The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1879-07-15 00:00:00

COLENSO ON THE ZULU WAR.

Unlike most missionaries Golenso aims at educating
and civilising his native Rock before entering upon the
great work of conversion. A Zulu dictionary and
grammar, easy Zulu reeding-boots and lessons in science,
translation of the Prayer-book and hymna, of the bo of oks
Genesis and Exodus, the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles,
the Pilgrims'. Progress (this last • general favourite)—
thew are only some of the Bishop's Zulu works, the result
iif great labour and perseverance in what may indeed be
termed an unknown tongue. It is only after we have reached
the eacred precincts of the s ino king • rumi later i n the e veni nit
that we approach the vexed question of the colony—the
justice or injustice of the present war. Our host, armed
with a long churchwarden—surely the most appropriate
episcopal pipe possible. remindingone of Thackeray's hope
he might live to see a Bishop wilist down the steps of
the Athenaeum with a clay stuck in Ins shovel-hat- —is of
course all for the Zulus, and advances facts and arguments
innumerable, which certainly appear incontrovertible.
The annexation of the Transvaal was, he declares, the
beginning of troulike. To propitiate the Boers for such •
high-handed proceeding, we carry out the encroachment
on the Zulu territory from which they shrank themselves.
And yet before the annexation we find Sir T. Shepstone
threatening the then recalcitrant Boers with the Zulus.
and, indeed, sending word to t ktevravo to hold himself in
readiness to assist lam against them !
teriJoeing to the two so-called violations of the British
t ry —the more immediate causes of the war—the
Bishop gives no a new version of the Sihayo story, Two
of his wives ran away into Natal with two men. His two
sons cross over and bring them back without doing the
slightest Injury to the colony or colonists. These young
men are demanded by the British Government ; they are
sons of a powerful and great chief; naturally Getewayo
hesitates to give them up, and 'ends fifty pounds in gold
as atonement money, "asking for peace and forbearance
until the I :overnor may see geed to speak his word about
that matter." Another message is sent Gateway°,
refusing the fifty nounds, and demanding the young mom
again. Before this demand arrived it had been decided
unanimously, with the consent of Shay° himself, to give
up the offenders. But when it came, Getewayo found
lank bodies of troops massed along his borders,and • man- ,
of-war firing guns and looking in on his coast; any!
generous spirit would have refused to throw these young '
men sea sop to the dragon which was about to devour his
whole land. Then there is the ease of Messrs. Smith and
Deighton ; they were really acting as spies, trying to
discover a ford for troop* to ernes Into Zululand, and at •
time when the Zulus were much alarmed at the forces
arriving in Natal, and at other warlike preparations. By
practiong moderation, good-will, and justice, Natal has
been perfectly safe for a quarter of a century, even with
Cetetwayo and his army on our borders. It would seem
only quite lately, in fact, that the fat king has been
given the bed name which seems destined to hang
him. The Bishop says he could quote passage after passage
from successive Governors and Sir T. Shepstone, testifyingto his good behaviour. In January, 11(15, Sir IL
flulwer
says, he is glad the words he sent to Cetewayo were
welcome; they were sent in • friendly spirit, and received
by him la a friendly spirit, which was as it should be
and again, "that the relations between the English and
Gateway° have always been friendly." Two facto certainly
seem to speak well for his role: lint, that since he came
to the throne there has been no large rush of refugees into
Natal ,• and secondly, that a large number of Zulus once
settled in Natal, and even many Natal natives, havegone
voluntarily to live in Zululand. The changes and reforms
we now demand of Getewayo require, like all great revolu-
tions, time and patience. If, with the help of the proposed
Resident or British Agent in Zululand, it had taken some
years to bring them about peacefully, there is no reason
why Natal colonists shout I not have lived in the interim
happily, aa they have done for many years past, aide by
side with the Zulus, with whom they have never had •
merlons difference.

-I.l";—Co—mmencing-- • this unhappy war, it would indeed
seem that we have sown the wind, but have we reaped all
the inevitable harvest of whirlwind, even with such
Aceldsmas as Isandhlavrans and lntoinbe7 We count
over and mourn our slain, and are not our foes men of
like passions with ourselves Surely their instincts—lese
civilised than our own—will demand blood for blood, raid
for raid. let the immediate eftoct of the war be what it
may, will it not probably sow dragons teeth of hatred and
revenge in the country we are invading, bearing perchance
in the future a crop of armed men that will turn again
and rend us when we least expect it ! Then the question
arises, Cui bow, This terrible loss of life, this enormous
expenditure, is it not all for • colony that basins yet been
rather • thorn in England's side than &credit to her; for
colonists apparently lost to all sense of patriotism and
loyalty, who, intent only on personal aggaandisement,
throw hindrances in the way of a war that is being waged
solely on their account, instead of trying to further it
with every means in their power.