Public Opinion.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1547, 3 February 1874, Page 104

Public Opinion.

MR VOGEL'S MISSIONARY ZEAL. Canterbury Press. Mr Trollope, in his book upon America, gives an amusing account of a lecture heard at Boston by Mr Everett. He had been invited to join the select company who were to attend the lecturer on the platform. When the time came to leave the waiting-room, some one proposed that the clergymen should go first. "But to this the manager of the affair demurred. He wanted the clergymen for a purpose, he said. And so the profane ones led the way, and the clergymen, of whom there might be some six or seven, clustered in around the lecturer at last." The object of this arrangement, which puzzled Mr Trollope at first, was soon disclosed. "Early in his discourse," he proceeds; "Mr Everett told us what it was that the country required at this period of her trial —patriotism, courage, the bravery ofthomeu.the good wishes of the women, the self-denial of all,'and,' continued the lecturer, turning to his immediate neighbors' the prayers of these holy men whom I see around me.' It had not been for nothing that the clergymen were detained." A passage in Mr Vogel's speech at Dunedin reminds us of Mr Everett's preconcerted impromptu. In the latter part of his speech, after cautiously skirting past the political questions ot the day, Mr Vogel enlarged on two questions which he has suddenly discovered to be those which demand the largest consideration of all. These are the conservation of forests, aud the acquisiton of the trade of the South Sea Islands. He introduced the latter subject with some fervid tie clamation about the truly noble mission of turning from heathenism the residents of those countless islands. His enthusiasm, it is true, was short-lived. He soon settled down to a more mundane view of things, and was himself again as he descanted upon the trade to be developed with the islands, and the manufacturing and commercial emiuence to which they might be made to raise the colony of New Zealand. But what induced that outburst of apostolic zeal ? Since when has Mr. Vogel learnt to take an interest in missions, and to feel that the first ■ object of every colonist's existence should be the conversion ot the heathen ? A recollection of Mr Everett's lecture flashed across us as we read, and we turned to the list of the company present. There, sure enough, we found prominent among the audience " in Mr Vogel's immediate" vicinity—sitting, in fact, oneither hands—the leaders of the Scotch and English Churches, the Rev Dr Stuart and the Bishop of Dunedin. Here was the source of Mr Vogel's eloquent flight. Hence he drew his inspiration. He had taken note of these Church dignitaries, and with the tact of a practised speaker, he suited his speech to their reverend presence. Amid his appeals to the money-getting instincts of his hearers generally, be remembered what was due to his clerical auditors, and took care to find occasion for some sentiment that might be specially addressed "to these holy men whom I see around me.

But Mr Vogel's notions are those of a practical man. In tiie height of his rapture he has au eye to busiuesß. He is nut going to convert his heathen for nothing. He does not, in his missionary ardour, forget his duties as Treasurer. Pie has a keen regard for the profit that may be got out of the converted islanders, and the grist they will bring to the colonial mill. " When we remember," he cries, " that (the turning of the South Sea Islanders from heathenism) can be done concurrently with the progress of all those arts and manufactures which command onr most ardent sympathies in this colony, surely it is a work to which we should turn our attention." This mixture of the spiritual and the worldly, of the love of heaven and the love of gain, is immensely rich. True religion and a roaring trade—who can resist the combination? And mark the climax. A missionary's work may be noble, but to command our sympathies it must conduce to the- progress of manufactures. Mr Vogel longs to see the South Sea Islanders turned from heatheuism—because then the colony will " acquire their trade." To sow the good seed through the islands would be a glorious task[; and surely, exclaims Mr Vogel, when we consider the enormous profits New Zealand would make, we cannot hesitate to set about it. Think what a splendid speculation it is! Think what a trade we shall drive with these miserable heathens when we have brought them to the true light. Let us convert them, and traffic with them. Let us turn them from heathenism and develope our commerce. We could have no nobler mission than that of saving their souls ; and when we can fill our own pockets by the process, " surely it is a work to which we should turn our attention." If Mr Vogel attains his object, he will be able to say with Gamp, " these are our religious feelings, and we finds 'em answer." Meantime *,he seems to us to have stolen an idea from " Erewhon." His eagerness for the conversion of ' the South Sea Islanders as a means of promoting manufactures in New Zealand, reminds us of the proposed company for shipping off the Erewhonians to the Queensland sugar plantations, and the arrangements by which the ingenious writer guaranteed to convert them " not only into good Christians, but into a source of considerable profit to the shareholders." I;.) Evening Post. " Mrs Jellyby is a lady of very remarkable strength of character, who devotes herself entirely to the public. She has devoted herself to an extensive variety of public subjects at various times, and is at present (until somothing else attracts her) devoted to the subject of Africa, with a view to the general cultivation of the coffee berry— and the natives —and the happy settlement on the banks of the African rivers of our superabundant home population."—-Bleak House, ch. 4. If there are any "of our readers who have not read Bleak House, we pray them at once to do so, and then peruse Mr Yogel's receat speech in Duuedia. Those

who readibotb, or who are already familiar with both, cannot fail to be struck with the wonderful similarity between the amusing ideal character of Mrs Jellyby and the real character of the Hon Julius Vogel, C.M.G., Premier- of New Zealand With a very slight alteration, the paragraph we have quoted from Dickens' great satire might as well have been written of Mr Vogel as of Mrs Jellyby. "He has devoted himself to an ex tensive variety of public subjects at, various times, and is at present (until something else attracts his attention) devoted to the subject of the South Sea Islands, with a view to the general cultivation of commerce— and the natives." The alteration of three or four words does it, and we have our Premier sketched by Dickens. Neglecting Mr Jellyby's advice, "never have a mission, my dear child," Mr Vogel. in the University Hull of Dunedin let it be understood that just at the present moment the especial mission of a New Zealand Mrs Jellyby was of a twofold character: first to conserve the forests, secondly to secure the monopoly of the trade with the South Sea Islands to this Colony. The latter was the great point—one as absorbing to him as were the aftairs of Borrioboola Gha to his feminine prototype. He introduced the subject with a burst of fervid eloquence — equal almost to his word picture of the Christian martyr —about the great and noble mission, not of educating the natives on the left bank of tlie Niger, as Mrs Jellyby did on her first introduction to Richard and Esther, but about the noble mission of- turning the residents of the South Sea Islands from the delusions of idolatry and heathenism, and inducing them to accept Christianity and civilization. Mr Vogel must have surprised himself by the zeal he displayed in regard to missionary labor. Had he been speaking in Exeter Hall, be could scarcely have shown more devotion to the cause. It is at first sight surprising to find Mr Vogel in this character, but a little thought dissipates astonishment. Prominent amongst tbose who delighted to honor the Premier, were amongst other reverends, Dr Stuart and Bishop Neville. The picture of these two Churchmen, one on each side of the speaker, not unnaturally recalls a well-known scene in "Richard the Third," where Gloster appears supported by two prelates. This, however, en passant, Mr Vogel's display of missionary zeal was no doubt merely the graceful tribute of an orator to the special character of certain of his listeners. He soon descended to the general level of his hearers, and abandoning the cultivation of the natives, began to discuss that of the coffee-berry. This is what is to pay for the work of conversion. He considers that the latter can be accomplished " concurrently with the progress of ail those arts aud manufactures which command our most ardent sympathies in this colony," and therefore, he is willing to enter on it. In plain language, Mr Vogel thinks that the work of converting the South Sea heathens can be made a highly profitable one, and, therefore, he commends it to our attention. We are not only to convert them into Christians, but into customers. Truly if we bad nothing else to do, the speculation might be worthy of our attention; but Mr Vogel, still like Mrs Jellyby, altogether forgets that charity begins, although it need not necessarily end at home. Mrs Jellyby might, if we are to credit the record, have found an ample field for the display of her energies in her own family. Mr Vogel might Hud sufficient employment for all his energy, and for the enterprise of our colonists in our own colony. Ere we set about converting the South Sea heathens, we should be sure that there is not a large proportion of our own youthful population growing up unedu cated and in a state <>f semi heathenism. Before we turn our atttention to developing the resources of the South Sea Islands, we should be sure that more profitable employment for our capital cannot be found nearer home, and before we seek to improve the means of communication with distant islands we should take care that none of the districts of our own colony are shut out from the benefits of easy and rapid communication with our chief towns When Mr Guppy arrived at the Jellyby mansion, he found Peepy " one of the dirtiest little unfortunates ever seen," with his head jammed between the area railings. Might we suggest to Mr Vogel, in the character of Mrs Jellyby, that the provinces are just now somewhat in the position of Peepy and his brothers and sisters—utterly neglected, while their guardian is wrapt up in visions of Borrioboola Gha. Might not an interested spectator of the present position in New Zealand indulge very mucn in tlje same style of reflection as Esther did when, after retiring to rest on her first niglit beneath the Jellyby roof, she said to Ada, "It must be very good of Mrs Jellyby to take such pains about a scheme for the benefit of natives, and yet — Peepy, and the housekeeping !"