Nuhou, Volume I, Number 3, 4 March 1873 — We Want Men. [ARTICLE]

We Want Men.

We noed men before measures; becaiiße we need men to earry out measures. We neeel a man wlio lias a policy to insx)ire eoufidence. in the country, and who has the ability and the courage to defend that policy. In this small comniunity a leader must speak to tlie people and satisfy them;. and not hide himself behind the traditional official digiiity ? whieh belongsTto old, great states. We are but a handful_; and our rulers are with us evēry day, and we elbow them in the streets; so that there -is not a bit of oflscial prestige, and nothing will satisfy us, but plain talk ? well defined views, and action. As it is we have neitlier ideas nor aetion; * but the policy of let alone, and waiting for something to tnrn up. Now, " masterly inactivity " may be \Vise in a great country, full of all the elements and incentives to empire; but in this little insular State, whose prosperity must depend mainlv on its outside relations, the do nothing policy is suicidal. The decay of our people, the (leeline of our business, the crippled conditi6n of our indnstries, and the popular attitiide of our Sovereign, all eallfbraction. Yet what i<Jeas Pr aelioii pught we to expect from men, or rather a leading man, who is not in sympathy with the industrial activity of the country; and who, it is itotorious, does not represent tlie confidence and favor of the King. . When His Majesty was called so imex« pectedly to tlie Throne; he, at the time of his accession, like a wise and patriotic Prince, considering liis past inexpeiience, yielded a deference to certain constitiited in tlie ehoiee of a slinis.try,.;afad ' allowed well grou nded personuf objections to be overruled in the selection 6f the chief adviser of the Throne, the Min!ster of For~ eign Allairs. This Minister must necesyarily be the especial Minister of the King; and whatever may be said to the contrary, he is Premier of the Ministry, and therefore he must bear tlie responsibility of its action or as in this case, its inaction; and the maniier of liis appointment, and his subsequent course eall for our strictures in the interest of the country. ■ . It is ūniiecessary to speak of the respectability of the Minister and his colleagues, wliieli we with this whole community fully rec6gnize. But when respeetability is mainly represented by a well filled money bag, it is hardly suflicieht for the statesnianship of a : eountry. Such respectability inay assist in its political management, by allowing a favored few to dip into the bag 011 i,ts own terms; but unless the bag is mad& accessible to all 011 living terms, it eannot be y regarded as an element of naiional prosperity; and must not without disgrace to the country be recognized as tlie chief inHuenee'in naiional guidanc-e. No indeed, a.prosperous finaiicial condition must not be regarded as ihe cliief test of Miiiisteriai or official capacity; if tliis were the case, sucli men as Webster, Clay, Oallioun, and in America; anel Fox, Sheridan, and' 0 7 Connell in Great Britain, would never have filled their several Senatorial and Ministerial positions, and never woukl have had the opportūniiy t.o p(ulbrm the great they did for 1) 1 <m r : evera t ? Personal eeonom\%

leading to personal. accumulation,' is certainly beneficial to the individual, when there is intelligence in the individual to utilize his economies; but mere economyJln a state y without any intelligent)" acMve pnrpose directing its industries and vitalizing its energies, when it needs such direction, is simply being content to eoll§ct a moderate fe@ from a dying patfent. This may die, whilst a few fatten on its life blood. We are sick of street corner whispers. Let us talk out plain. The couritry is in a struggling, and almost a bankrupt condition. We need active relief; and cannot be cured by eeonomies. Our position is contingent on its association with a continent. That association may not be absorption; but we need the intelligence that ean appreciate, devise, and act upon' the measures thāt may be needed in view of our position and condition. Now have we had neither ideas nor measures from our present officials; neither } whi3st i.n office during the past two months, nor at any time before ? We don 7 t know of any, and have no hope of any; therefore, there is no hope in sūch men who will allow the country to ' 1 niull on» arid drift into a| state of impoverishment and bankruptcy, content that their interests are growing, and their saīary is drawing. Oh, sick little land, with so many hopes, that are dāshed td tlie ground; it needs a man, and not a irioney bag.