ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

Southland Times, Issue 927, 3 April 1868, Page 2

ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

The intelligence by the last Melbourne mail of the attempted assassination in Sydney of His Eoyal Highness the Duke of Edikbtjbgh, wherever raceived, has evoked a feeling of deep sympathy with the sufferer, and of intense disgust and indignation against the miserable and cowardly assassin. That the oldest British colony on this side of the world should have unfortunately been selected as the theatre for the display of the most despicable, as well as atrocious act of deep dyed- villiany, of which late years iurnish a record, must be to the inhabitants of New South Wales, a source of profound humiliation. That in the midst of the thousands of hearts, beating with the warmest loyalty, and animated by the one desire to render the kindliest greetings of the most profuse and generous hospitality to their Boyal guest, the fell destroyer " on murderous thoughts intent" should lurk, seeking opportunity to deal the deadly stroke, with the absolute certainty of his immediate apprehension and consequent punishment, may give rise to the question of the sanity of the agent in this dastardly act. Whether to regard the attempted assassination as the act of an individual madman with one idea, craving after notoriety, and prepared for crime'by the unlimited use of stimulants, or as that of an organization of which he was the agent, is a point which, just now, cannot be definitely settled. Appearances — judging from the accounts that have reached vs — point to the latter conclusion. The desire to do personal, violence to Eoyalty — as in the case of Collins, who flung the stone at His Majesty King William IV., at Ascot — and also in the attempts of Feaitcis and Oxfobd, by firing at Her Majesty the Queejt — is a form of monomania which may exist, and probably does exist, without any specific

motive. In the attempt on the life of the Dute of Edinbttbgh, regarded as the act of an individual, it is humanly certain «hat no motive arising out of previous injury, or any of the causes which so iTequently prompt assassination, could htve existed to urge it. Viewed as the act of an organization, and as a means to the accomplishment of some political object, the madness of its character is still more apparent — Quern Deus vult jperdere prius dementat. Whatever the originators of this dastardly piece of ruffianism could have expected to accomplish by it — supposing it | to have been successful — may be well understood by themselves, but is something which the mass of mankind certainly fail to see. The stupidity of the act is equally patent with its villiany. That a non-political character, such as His Eoyal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh — disassociated in the minds of every one from all ideas of legislation, and not being the direct heir to the Throne, should have been selected as the victim of a hatred existing either against the British Crown, or British constitution, is about as senseless an act of scoundralism as can well be imagined. "Without special reference to the tendencies of the practices of the misguided men who, in the minds of most, are supposed to be more or less directly implicated in the murderous attack, intended for deadly effect, but providentally frustrated, we merely remark that if it shall be proved to have emanated from them, and as part of a system for righting their fancied wrongs, they will have done themselves more harm by the step than years of suffering could have occasioned them. Tears of persistent legitimate effort — if any effort in such a cause can be deemed legitimate — will not wash out the foul blot which the attempted assassination of the Duke of Edinburgh will have stamped upon the cause and all connected with it. The meeting on Monday evening at the theatre, convened for the purpose of expressing the indignation of the people of this Province at the dastardly act, was in all respects what it ought to have been. Summoned at short notice, it yet represented numerically, commercially, and in point of intelligence, the Province generally, and the addresses of- the various speakers in moving and seconding the resolutions carried by the meeting — "short, sharp, and decisive" — were responded to in a manner so hearty, as to prove to a demonstration that loyalty to the Crown, sympathy with the suffering Duke, and abhorrence of his cowardly would-be murderers, universally prevail among us. That, among the representatives of any nation now in our midst, sympathy with the recently perpetrated act exists, is not to be for a moment believed, and in the almost universally expressed detestation of the crime, political organisations supposed to tead in the direction of hostility to Boyal.ty and the maintenance of those institutions which long experience has taught us to cherish, will be glad to clear themselves (if possible) from the imputation of participation in it. The telegrams received as to the nature of the wound, and the condition of His Eoyal Highness, all lead to the belief that' the injury, though dangerous and painful, is not likely to prove mortal. In the expression of the hope that such may prove the case, we have the general concurrence, and further, that the same gracious Providence which has prevented immediately fatal consequences may bless with speedy recovery. The generally felt abhorrence of the act demanded for its vent a public expression, which it has most unmistakeably received. In the various addresses of the speakers on Monday evening but little reference was made to the interruption which the attack would make in the arrangements of the Duke, and to the consequent loss to New Zealand of his promised visit. It-is better that such has been the case, and that no appearance of selfishness has entered into the expression of our sorrow. Provincially, we were not likely to receive a visit from His Eoyal Highness, and the expression of our condolence and sympathy given with the warmth of feeling manifested, is thus free from even the shadow of a shade of personal or provincial considerations.