THE LOYALTY OF THE COLONIES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2885, 10 January 1891, Page 4

THE LOYALTY OF THE COLONIES.

Thk above is the heading i>f the pnper by Dr Bany, lute bishop of Sydney, which appeared in the November number of thr "Nineteenth Century." The paper was written in reply to one by Dr liakewell of Auckland, in which that gentleman maintitimul that colonial loyalty, except from interested motives, wasidmti.it iiu uuknuwn quantity. We f^iv<; tliu following extract which include* tin: nw4 salient points inadti by tlio Ui.Hljup :--■ "llnw roally stands thucaseV Tin; presmit ()ha-:iMif relation to mir uoUmii's is, I nin inclined to think, transitional, und thereforo critical—Not unliko the period iu domestic lifo when the son- of ;t family have juit, grown tip to manhood, too old und too uiaturn for thu discipline and dei>ondence of earlier dny.n, and y>a not properly ready for .;i!|)nrtttion to an absolute independence. At such a period m>iih>, no doubt, will be eager - -prematurely eap;er•■- to set up for thorn-clve.-i. Hut most who have any lovo of liMinf, and any loyal and affectionate roverunco f.ir parental authority, will still prefer to bolimi? to thu life of the family, if within it thry can havo a light measure of freedom, ;<ik! of influence) in the direction of that family life, ft is a critical time not free from serious difficulties as to the right harmony of authority and freedom, of unity iiiid independence. Hut for thu strength und happiness of tho home it is well worth while to faco tho difficulty—, and in fitciiiß it more will depend on moral principle than on formal vide, more on love than on law, more on mutual self-sacrifice than on nice adjustments of interests on b-jth side*. At. such a crisis in our colonial history weseom to have arrived. There aro I suppose rathor leas than nine millions of people outside (treat Britain, and some four times that number within its shores. Tho true centrill power, not only of numbers but still inoro of wealth, culture, education, strength iind largeness of national life, is still in the old country. Separation even for the three chief groups of colonies—American, Australian, South African—would be at present the choice of comparative littleness in pluco of » share in greatness: ■>; an isolation—possibly dangerous, pry sibly of a somewhat ignoble saLty—instead of a unity, burdened indeed with a great responsibility, but yet having > glorious mission, which must kindle some thing of a large and glorious spirit. There was a time, to which the article before us iUludes with excusable bitterness, when a timid and ungenerous policy prevailed for a time in England, urging us to throw off our colonial responsibilities, to euggeat and almost lnvilii separation from our colonies, in order to relieve ourselves from burden and risk, and to concentrate our energies at Home. That policy is happily a thing of thu pa.st with us. Nothing is more striKi'tig t> mo than the increase at llonii!. even in thu last livo or six years, of iritere.sl, pride, iill'ijction fur our clonics. 1 should bo sorry if that d<s.;n-ed!y cs.-t-off policy v.vi-ii tak.tti up there : anil I bcliuvo tlnu, ii it. li-'f. , at Ihm.'-i :i(iy mil pmvnr, that powci lin;r.\ is lierr, will'l> ■ hut temporary, soon to ifivo iviiy to i ■,'Liicr and nioro generous conceptions , .

" lint Lit tho same tini3 o\ir chief colonics have advanced in various tn something like maturity. Naturally they havr tVi<3 stngo of mem dependence, •is on Home resources so r>ll Home anthonty. There is, accordingly, as might Lit , fxyeuteil, :i separatist party, chiefly anions (lie younger 111011, npt to exntrueratc the rttren'jjtli ot thoir colony and its power to protect and advance it.i own fortunes; ready to chafe itguinst wliat tliey deeip '•.vciiss of interference from England, and still nioro to resent any real or fancind depreciation of colonial things and colonial liiijn, somewhat prove, to take restricted views of colonial interests, and to claiin thai, tliesc be pursued without the toii-.ideratioii of tho complexity of the internal or externa! relations of a worldwide Eiimirc. But I believe this paity i>slill in ii linpelesa irin:)rity. Wlienever it has asserted itsalf, as was done 111 Sydney in an occasion connected with thy Jubilee of ISS7, tins result lias been an iniruunso re-action of loyally, by whiuli it has bpeii simply overwhelmed. Through all tin; celebrations of tho centenary festival of tho succeeding year, amidst much self-coneratulation 011 the progress mainly of tho last half century, and many equally natural anticipation.-, of thfi ntill greater future which evidently 'ay before Austri'.ia i:i the next fifty year. , --, ihurc was in no one influential quarter a hint of separation from the Old Country. 'flic great bulk of tho colonists desire, I feel sure, to maintain the connection with the mother country ; and in direct opposition to tho views advanced by Mr Bakewell, ( have » sfcnuiff conviction that tliis desiro, half unconscious in quiet times, w:>uld be not awakened, but greatly Htrougthenod and kindled, by any stress of national danger or emergency.

IHit under whatever tiller, I hold it absolutely necessary that some true federation between the mother country and her free colonies HJumld be realised, so that all shall have some share in determining; the national policy which in its results must affect nil This wag the feelinc

which came out strongly in Australia during what \kw called the "Ilus>ian Scare,' , when it was conceived a3 likely that tl)(! colonies mtt-lit have to defend their shores in a war, to which no representatives of their's had (riven consent. 1 believe tliuL it lay at thu rout of Home objections Hindu to tlju scheme of maintenance of the increased Australian fleet. It was o[ course obvious that tho direction of the )l«nt must bo in one hand, and that lianci uonld only at present be the hand of the Uritinh (lovorniji.int. l!iil ycf. there was a l'c.lußtfiiif- to nrlopt:. principle strum™ |.. I'iirlianidiiUiii'v hy -m(>plies to that over which the' Parliaments li.iiJ no control, even in the face of n'uvionnecessity, and on the- colrnial side, coinimireial . . . A< this coinnies (Trow—as tlin [:ri. : ...ticii "f tl'O inhabitants of "(Jre.-.Vr iViiiii.i " nut-iJo the Old Country isiciivci--, us it cmbiinlv will do ---!!!■! only ;i.>-.-:!l.'i. .•■ltiii-wir.iMi of f.-i!c.v:itii.|i v.iil i::' n.'mi' i-iiil iiiori! plainly I'.iK-i-d iin:.i! ii-. /', -tv:-.:, mi ti-ioin, if we havi> i!..: chi.ir,. -.v!v. w,-;\..\ livsit:>to lit. any tinmV i .'■ in !ii- ■;: Mill' , .* in which it Ji.iH betm •M'i "M-i" i! iv of sin.ill national ties is over," hi , ' i.i uliicii v.'f ccrtiiinly sen tt-ndfincy rw.rywheio to of pre.it Kwinic-, such hositntion would bo inoru than i'.i'l' i!iadn.i--iab!e even for a nmnient. Tlicri! «ru lliosk I know who nlfur us the \i-'ii.n of o \ii.-t coufedPMcy of wliolly lil-d'~pt.-trJL'.nl .-•ttitcs of thu spuakin? vi.iu-. iu which Ihn United States of America are fr> |i.ivt> the preponderance i'vi?ii over the Oiil Cnmitry. ]sut, even if this vision had in it anytliiiif? attractive to 1-InKlisli Blinds and hearts, yet, afler all it is but a vision, and it would be madness to .sacrilioo for it a bond wlncli is at least a ruality now, and may becoinutim Rerm of a much greater reality hereafter.