TAHITI.

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 2, Issue 48, 4 July 1844, Page 4

TAHITI.

To the Editors of the Sydney Morning Herald. Gentlemen.— Under the head of “ European Politics,” in your paper of fMonday last, I see an excuse offered for the conduct of our government with regard to Tahiti, namely, t?ie expected machinations of Russia render it* expedient that the English avoid all quarrelling with the French. The English government now finds it necessary to purchase the protection, alliance, or assistance of France, at the expense of its principles, its old, its maoly principles. It is said in the article’ above mentioned,” the English government having already given its sanction to the French taking Tahiti and the Marquesas, on the condition that the soi disant Queen shonld receive an annaity 'uflicient to live on. ’ By the English government having made a stipulation of this kind, it adniite that it Las something more to do in the matter than merely to preserve a balance of power. This something more can only be the written promise of its King, thus admitted to be binding. It is preposterous to expect that the Qoeen of Tahiti will descend from the th<one on which she sits superior to all for a pecuniary consideration • and, even if she wished to do this, for the sake of her people, she ought to resist (he inclination. The writer of the letter alluded to sa*s, '* the only parlies disappointed bv these arrangements will be the Emperor Nicholas and th- missionaries.” If the writer be an Englishman, he must either be a» emissary of the government, or a v ry degenerate one If, as I expect a foreigner, lie should not have written the sentence la«t quoted until he had learnt the character of the Engli-b, Did he know this, he would not require lo be told* that there are probably millions of Englishmen who have been most grievously disappointed— w bo have been accustomed to think wiih pride on the deeds and greatness of their country—on the honour of their kings and queens—and figuratively speaking, on the prowess of the British Lien ; that there are millions of Englishmen, who have now, for the first time, been forced to bfnsli for their country—who have been forced to curse in their lieaits the deeds of a Government, which has, out of fear of France sacrificed the word and honour of its King now no longer alive to vindicative himself, and which has made the ** British Lion,” a by word , at least, in this part of the world. The British Lion, forsooth !

No one disappointed? Wbat must have been the feelings of Captain Nicolas and his brave band, when after his demonstration, (hoisted the old flag, and giving it a royal salute,) be was obliged to make himself scarce ! to be made to act like a cur, which after yelping and barking, puts his tail between his legs and sneaks,away as soon as his enemy turns round ? Wbat will the New Zealanders or any other think, when a British Governor tells them of the invincible power of which he is the representative ? They will think of Tahiti, and her deluded Queen —and smile..

Sir It. Peel said, “ are you prepared to go to war for so small a stake as Tibiti? ' and spoke of our possessions in China, sc., as if there was a Comparison between making conquests after a declaration of war, and pouncing upon a country in time of peace. But Sir Robert was most wrong in insinuating that the stake was small; the latter was not the island of Tibiti ; but the faitb. the honor, the dignity and the principles of the British nation. [And this is net a small .stake. If we follow out this argument, we might be stripped of all our possessions : the French, or any other power which we could not frighten by talking of the “ British Lion,’’ would only have to divide them into what Sir Robert would’call small stakes, and then might siexe on them one after another. If our Government had,..as soon as these doings at Tahiti, were made known to it, intimated to the Government of France that it was bound in honor to protect Tahiti, I cannot but think that the French would have desisted ; and thus, by acting after the old English fashion, in a fearless, straightforward and manly way, we should have avoided this disgraceful humiliation. I am, gentlemen, your most obedient servant AGRYHNON. Newcastle, May, 7, 1844.