DISPARAGEMENT OF OUR VOLUNTEERS.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2590, 26 April 1877, Page 3

DISPARAGEMENT OF OUR VOLUNTEERS.

/ (To the. Editor of the Evening Star.) Sib,—The columns of the Thames Advertiser have: recently been very much occupied discussing the matter of "trained men," .and the number of troops General Cameron had tinder him during the Waikatp war, &c. The whole affair seems to have priginatied through a startling leading article ©.f (he 'Tiser's, calling attention to the present wretched condition of our defences, in which he goes on io say:~- ---" We arewithin : the bounds of truth in saying that the "native race was never in such a favorable position for war.' At the present time they are possessed of ammunition in abundance, rifles of the best descriptions, and food in plenty;'' It th en compares the difficulties General Cameron had with his 20,000 " trained men," and ' what we may now expect should a war break o^t with the natives. I will give iksmnidrial words of the Tiser's, viz. :•— ■ "^The *J discomfiture and total rout of TolunteerS) who have had sufficient training) and the massacre of outlying awonderful prophet to be sure T;. asecond^Jeremiah, If our volunteers are not trained now* I don't moW: when they ever were. H At all events tHe Defence; Minister paid the Auckland Volunteers a high compliment, when he told.them—"they were all -so highly efficient as not to require any further instruction or supervision." The volunteers "'■ are treble the strength 'in. numbersi to. what they were during the late war; armed with a far superior weapon;, and, what with the large increase of; p(opu.lition, the country opened up by rb^'«©4:T^U»;we.mus"t"-b;e.'a' very craven 16$^ people if we cannot hold pur own with Ine few. hundred savages who might dispute pur right to Waikato j and, to all appearance, I tMnk no real danger need be apprehended from any other quarter of the island. We have more to fear from a Russian iron-clad approaching our shores ";on plunder bent." ,To say the least of it, the !Tiser has cast a slur on our volunteers, which will not sound well in. Europe. - If the New Zealand press generallywas to harp on the same key it. * ttiight seriously affect the credit of the colony. lA: : : corresppndeut twitted the Advertiser about its admitting in a foot note that the 20,000 troops (referring to those under General Cameron) should have appeared as-12,000. (Who wielded the editorial pen on that occasion ?) In a subsequent article it ignored such a stated ment, and, unable to give a name to the greatest battle (so it said) of the late war, beat a hasty retreat by putting the " extinguisher," as it termed it, on corres-pondent.—-I am, &c, r Backwoodsman. :'April 23rd, 1877 v [No doubt " the eyes of Europe are Upon us," but "Backwoodsman" need be under no apprehension as to the effect of the AdVertiser's\slur, or whether it will "sound" well or ill in Europe.-^-Ei>.]