THE ASSAULT ON THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE. (Morning Post.)

Waikato Times, Volume V, Issue 299, 11 April 1874, Page 2

THE ASSAULT ON THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE. (Morning Post.)

Captain Maunskl^ appears to have boen singularly wrongheaded throughout the whole affair. He formed wrong conception's of the duties* and powers of the Commandor-in-Chiof. He wrote intemperate letters, which he was sorry for afterwards, and aaked to withdraw. He left the army, and wanted to be treated as if still in it. He failed to see that if pooplo would not take up his case it must have been intrinsically unsound ; and he determined to relieve his feelings at the expense of his judgment and his future prospects. We can feel for his disappointments and vexations ; bat renllv when the course he pursued is reviewed, it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that he wat by idiosyncrasy unfilled for positions of command. Anyhow, in assaulting the G'onimandiT-in Chief he not only did a very foolish and utterly unwarrantable thing, but committed a serious crime against the laws of the country. He has succeeded in his object of making his case known, but only to establish the fact that he was a* wrong in his views as lie was in his action. The only thing that can be said in his favour is that ho evidently did not intend to do any bodily harm to the Duke of Cambridge, meaning only to insure his being arrested and publicly examined. That consideration will no donbt be given its full weight when the affair is finally disposed of, though of course a punishment calculated to deter other's from following his example is to be expected. We would fain hope that under the new military system no cases of the kind can possibly arise in the future, and that, if they did, the individuals concerned would recognise that there are legitimate modes of bringing forward all real grievances in this country, and that personal violence as a means of redress is a thing not to be tolerated under any circumstances whatever.