CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. SIR H. SMITH'S PROGRESS. (South African Advertiser, Feb. 26.) WENBURG.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 207, 24 May 1848, Page 3

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. SIR H. SMITH'S PROGRESS. (South African Advertiser, Feb. 26.) WENBURG.

His Excellency reached Wcnburp at half past ten his morning. The country passed tluough liom Bloem b'ontein, is like the foimer pait of the lout — beautiful md fruitful — abounding with eanic, and iurnishing lbundancc of fine pastuiage. 'I he people everywhere jxtremely kind, and highly delighted at his Excellency's visit. About three miles before reaching Wen. bers, his Excellency was met by about fifty Dutch fanners, as well dressed and mounted as would be seen ■my where in the colony. On leaching the village, Sir Harry was received by the chief Moshesh, attendtd by his missionary and seveial of his sons and followers, all well dressed and mounted. The chief if. really a supeiior man, and several of his sons, who had been educated in Cape Town, demeaned themselves in a manner that would have done credit to men in the higher walks of civilization. It was quite refieshing to be able to converse with them in the English language. The meeting between his Excellency and Moshesh, and also with the chiefs Maletzanie and Seykonyella, both of whom arrived here to meet him, has been perfectly satisfactory, and thus far his Excellency has been able to surmount all the difficulties in his way to a settlement of affairs in this pait of the woild. The inhabitants of Wenberg, presented his Excel lency with an addiess in the Dutch language, of which the lolloping is a lough tianslation :— Addrlss To his Excellency Lieut. -General Sir H. G. W. Smi ih, Bart., G.C.8., &c. &c. We, the undersigned, emigrants and inhabitants beyond the north-eastern boundary ot the colony of the Cape of Good Hope, beg most respectfully to acquaint your Excellency, that the land occupied l>y us, ef wiich we luve had possession ever since our at rival here in the years 1837 and 1839, was purchased by us fiom the natives and chiefs ; to whom, after the fullest inquiry, we ascertained it rightly belonged. We removed from the colony because ot the scarcity of land for agriculture and grazing, for which wo must acknowledge that this land is exceedingly well adapted and veiy fruitful for all soits of grain ; but we rouch regret to say, that agriculture is much hindered and neglected in consequence of two causes, which we will now state, viz. :— First — I he uncertainty of the farmer as to whether he will retain or lo*e the land be occupies ; and Secondly— The restlessness of some evil disposed per&ongj who urge on many ignorant nnd misguided persons of this country to deeds of violence. These occasion us much uneasiness, and keep the country in a constant state of uncertainty and diead, alike n-ioous and unbearable, and which can alone be remedied by the power of your Excellency. We are unable to exptess the delight we feel in consequence of the arnval of your Excellency amongst us, armed with the power of her Majesty's High Commissioner, extending over this country, north-east of the colony. We pray your Excellency to acknowledge our legal occupations of the farms and grounds on which we are. That it it be your Excellency's inttntion to establish military posts in this countiy, Wenburg or its neighbourhood may be selected tor one. Further, that Wenburg may be acknowledged u town, the land having been purchased by us from the former proprietor, De Bear, and divided into erven, which Avere sold for the purpose of applying the proceeds, first, in payment of the purchase money of the land; and second, any surplus towards the election of a church tit this place, which, however, the churchwardens were unable to carry out by reason of the greater portion of the purchasers of eivon refusing to pay the purchase money, without a certainty ot being allowed to retain the property they were to pay for ; and therefore this (to us) most desirable building c uld not be commenced,—the funds we derived fiom other sources Leing too small to warrant our engaging in the work. Also, that a magistrate, or court of justice may be established at Wenburg, which is a central position in the country occupied by the emigrant farmers. In conclusion we add, that we cherish the fullest confidence that your Excellency will not allow us to remain longer in that hopeless and uncomfortable state in which your Ex.:elUncy finds us. Signed by 49 persons. Wenburg, Jan. 26th, 1848. To this his Excellency made a reply to the following purport :—: — My Friends, — I have come among you as Colonel Smith — not as Governor. I wab told that jou required a friend, aud that you regarded me as one. 1 now find that you ot only receive in» as a (riend, but that you desire to have me at your governor. The feeling on the'Caledon River, at Bleon Fontein, in short everywhere, a 9 far as I have seen, is one of loyalty and affection towards her Majesty ; I now see what you require. I found all the burghers iv, Adam

Kok's country in a state of anxisty about their Jf;i3Ps 1 have bon»ht the right of them for ever, and all now sit upon their own land. I have this day made a treaty with Moshesh, whereby the lands yon occupy are secured to you, but no man must rove about, but rein lin where he now is. You must now listen to me, as you wish to have rce ns your governor. I shall proclaim the sovereignty of the Queen of England over all these territories in which you aic located. I shall then ask you to |>ay quitrents, which will be applied to pay Adam Kok A.'JOJ a-year for himself and his people, by which means the country will be mine. Then magistrates and surveyors will be required ; but a moderate quitrent will not ouly suffice for all this, but will enable me to build chuiches. I will tax eveiy trader who passes to this side of the Orange River ; but in doing so I have no object but to be of service to the Boers ; for not a shilling so collected shail pasi into the Colony. I shall endeavour to establish markets for you, as tvell ns nursery grounds, so that you may be supplied with fruit trees, &c. ; and if you will explain what your wants are, I will attend to them like a futher. But all of you throughout the country must go with me. lam not so void of sense as not lo Know that in all societies there nre various opinions; but I require a majority of four in five. When T write to the Queen, I shall pledge myself to her Majesty for your loyalty. All I have to bay is that it it is your general wish that you should be goveined by me, it shall be so ; it not, 1 shall thank you for the hospitality which I have met with among you, and go on to Natal, I have been highly pleased with nil that the Chief Mokhesh has said. He says you vunt churches. Is it not a shtime that a blacktnan should be the man to sny this ? You must remember hut the first or you who ill treats a black man makes ne his foe. Mosliesh's conduct has been most exemplary ; no Christian king 1 could have behaved better. With respect to military posts in the countiy, I have anly to say that 1 look upon you as my soldiers ; your loyalty will be sufficient far all that is required. I will lend you a magtst ate, and all that will be needed is for you to turn out with your guns if required [or service, or without them if wanted to act in aid of the civil power. Until these quitrents are collected, I have no lunds ; but as some proof of my affection for you, and my ardent desire that you should have a church without further delay, I will advance £20 towards the erection of one out of my own pocket, and I will obtain a loan from the Colonial Treasury of a sum equal to that which you may collect among you, my onn subscription included. It you consider yourselves the majority in the country, I will do what I have said. I think that those who tue wavering will come in ; and if I meet Jan Kok, and he tells me that he is feorry for all that has happened, 1 will at once say — all is forgotten. Had Pretorius had an audience of the governor in the colony, I should not have been here amongst you ; and I would sooner lure lost £5,000 than not have come. Remember the church ! My money is ready when* ever it is required ; and also remember, as I iaid when in Cape Town, " I will be Governor," so I tell you now. You must implicitly obey my orders ; and it you do this, you may rely on my desire to effect your uood, establish and maintain peace, and advance in every way the prosperity of this country. Immediately after receiving this address, advice o^ his Excellency's approach was forwarded to Pietermaritzburg, and a communication to Andreas fretoriug, who, it is said, has removed out of the Natul district to a position near the Draakenberg. Wenburg is situated in a fertile valley, watered by a fine stream, sufficient to irrigate many extensive gardens. The village at present does not comprise more than a dozen houses, but this number will soon increase should atfairs be settled nnd good government established. A beautiful site for a church has been selec ed on an elevati ,n at the top of ihe principal street. To-day his Excellency, at the request of the churchwardens, laid the foundation stone. Ihe ceiemony was very nffceting. Many farmers were assembled on the ground, when his Excellency, accompanied by the Rev. Mr. Cassalis, his Secretaries and Aide-de-Camp, arrived. The Rev. Mr. Cassalis offered up a most appropriate and feeling prayer. After which his Excellency, placing his hand on the stone, said — " In the name of Almighty Godl place this stone here to he ihe corner stone of a Church to be limit upon this spot." Thus was placed the first stone of the first Liutch church in this part of the world. The ceiemony was evidently much felt by his Excellency. The Chief Moshesh, and several of his sons and people, were present, and afterwards Moshehh sent to say he would give £'6 and his brother £l towards Ihe building. His Excellency gives £20. The Boera look with a good deal of surprise at his Excellency's mode of travelling — only two wagons for himself, two sccrctaiiea, one uide-de-camp, Gideon Joubert, two servants, and all the luggage, regular light marching order, and his Excellency sleeping in a wagon. They buy it is the first governor who ever did so.

Saturday, the 25th instant, has been appointed as a day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God, for the Restoration of Peace, in which all who acknowledge a Supreme Ruler will cordially join. These public exprca&ions of a general belief, a ge neral sentiment, or general opinion, are graceful, and also highly beneficial in drawing people more closely together ai members of one family. Thoic who believe that they have one common progenitor,— one and the same earthly father, and that they are all children of one Father who is in Heaven, will teel die posed to strengthen each other's hands in the works of peace, and to stand bhoulder to shoulder in the hour of danger, in a spirit and with a biavery of which the unhappy infidel cannot form a conception, tie it in the world, iike a blind man mongst pictures, or a deaf man at a concert of music. He asks what is the use of prayer, what is the use of praise, ai the others would enquire, what is the use of color, what is the use of sound ? In the same spirit it has been asked what is the use of a Statue, or national monument to express the love of peace and a determination to preserve it. In all these cases, if you enter into an argument, you will be foiled, nature having denied to your friend, the genius and the faculty divine by which spiritual things are discerned, He is of the earth, earthly, and ihinketh as of the earth. The man of taste in religion and the fine arts, retains in purer clay, the seeds of his heavenly origin. He knows also that all power is invisible, and that the greatest of al powers belonging to man, resides in the affections and in the imagination, the faculty by which all things are made. Following his nobler nature he expresses by some grand work of art, a sentiment that inspires aud elevates the mind of all who behold it, and of all who by the ad of deicrption, have it presented to theii fancy. Deeds of endless renown have sprung np first iv ardent souls, at the sight of a hero' 6 statue, or on hearing a poet's hymn iv his praise. Such is human na'ure, and who would wish it to bs otherwise ? Who would wish mankind to be stocks aud stones, that are not of kin to such things themselves ? The proposal now before the Cape Public, to erect I a National Monument expressive of their love ol 1 Pence, and. their determination to maintain it, &c<wc

'hey love it, on the occmion of peace rcstoied after loai ly three years of trouble and misery, affordb an op - lortunity to the people of this colony, universally o. esti tying to their trm character before »H the world £ [lard things have been written of them in former days \.re they applicable how i Does the sun roll his chario so tar from them, that heroic deeds, heroic daring, iicroic genurosity and greu ness of soul, wuh the blrss ng of Heaven on the whole, pass through their boaoma like lijrlit through transparent glass, leaving all cold md unchanged ? Or do they respond to greatness and joodnes-, nnd aie they touched with warm feelings of gratitude ? The event will declare it. In the mean time it may not he amiss to state what the true character of this national monument is meant to be — supposing it to resemble the sketch given in last Advertiser, namely a Hero on horseback, o florins? ,)eace, but with a firm nnd reiolute mien, — su pported jy a British Soldier and an African* Bu rgiier, ready under such a leader, to seek peace and enloice it. This is not statue to Sir Harry Smith. It com., memorates, and transmits to posterity for imitation,, the tteady valour of the Army, the nrdor, order, and invincible determination of the Burgher « to which all bore witness in 1834 and 1846 ; who were piodigal of their blood under the most disc ouraging circumstances, and to whom the colony owes its present existence as the abode of civilization. It is to exprtsg the feelings entertained towards sucii defenders, as^ well as gratitude to God for the final cessation o hostilities under the present High Commisssioner that tins Monument is to be raised. And to this object most aisuredly, all classes of men may conscientiously con" tribute, whether their station be private or public, civil or sacred. It is not an address to a Governor. It is not a presentation of plate or other mark of approbation. It is a national Monument, of which it so happens that Sir Harry Smith will be the most appropriate ceDtral figure in a group ; and a Soldier and a Burgheu, who bore the burden and the heat of the wari the most appropriate attendants. So far from, its being unbecoming in gentlemen of the Civil Sernce, — instance for contributing to the erection of such a Monument — Sir Hany Smith, himself, might do so, without the slightest violation ot decorum. It is a work the same in substance as the Day of Thanksgiving. Those who feel lestrained by delicacy lrom joining in the one, should in consistency, abstain from, taking any share in the other. The great body of the people, hovfcver, will thiow themselves heartily into both. ________________________