THE COLONIST.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 175, 24 June 1859, Page 2

THE COLONIST.

NEISON, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 1859,

" A Prophet is not honored in his own country," and to this we suppose we must account the otherwise unaccountable failure of the real head of the late Opposition. From the first commencement of local self-government he has poured his lamentations over our town, and yet tbe people have heedlessly disregarded his warnings. From the hour when his nominee was found nowhere at the poll, he has sedulously exposed, not ouly tbe faults which do exist (and we are free to confess tbat there are faults, as the late divisions upon at least two subjects will shew), but those which do not exist. He has prophesied that our Constitution, as afc present, is bad, and that nothing less than actual cautery or the knife can heal the wound. The advantages we derive are, in the eyes of this gentleman, a series of adventitious life whiob is unhealthy to the province. . The Conservative school to which the holders of such opinions belong, is one which, in Eng-

land, holds, a high position. It is essentially aristocrat, for only those who depend upon former ages ancl the mouldy dust of customs, whose only value is their antiquity, would have anything to conserve. They owe their position to a recognised state of society, and in their turn /bow to the supreme power ofthe Crown with almost servile adulation. On the existence of that depends their own, for education will teach them that upon the broad principle of the right man in the right place theirs would be found wanting. Like a bundle of dry sticks they cling together, and know that their very existence depends upon their adherence to each other. iEsop taught them a lesson in their youth they have not yet forgotten.

This clinging together produces an idea of centralisation in their minds, and any movement on the part of the "plebs " arouses their indignation; they consider that the working man is but the descendant ofthe feudal serf, and has a right to work but not to think. Illustrious descendants are they of those who would have shut up the Bible from the poor. If there were not some members of the Carlton of indisputable ability aud enlightened opinions, we could speak of Conservatism as we do of pigtails, powder, and top boots.

We cannot expect to find a province, numerically as large as Nelson, without some offshoots of this high and dry school, and here, as there, is nothing to conserve. Conservatives have to fall back upon their old idea of centralisation without a centre. The warm imaginations of their youth yet play about their minds, and they wish in some dreamy way to realise the old familiar spell of aristocracy. They still seem to think that the man whose property in England did not allow him a vote, is one whom society expresses itself as incompetent to give one.

Now, we will ask a fair question, even if we answer it ourselves. Of one hundred voters here, bad fifty a vote in England ? We think not, and yet we are to believe that a four months' passage is sufficient to enlighten their minds on the great questions of political economy and representative government. These men were as fit to vote in-England as they are here ; the difference is that they have changed their condition ancl their residence; they have forsaken their former homes, and with them the musty traditions of the past. On a virgin soil the strong hand ancl stout heart works away to opulence, and with pride may we say it, that nearly all those who now claim to be the aristocrats were men of toil and serge shirts once. They owe their wealth to a generous soil.

These Conservatives are the men who would attempt to deprive us of our real and solid advantage, viz., that of self-government. A prophecy was uttere\l by one long ago, as long ago as the date ofthe defeat of Mr, JoLLiE,whenhe aspired to be Superintendent. Failing then in bringing into office their nominee, a general denunciation upon all our provincial Governments was uttered, and the miseries attendant upon the scheme, proclaimed with a blatant trumpet. The good sense of the very people they despised ousted them, and yet, with the recollection of this defeat, they have again entered the field, and with a coalition of many who were strongly their opponents then. Our readers will remember the language used by Dr. Monro on the hustings to Mr. Elliott, and may smile not only inwardly, but with a hearty guffaw at the new Siamese twins. Their last joint production, after failing to throw out the Superintendent, is to try and throw themselves out. We wish them a safe and pleasant fall. General elections are the real test of worth in public men, and we fear that the Governor will not allow us this means of shewing the opinion of the province on some late proceedings. On the part of the supporters ofthe Government, we can only say that were such instructions to come from Auckland, we should rejoice. One or two gentlemen who have now seats might find that they had to listen to the debates at the bar of the House ; and we feel quite assured that whatever the result of tbe various elections for the members of the Provincial Council, the present Superintendent would address a House next session that would be in his favor by a large majority.