THE OLD IDENTITY: .

Otago Daily Times, Issue 129, 15 April 1862, Page 5

THE OLD IDENTITY: .

(Prom the Otayo Witness.-) Among the numerous late arrivals in Otago there is a too general tendency to disparage the older'settlers, fo look upon thun as " slow coaches,'.' nnd to npi'ly to ih m in a s- mi-con-tumptuoui-maniur, a phiase which one ol themselves once cmph>\ eel in the sinceiiiy of his heart, —'-the old identity." This is by no means the first instance on record of a name being twisted from its original simple meaning and made to bear an offensive construction. The origin of party cries and party nicknames.is, it is tine, involved, in most instances, in an oLscurity relieved only by the doubtful gleam afforded by anecdotal tradition, or by some chance ray of light derived fiom the wording of an old. song; but where any discoveries have been made, it has frequently been found that the offensive epithets 'Lore in the first instance a very different signification from what afterwards attached to them. It is, therefore, with no particular astonishment that we notice that this phrase —» the old identity"—is being already adopted by the new comers to express a sort of contemptuous feeling towards those who were in the country before them. Hut, although the phrase itself is a matter of but little importance, the feeling that dictates its adoption is not a thing to be overlooked. It is useless to deny that such a feeling exists, and it may further be remarked that it is stronger among those who have lately arrived from Victoria than in any other class. We are not piepared to contend that such a feeling is altogether unnatural, although we are satisfied that it does cruel injustice to the older residents, as we trust before we have done to be able to show. It is not greatly to he wondered at that people who have been some time in Victoria, and who have seen there the wonders effected in a few years, under the united stimulants of an immense, gold production, and a rapidly increasing population, should feel something like disappointment, on arriving in Otago, to find that so much remains to be done to place the province in a position to compare with the other gold colonies, and that they should visit their chagrin upon the old residents. Yet a little reflection might show them how unreasonable were .their expectations, and how more than, unreasonable, how unjust, their quarrel with those who preceeded them. Few people however, do reflect upon their prejudi-ces,"-and we may add that very few of the new arrivals possess the knowledge necessary to give value, to reflections on the subject of their prejudice against the old inhabitants of Otago. Few, very few, are in the. least acquainted with the history of Otago; few know how short a time haa elapsed since it was firstsettled by a handful of people from the' old country ; fcw.kno.w aught.of the early struggles of that, handful of ; pioneers, or they would pause before casting ridicule or blame upon "theold identity." ' We have before, us a late number of the Provincial Government Guzette, which contains a series of returns, a perusal of which would go far to disabuse the minds of '• new chums" as to the old settlers; and to .prove that these despised old settlers were no idlers, but that, on the contrary, they exerted themselves to very good purpose, and that, considering the paucity of their numbers, ■ they accomplished a very great deal in a remarkably short space of time. We find that, in the year 1848, the total number of the population of Otago was only 620 souls, of whom 350 were males and 270 females. For the next lour years there is noj return, but for 1853 we find the total number to be 2,391. During 1854, 1855, 1856, and 1857 the-'population was exactly doubled; in 1858, it was 6.944; in 1859, 8,899; and,*in 1860, it increased to 12,691. That is to say. that in twelve years there had been 12,000 persous added to the population. But, in 1861 came the gold discoveries, and then fhe population was suddenly more than doubled, the census showi.ig 27,242 souls, to which number mitst he added about-3,000 unenumernted, making a grand total of about 30,000. It will thus be seen that, prior to the iush caused by the gold discoveries, the population of Otago, although constantly and steadily increasing, remained always s-mall, and this small population was scattered over a country 23,000 square miles in extent, so that, until quite lately, there was not more than about one person to three or four square miles of territory. It would hardly be reasonable to expect that this small proportionate population should have done much to improve so wide an extent of country; yet, that they did not sit down with their hands crossed is easily to be shown, It is true that they did not occupy themselves much with matters of mere convenience or ornament; they had quite enough to do with attending to the strictly necessary and useful, and besides they had no reason to expect a visit from such fastidious critics as have since-honored them with their-company. They found time and means to build a city sufficient for their then requirements ;to open up roads through the country, which although rough were vastly better than none at all, nnd, moreover, they managed to acquire numerous flocks and herds, and to fence in and cultivate a large area of land. Of the quantity and numbers of this land and these cattle, during tiie, early years, we have no record but in 1861, we find that there were in the Province, 4790 horses, 34,545 head of horned cattle, and 619,892 sheep. Tbere were also 42,254 acres of land fenced in, of which 19,255 acres were under crop, so it is evident that the " old identity " must have attended to thenown business pretty steadily. . Turning to the statistics of trade, we find that the import trade increased in a steadily advancing ratio from £11,000 in 1848, to £325,000 in 1860, the year before the gold discoveries ; and that in IS6I it jumped up to £859,000. The ex| ort trade also increased in like manner from £219 in 1849, to £80,000 in 1860, and in 1861, the gold increased it to £844,000. We refrain from quoting other other' figures for fear of wearying our readers, but we think we have said said enough to show that the old settlers of Otago are not men to be despised, that they set about the work of colonization m an earnest practical spirit, and that a large measure of success rewarded their efforts. One bbjeet in going into these figures is not difficult to understand. We wish to show the new arrivals that there have been difficulties to contend with of which they can hardly now form a conception,, and to bring them to confess that the men who boldly laced and overcame them, are not" men to be looked down upon. At the same time we would not be considered as writing in any spirit cf antagonism to the immigrants fiom otber cplonies who have been attracted to our shores in thesearch for gold, or forthe purposeofrcaping the profit of the extended trade induced by the gold discoveries. On the contraiy, it would be difficult to exaggerate the importance that we attach to them as valuable additions to the population, or to over-esti-mate the expeclaticns that we entertain irtm their assistance in developing the resources ol this fine country. Otago is large, and there is room enough for all, and for many more. Let them ccme, then, say we, in God's name; and may they all-prosper as they deserve, In this feeling we are convinced ihattheold settlers, as a body, are heartily with us. They jire not co blind aa not to Bee that a large

[influx of pushing, enterprising men cannot fail to benefit them very largely, and they are not so narrow-minded, as to look with jealous eyes upon the prosperity of their new lellow-colo-Inists. But,. for the. advantage, of all,—new annals, as well as ; old settlers.^~h is important that a ha>ni(,r:y o'feeim,'should exist, and this will never be tlie case if the new colonists cheiish a feiling of superciliousness towards those who preceded them, aud who went through all the hardships and labours oi founding the settlement. Let, therefore, the "new chums" have the fairness and'generosity to supprt ss any tendency they may feel to undenate the labours ofthe old settlers, and they may be assmed that they will be met in the saui.e kindly spiiit. Where so obvious a commuuity of interest exists it is simply! ridiculous that a cordial feeling of brotherhood should be wanting. Each has need oldie other. The "old hands" have need of the strong arms, the mining experience, the keen business habits of the Victorians; and, the Victorians, on their part, have need ofthe local knowledge ofthe old residents. If both will pull heartily together, there can be no reason to anticipate other than a brilliant and prosperous future for Otago.