisation. We are too apt to forget how great and noble it is. When we think of our early settlers in this island, carrying their life in their hand, and courageously settling down among a race proverbially superior to all other aboriginals in ferocity and strength; when we think of their midnight vigils, and of their perilous escapes from the most horrible atrocities, we feel ourselves stirred up to defend the gains of civilisation they have won ; nay, we feel the country endeared and ennobled to us by their very courage and self-sacrifice. In our former remarks on this subject we showed, that the whirligig of time has brought the Colony round again to the point when we must look to ourselves for our own defence. This national necessity demands a national movement. Ten years ago, the threatening attitude of France created the great volunteer movement at home, a movement that has been fostered by the Government, and supported by all ranks and classes, till it has become an integral portion of the national life. " It is no small matter," says one of the leading journals in London (referring to the volunteer fieldday at Brighton) "to turn out 27,000 men who, if not already efficient soldiers, are, at any rate, above the' ordinary standard of recruits. Every man yester* day present at Brighton represents at least ten men available in case of auy real emergency." The time cannot be far distant, when the Colony will have to assume its independence, Its future career will depend greatly on the national spirit that will characterise its beginning, aud we know of nothing so powerful in infusuig this, and which will create at the same time so great a national prestige, as the volunteer movement. This movement has done more in this direction for England, and given her a better position in the eyes of Europe, than the expenditure of millions on iron-clads and fortification?. The volunteers of Canada, by their brave defence against the late Fenian attack, have attracted the admiration of the world ; and the last mail reports a movement, headed by royal and noble per* sonages, to testify the admiration of Britain for these gallant defenders. A large fund is to be collected, out of which prizes for rifle shooting, &c, are to be given them annually. It is gratifying to know that the Colony of New Zealand can boast of at least one district of volunteers who, for ardor and efficiency, will compare with any district of volunteers in the world. It is important to notice that the volunteer movement with us has been most successful exactly where its importance has been most fully recognised by the local authorities and the public, and where the work of colonisation lias been carried on with the most earnest and patriotic spirit. There the volunteer is honored for his devotion to duty, and finds a generous public appre elation of his readiness to surrender so much of his time, his labor, and his money. Ladies of the highest rank present the companies with colors; the Provincial Council moves a vote of thanks to them \ from the steps of the Parliament House, and in full Speaker's costume, Mr Speaker presents it, aud the Superintendent takes the occasion to remind them that they are to guard the honor of their beloved Province in the coming inter-proviuciui match* In their camping out for ten days at a time, ministers of tne Gospel preacn to the vast crowds assembled around them in the tented field, and otfividte from time to time as chaplains over tne graves of their comrades. Their annual balls are vast social re-uoious. of all classes of society

not afraid to loose caste by intermingling in so patriotic a cause. . Their champions are the heroes of the day, and the names of the most distinguished shots are " familiar in their mouths as household words." Some may affect to smile at this general enthusiasm, but we hesitate not to say, that it is infinitely to be preferred to the cold-hearted support the movement has received in our Province. What but this has raised the corps to their proud preeminence above all other volunteers in the Colony? What but this basincited them to persevere in their practice till their shooting as a district is beyond anything recorded, not only in the Colony, but in the world.