THE BISHOP OF MELBOURNE ON WAR.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 115, 21 April 1885, Page 2

THE BISHOP OF MELBOURNE ON WAR.

In a lecture delivered by the Bishop of Melbourne at Wangaratta he referred to the possibility of war m the folio wing terms ; — "The dear old mother was now suffering from attacks on all sides ; rebellions m Canada and South Africa ; and wars ia the Soudan. Bat the old mother was strong enongh to meet them all, and to beat them all. We were a peaceable people, and did not want to tight, but he ventured to say that, if we were driven with our. backs against the wall, we certainly would fight. There was m the pioneers of this Colony all the grit and energy of the parent stock. They had had to work hard for the land they possessed, and he had seen remarkable cases m that Colony of solitary men— among the pick of the world— who with their own right hand had accomplished the great work of which he spoke. Did people think such men as these would stand meekly by if the Russians invaded their Colony ! They must take their lives before they oould take their lands. England, j ust now, seems to be m a fix, but he had faith m the justice, integrity, and conrage of the * English people. There was no intention to make unjust aggression upon anybody ; byt if the despots of the world would not let us alone they ,, would find that although England was teased with* local rebellions, no | Czar of all the Russias could jump our Empire without finding that he had made a great mistake indeed. It took a long time for an Englishman to get to the fighting pitch, but when you got liim there it was hard work to get him back again .''