South Canterbury Times. MONDAY, DEC. 1, 1879.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2088, 1 December 1879, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. MONDAY, DEC. 1, 1879.

It is the misfortune of a certain class of people that their actions, however kind and charitable, are almost invariably misinterpreted. Examples of severely misjudged and much maligned humanity are by no means infrequent. Some of the most glaring instances of the kind are to be found among the kind-hearted, benevolent-minded creatures that interest themselves in the conversion and civilization of the South Sea cannibal. A rare illustration of these badly-misunderstood missionaries is to be found in the llev. George Brown, who has been called upon to explain why he revenged the death of three or four native teachers, by organising a shooting party, and joining in the indiscriminate slaughter of about three-score male and female New Britishers. The gentleman alluded to has already defended himself, from the platform, and we have no doubt, when the official investigation takes place he will be able to show that the happy despatch method of converting these untamed and benighted ones is as necessary to the preservation of internal tranquility and the security of life in these islands, as is the application of the cat-of-nine-tails to the maintenance of discipline in the British army and navy. Mr Brown, we have no doubt, will emerge from his ordeal with flying colors, and he will be able at the next valedictory tea meeting to take credit for having advanced civilisation in these cannibal regions an important stage, by combining with the teachings of the sacred volume the application, when needed by way of punishment, of the rifle bullet. And when it becomes known among the ignorant and depraved savages that the modern missionary unites with the promise of eternal life the power of inflicting sudden death if they continue in their sin, it is to be presumed that what hysterical exclamations of friendship and love have failed to accomplish, fear will do, and the insubordinate will be rendered thoroughly tractable.

But while the Ecv. George Brown may he regarded as a good illustration of misjudged humanity, a much bettor is to be found in the amiable Dr Murray, of Carl notoriety. Most of our readers will remember the circumstances under which Dr. Murray made himself famous, or infamous as it was alleged, a few years ago —how the Carl under his command was packed with kidnapped islanders, and how the latter, having been secured in the hold like rats in a cage, were fired at through auger-holes in the hatch-way, and shot down in cold blood by Murray and his associates. Through that singular anomaly in the laws that protect life, which makes the black man fair game for the white, Dr. Murry and his fellow massacrers escaped with little or no damage to their lair fame beyond that of a fleeting notoriety. They were supposed to be forgotten, and no vestige of the attrocity remained beyond the Carl itself, whose blood-stained planks have been decorating the harbor at the Bluff. Dr. Murray, wc observe, has, however, at length determined to put himself straight with his fellow members of the medical profession and humanity at large. Subsequent to the Carl affair, the General Medical Council thought proper to remove the name of Dr'Murry from the register of practitioners in England, on the ground of “ infamous conduct.” Dr. Murray now applies to have his name restored and to be reinstated in his profession on the ground that, so far from doing the natives an injustice, he has been the means of restoring them to their homes. A humorous writer suggests that he has undoubtedly sent a good many to their “long” homes. There is no doubt that Dr. Murray, in his own estimation has been a benefactor, and it seems a pity that the natives should be deprived of his services. If the Medical Council should be unable to restore to Dr Murray a slaughtering license that will apply to civilised whites as well as savage blacks,there is one way in which, we think, a gentleman of his refined feelings and humane instincts might be utilised. He might be made a most impressive tract distributor. If some missionary society could only be induced to take him in hand and send him in company with the Eev. George Brown back to the South Sea Islands, armed with a few thousand tracts containing full accounts, in the language of the Natives, of the Carl and New Britain massacres, it is possible that a most important impetus might be given to the progress of civilization.