The Evening Star FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1871

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2737, 24 November 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1871

Perhaps no problem is so difficult to solve as the ruling of a savage by a civilised community. There are no principles in common. The riding power has established laws, for the adoption of which, it is presumed, the best reasons can be given. They embody, as a rule, the wisdom of ages, and arc based upon principles which are or are supposed to define the equitable relations of man to man. The civilised people look upon man as an individual, and hold him alone respons ible for the guilt of trangressing thenlaws, excepting it be proved that ho has been influenced or aided by others. To endeavor to induce the savage tribes to adopt these views by reason would be an almost useless task. The doctrine would be unintelligible to them as a nation, although no doubt there are certain customs among them that require the observance of fixed rules by the individual in his tribal relations. But here individual responsibility ceases and that of tribe to tribe begins. The quarrel of the man is taken up by the family. It may or may not be just. It may be a mere a personal affair unconnected with any common rights or claims; no matter, the man has begun the feud, and the family must prosecute it. The difficulty the civilised people have, therefore, is that in order to bring a savage subject to justice, they have to deal with multitudes, not with units. The notions of the savage are based upon those undefined and almost indefinable notions included in the term “natural rights.” The jurisprudence of their educated rulers is founded upon certain moral codes. The savage justifies many acts, such as murder in revenge, and spoliation of goods in retaliation for real or fancied injuries, which the latter forbids. With him every man is his own lawyer, judge and executioner and the tribe to which he belongs are his assistant police. It is this wide divergence of principles that renders dealing with the Maoris so difficult, and it is through not recognising it, that so many fatal and expensive mistakes have been made. The work of training savage races to habits of order and subordination, is no trifling task. Too often it is gone about in a spirit of impatience, that defeats its own object. Conscious of strength through the possession of superior means for aggres-

non and defence, the first impulse of very dominant race has hitherto been e compel obedience by force of arms—- •> conquer a peace,” to use a favorite tl 'se during Mr Stafford’s admiuis>n. Such a course may end in the taatu s - ou 0 £ ou tbreak after outbreak, leprcs -n'cr-mastered races, or in their of the nation; but it does not educate extermi the duties of citizenship, nor j e ! n m to feel a sense of individual lead them qty. The Britons never were responsibi) qects to tho Romans ; the willing sul goria are constantly rising Aiabs in AI ’reach; tho North Amcriagamst the I ve no £ become peaceable

can Indians hj, citizens of the only since the p office that there mouatration in N tinction tho law man and his tribe, to conquer a, pc manifest in the pi United States, and it is resent admistration took has been a rational cleew Zealand of the dismakes between the The determination 'ace, is not less oceedings of the than of tho last;

present Government, but the way in whicl their work dillers. Administrations power strated by making Avar : maintaining peace. Undt vernraents the Maoris wt and driven from their vil plantations Avere destroyed, was taken from them, and , treated as enemies : under tin \ they go about Under previous • was demonunder this by M’ former Gowe harassed 'lages, their their land they Avere present State is

Government the power of the employed in protecting the color holding possession of important tary posts, by making military into the very heart of the Native nesses, and by isolating disaffec tribes from the comforts of civilh associations. Former Governmen i tiled by the power of the sword am hfle; the present Government by an exhibition of justice. We have no doubt there are not a few who are inclined to sneer at this change of policy, and, safe from aggression themselves to denounce it as pusillanimous. This class of unreasoning politicians are very funny about sugar and blankets, and such like common-place witticisms; \ists by • miliroads fast'ted ied ta \ hj lei gant tons i last, j

but they do not perceive that the course taken by the Government is conservative and educational. The vi et armis policy unites men and tribes in resistance : the justice policy separates them into individuals, The opponents of the Government point to several murders unatoned for, and would visit the whole mass of Maories with vengeance for these crimes : the Ministry take the more humane and equitable course of proscribing the actual perpetrators and ringleaders, and thus separating them from the rest. Nor is it the less impressive upon the native mind that time is no element in the matter. Had Kereopa been taken on the spot when lie murdered Mr Yolkner and executed there and then, no sense of crime would have been communicated to the native mind. But years have passed away, and many of those who helped him have been allowed to follow their daily callings. He has escaped hitherto, and boasted in savage braggadocio of his deeds and of his prowess over the Colonists; but Justice has not slept, it has only singled ■ out its object with a steady perseverance far more terrible in its silent pertinacity than the angry retribution of battle. Glory is associated with the idea of death in battle ; degradation, in punishment as a criminal. We know of no more terrible consciousness than that which a man has, that the avenger of blood is on his track, following him in all his doings, and only waiting the right moment to strike. Yet this has been the position of Kereopa, and is that of Te Kooti and Mr Todd’s murderers. If they live, and the policy of the present administration is persevered in, their punishment is only a question of time.