The Wairarapa Daily MONDAY MARCH 15, 1886. A NEW ZEALAND HERO.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2244, 15 March 1886, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily MONDAY MARCH 15, 1886. A NEW ZEALAND HERO.

Among the Statesmen who are associjited with the: progress and development of tbi«i polony there are not' many who will rank in history as heroes. ■ Some of our leading men jbave indeed possessed ieroic qualities, but jii» conjunction with tliem theyjiave meaner qualities' which have prevented .(jdejtp from taking that high rank in; pubj^eopinion whiob is only accorded' tp (jhoseiii|u.6.tr|to,us won >vho sacrifice .their liivestp'the pf their country \and :live .befqre men without .fear and without reproach. There are some who regard Sir GEORGE .{jrjaEy as a h«ro, but however sincere this popular leader may be in his desire

to servo New Zealand, his iusiuoerity of speech, his craft and subtlety disqualify him. The rugged' honesty of Major Atkinson has something of the heroic about it, arid indeed he, is very nearly being a great man. Mr Stout, too, is not without great qualities, but unfortunately they are associated with .little.ones, Sir William Fox would deserve canonisation werehe not almost a monomaniac; but since the days of Dr. Featherston our only really great roan has been John Bryce. As long as he lives the colony will have at least one hero. Personally John Bryoe is less known than the majority of New Zealand statesmen. He is modest and retiring, never goes ou a stumping tour or even speaks in the House unless he has something importance to say, but with this lie is our wisest man iri council, and our bravest man in action, When he was Native Minister he followed capable predecessors whom he surpassed, for he settled, probably tor all time, the Native difficulty in this colony. What he did at Parihaka n( man who preceded or succeeded him was capable of accomplishing. It has been a matter foi regret that for book time past his services have been lost tc us in New Zealand while ho has beet defending his own honor and that o the colony, in London. That he shoulc have been maligned by Mr Kusden wa: not a great matter here, because nc New Zealand settler, whose gooi opinion was worth having, was likely to believe ill of him. The work whicl aßsailedhim,however, circulated inothei parts of the world where Mr Bryce'i high personal character was unknown and to set himself right—not with us but with the world—he went to Eng land and hud it out with Mr llusden That he has been completely suocessfu . is no matter of surprise. Mr Bryoi always lights in a righteous cause ant does not know what it is to be beaten We hope some day to sea him Premiei ol New Zealand. There is no othei [ maii in the Colony equal, to him foi such a position, thoagh it may be ■; questioned whether his health woult , erirble '. him to undertake the duties o such an office,