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Southland Times, Issue 1307, 13 September 1870, Page 2

The telegraphic summary of news to hand by the Suez mail ha 3 produced a feeling of intense excitement. With war and rumors of war we are tolerably familiar. Tear after year the Native disturbance has dragged along its dubious course, and down to the present day it occupies a prominent place in the affairs of the colony. The announced outbreak of hostilities in Continental Europe, however, has come upon us so suddenly that a species of panic has taken possession of the public rrind, and for the time being at least the fact appears to be lost sight of that discretion is the better part of valor. It is only reasonable to suppose that nations other than France and Prussia will eventually be dragged into the struggle. Indeed it is hardly possible to conceive how England can maintain the strict neutrality she professed at the date of our latest advices, consequently a feeling of uneasiness * respecting our insular condition as a dependency of the British Crown is perfectly natural. Thus far the agitation of the public mind amounts to nothing more than a prompting

of self-preservation, aptly ascribed to the first law of nature. Unfortunately, the feeling has been allowed to proceed much further, and, following in the wake of a local contemporary, the wildest speculations have been indulged. A severance of the tie binding us to British dominion has been counselled, and a colonial federation, ydth. annexation to the United States, advocated. A worse-timed proposal was never mooted. If the danger is to be regarded as imminent, it is nothing short of culpable homicide to attempt diverting the mind from such defensive measures as are at hand, to those which cannot possibly be secured till after the evil has been inflicted. It is a flagrant attempt to trifle with the best interests of the colony, well calculated to hasten the disastrous consequences if? professes to guard against. ' Any attempt of the kind at a moment so inopportune would instantly be interpreted by the mother country as a movement towards assuming the responsibility of our defence, and would undoubtedly have the effect _of prejudicing the efforts that are being made to get New Zealand appointed a distinct naval station. Besides the alarm created by the evil tidings, certain branches of colonial -ir«Uto4ejJiase already exhibited sighs of "a depressing influence. Tne value of wool, "we are informed, has declined 2d per pound. Intelligence like this, arriving at the very opening of the shearing^ season, is well calculated to paralyze the interest. Of late years the preservation and improvement of the clip have engaged considerable attention throughout the southern provinces. Experiments of various kinds have been resorted to, and the New Zealand wool was in a fair way of being brought to a high state of perfection. The fall in the market value will operate as a check to these endeavors, and what ought to be the busiest season at the stations will be entered upon with a feeling of despondency. On the operations of the flax-dresser, the news may be described as having placed a complete veto. The report to hand from mills in the neighborhood, is that work will be suspended. "This is the more to be regretted, as many of these mills have been newly erected, and all the latest improvements for utilizing the native flax to the best advantage introduced. Altogether, the intelligence has placed the prospects of the export trade in an unpromising light, besides casting a general gloom over what was looked forward to as the busy season of the year.