COLONEL WHITMORE.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 102, 14 December 1868, Page 302

COLONEL WHITMORE.

To the Editor of the Hawke's Bay Times.

Sib,— The. virulent attacks made upon and the scurrilous abuse level--1 ed at Colonel Whitmore, and through him, against _the Stafford Ministry, is alike disgraceful to- the individuals who indulge in it, arid, to the parties who encourage "it. * "One might conclude from the tone of the leading articles and from .the tune of the correspondents of your contemporary the Herald, that Col, "Whitmore, so far from being a man nobly fighting ; against ‘ an almost overpoweririg 16ad of difficulties and discouragements in the' service of his country,..is ,iri reality aj far ivorse arid much more, dangerous enemy, to-that country ihW either or Te Kdbti—that he'is, in shbirt, .engaged riot iri strenuous efforts according to his means to. settle . with the sword our terrible troubles; but in an armed conspiracy to oy^rthrow the glorious cpristitution arid fther,ties of this Provirice in’ particular, arid New- Zealand iri general, - Is it riot: enough tbi. have a". strong and ferocious enejny injshe field, tha,f. he should, also, have, to -. contend r ah ihjdmdl'- rivrri ? ; : eonnt^mspri;pare

hjs riprst and.most relentless opponents, and those from whoriri -he ought to receive the! greatest assistance.are the very ones to. raise the greatest difficulties. It seems to me that the Herald and its friends are taking a view : of the direfrir war which is now raging throughout this unhappy ’ Island of an., entirely peyspnal nature; that they quite dismiss and igribre. the national and at the same time fearfully bloody character of the struggle going on, and that they look at it only through the foul medium - of jaundiced localpredelictions andpetty poritical interests and prejudices.; Until this state ,of things ceases,’ and until a more; temperate tone in the discussiom of our great danger be adopted,, that danger will. Jbe doubled and our difficulties be multiplied. Cease, I say, .this unnatural personal which wastes .our energies and resources, and concentrate those energies and ..those resources upon the great danger which surrounds us, and then, and not till then, will there be any chance of our salvation..

It is not only quite useless, but it is positively criminal in Mr M‘Lean to oppose Mr Stafford. This last gentleman holds the reins of Government, and if he is not cordially, supported by the local authorities of this place, he has at least, a right to expect and to receive passive toleration and active assistance, until the opportunity occurs for some other than he to to take the management of. our tremendous difficulties. ~ Most probably Mr M’Lean may some time succeed in reaching the coveted office of State Pilot, and I take the liberty of saying, from a long and intimate acquaintance with that .gentleman’s career, that if New Zealand is in a mess now, she will he utterly and hopelessly smothered then.

If Mr M‘Lean thinks that the ministerial benches are pleasant couches to lounge on, stuffed.. with roses and sweet, herbs, he will find himself sorely mistaken. Those apparently pleasant places are filled with sighs and tears, with blood and tire, with the desolation of ruined homes,' with the bitter miseries [ofan entire people. That is the sort of seat he who aims at Ministerial dignity will have to occupy Cheerful and encouraging, certainly ! Uneasy Hes the head, which wears New Zealand’s crown.

It is quite unnecessary to notice the rascally attacks levelled at Col. Whitmore. He has set his face against blackguardism in all its manifold branches, whenever and wherever he meets with it in the discharge of h’s onerous duties, and consequently blackguardism kicks against the pricks, and raises its discordant voice howling. Authority in any shape is very disagreeable to those who delight and revel in anarchy. The police is a very objectionable institution in the eyes of rascality." Colonel "Whitmore will, I feel sure, follow Iris appointed course, and piu’sue the “ uneven tenor of his way”, regardless of-the howls and yells of disappointed and envious rivals, and scurrilous newspaper correspondents. . • ~ - ,

I am, &c., - ;.; Q. L. W. Bousfield. Napier, 12th Dec., 1868.