TE WHITI.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11481, 14 January 1903, Page 6

TE WHITI.

A correspondent, whose letter wo publish in another column, while taking exception to some of our lemarke about th* Panhaka episode, admits thut '"Mr Bryce's " action would have bsen unexceptionable had "adequate reserves been defined, and had " the law exhausted its power.s prior to •' the Parihaka raid.' . He complains, howover, that the Government, "while con"tinually espressing a desire for an amic- " ab'.e settlement, failed to postpone the"' "bun-eying operations—a divergence of •principle iuid action sufficient, perhaps, to "arouse distrust in an tintrninsd mind." Our correspondent, if iSeenis to us, has to a, huge extent answered hLs own objection. It was surely impussible to defiue the reserves without .surveying tho land. Wiiatfvtr may be said as to Te Whiti's action before tie Royal Commission, theiv was no excuse fur him afterwards. So far from being anxious for any legal settlement, he refused the offer made. l>y Sir George Grey. that all questions should be investigated by a competent tribunal at the coft of the Government; he refused to allow Major Pwrris to explain the recommendations of the West Coast Commission; he absolutely refused to be a party to any settlement when Mr Rolleston went to see him; he refused to meet Governor Gordon, who was anxiotra to try hi* hand at bringing him to reasen- He refused to give up the murderer Hiroki, who had taken refuge at j Parihaka, It had clearly become a question whether tlie Europeans were to be allowed to retain their hold upon the terntoy in that portion of the colony. Documents appended to the report of the West Coast Commission show that Tβ Whiti's contention was that the whole of the land was at his disposal. In these circumstances it was neees«arjr for the Government to enforce the law, and fortunately Oils was done without any bloodshed. This r< suit was, no doubt, duo to the good !*iiw of Te Whiti and Tohu in counselling non-re-sistance at the last moment, as well as to the prudence and effectiveness of the military preparations made by the Govern; ment. Only a few dUys before the "raid," however, both Te Whiti and Tohu made speeches in a very defiant and aggressive strain. If our correspondent were to look up the records, instead of relying upon lus memory for hie facts, we have no doubt he will admit that they are us we have stated them. We quite agree witli him that Mr Bryce committed an efror of judgment in attempting to prevent the ■aewtpaper correspondents from witnessing the entry into Parihaka, We may aLso &gree that Te Wliiiti was a patriot as well as a fanatic. The misfortune was that his fanaticism prevented him from seeing when he had secured a reasonable measure of justice for his fellow countrymen, und led him into exceeds which constituted a distinct menace to the peace and good government of the country. "