Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Founders of Canterbury

Redhill, Saturday, 15th January

Redhill, Saturday, 15th January.

My Dear Godley,

—I expect that Mr. Cotton is anti-colonizing, pro-missionary, and pro-Fitzroy, besides being, to use an expression of his own, as it was repeated to me, "sick of New Zealand," He is a man of zeal, but crotchetty and odd, with a high notion of his own importance. I think that he will not help you if you seem to want him, and yet I doubt whether he will embark in a vessel which he has not helped to launch. At any rate, I feel sure, that in dealing with him or the Bishop of London, you mast treat the thing as settled to be done whether or not they take it up.

page 22

It strikes me that the course suggested by Hawkins is not politic. If you apply to strangers, they must suppose that you want them; whereas if he spoke to them first, their first thought might be for the advantage of their own Society, not that you were persuading them to help yours. The distinction is very important. If Hawkins is a real convert, he should perceive the inexpediency of putting you forward instead of going forward himself. Whatever you may say, do, or be, you must be suspected of caring far more about founding this Society by aid of the Propagation Society, than about benefiting the Society through the means of this Colony: and the latter idea is the only one that ought to be presented to leading members of the Society who have its interests at heart.

The delay about "the Board" is a pity. But surely this is a mere form, such as longheads, like Chalmers and Candlish, would have set aside for a great object by calling a special Board to consider a matter of so much moment. Torlesse, who is with me, seems much struck by the idea of furnishing the Society with a topic of continually-growing interest.

In return to the other point for a moment, I am of opinion that it is not your business, but that of Mr. Hawkins, or any other active member of the Society, to recommend their adoption of the measure for the Society's sake: your business is to explain the colonizing part to such persons as wish to know about it, not for its own sake, but for the sake of the Society. I think that in a disregard or observance of this distinction, it will turn whether or not the Society put their seal on all your doings.

P.S.—The foregoing remarks on policy relate solely to the work of inducing the Propagation Society to take the Colony up and appropriate it for their own sake. The getting up of the Colony is not their affair, but yours; and I wish to be understood as now confining myself to the subject of their connection with the colony. That is their affair, and should be managed by one of them, you being only called upon to page 23explain matters relating to the Colony. The object is that members of the Propagation Society should think of serving the Society through you, instead of your serving the Colony through them.