New Zealand Volunteers for Natal.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3834, 12 April 1881, Page 2

New Zealand Volunteers for Natal.

There are few things more absurd than misdirected or uncalled-for enthusiasm. Whenever we meet with an exhibition of it we always enquire for the real motive, and generally find it is a bad one. We have been particularly struck by this reflection on learning that numbers of men in various parts of New Zealand, as well as in the Australian colonies, were anxious to volunteer for active service in the Transvaal, and were seeking means of conveyance thither. Some, we are informed, have actually gone. The news of the disasters that have recently befallen the British forces there, it-fleems, affected the sensibilities of these heroes so acutely that they could not resist the impulse of rushing to the aid of their countrymen, with the determina-; tion to re-establish the prestige of the' Empire, and avenge the defeats that hare befallen our arms. Such 'ardent, selfdenying loyalty as this is really very refreshing in these cold, calculating times* especially in view of the fact that there is not the slightest danger.of the Empire suffering any further, damage, if it can be" prevented by military skill or dejot-c'l bravery. Two of the most famous j?ouerals in the army, assisted by a picked" staff of officers, a«d commanding, a force approaching 10,000 men in strength, are attending to those little mafiters,f a&dif' they should need further' reinfbrcMaents," the Imperial Government are no doubt quite able to furnish them. Under these circumstances their military zeal has nket with a very cold reception at the hands of the Imperial authorities, the more soils all the help that a few hundreds or' tko|asands of untrained and undisciplined men could have given would have been neither here nor there. On the contrary,.they would probably have been ve^y much, in the way, and would soon hkv^^'ec^m^) almost as great a source of annoyance, as. the enemy. They would ,haye eajfcen.as; much as tne best soldiers, but would!trayei been perfectly useless in the,.field, ijiihlllß; for transport purposes they would Jfap^e; been far inferior to Natives. 0n» tfclie" whole, we should say, if anything were needed to complete the worries and difficulties of a campaign in South Africa, if it has to be continued at the close of the armistice, the arrival of a large contingent of colonial volunteers, or still worse, a number of small contingents, would most effectually do it.—Press. ,