ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 547, 12 July 1851, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the New-Zealandek. ' Sir, — Please to insert in your columns the following :—: — Eclipse of the Moon (Sunday evening 1 ). — On the 13th instant, the Moon will rise at sb. 6m., eclipsed, p.m. T. !-• Auckland, 11th July, 1851.

To the Editor of the Nlw-Zealander. '' Homo sum, nil bumanum a me alienum puto." Sir, It is a great pity that really clever men are oftfn illiberal. Vain of antiquated loie and of their unquestionable abilities, they contemn the masses of mankind. Unable, or unwilling to keep pace with the progressive enlightenment of the woi ld, they lag in the "twilight age," not yet in utter darkness, but where still theshcule of bigotiy darkens the intellect, and congeals the heart of man. What does " Mcioiiios" say in the Southern Cross of to-day ? '* Were it not for laughing, I would have no patience with the cant that is current about the natives. Excepting the Papuan tribe, these sulky, scowling, bilious-eyed folk are perhaps ths most disagreeable amongst the Pacific Islanders, nor do 1 believe that any one, who has not lost every tiace of lcfmement and good taste, can discover any attractive qualities amongst them." Now 1 would ask, in this "lare philosophy," can any one discover any "trace of refinement and good taste," or even of common sen^e. Does the writer really know anything of the Maori Race, or do, as he seems to imply, their attractive qualities depend on their outward phisiognomy. If so, I fear many of us, full as we are of refinement and good taste, would fall short of such a Procrustean scale. But little as this betokens lor the writer's knowledge of Maories, or for his philanthropy, still less must be his knowledge of the human heart, when he afterwards states, " it does not follow th.it those who cannot feel with Maones should exert themselves less eanestly in their behalf." I fear such a novel principle in native education would make but little progress. Pedagogue Squeers could not long contiol a Do-the-boy'a Academy of Natives. Biimslone and treacle would not suit pork and potatoes. •' Metoikos" may be a man who can argue whore he does not feel, and labour whore bo dues not sympathise — to whom aboriginal civilization is not a labour of love, but of cold policy, "not of inclination, but m spite of inclination ;" but such, I feel sure, has not been the practice of Missions here, nor is such now,

u lion they have ti uimphe 1 over so main difficulties, ai» God foihul it should ovei be so in their progressive course heicaftci. lie who can lecommend it sadly mistakes, or deliberately insults the sense of the community. I rom iin, Si), Your obedient Servant, ANGMCUb. lllh July, 18 jl.