The Evening Star SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1873

Evening Star, Issue 3130, 1 March 1873, Page 2

The Evening Star SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1873

Post and prc-sessional utterances are generally amusing, and may be made very instructive when rightly used. They are supposed to he reliable as to facts, to expose the misdoings of Ministers arid Parliaments, and to put constituencies in possession of opinions formed by those who have had special opportunity of forming correct views on the questions on which they speak. It is but natural that they shoula differ, just as the statements of eye witnesses respecting particular occurrences will vary. No two men sec the same event from the same point of view', and this difference is widened when party or personal feelings, “ stand part of the question.” Those who feel curious respecting Sir David Monuo’s political views will not fail to be struck with this, perhaps, unconscious coloring. Sir David is a gentleman, with a gentleman’s good breeding and a gentleman’s prejudices. At Home be would be a supporter of Mr Diskaelt and the landed interest, just as in New Zealand he supports Mr SiAFEOKDand, to use hisowuterms, the majority of the hovajidc property-holders in the country. We have no objection to his sympathy with men of his own class; but we do object to their assumption of being, therefore, the only judges of what is good for the Colony. We have no objection to his personally holding to the idea that Mr Stafford has a peculiar talent for governing the Natives ; but we do object to statements such as ho made respecting Native management. We have no objection to his estimate of the incapacity of Maori members to deal with questions they do not understand •, but we accept his own speech as a proof that that incapacity is largely shared in by gentlemen of his own class, notwithstanding their superior education and opportunities. Wo have no objection to the use of figures as illustrations of opinions, but should like them to represent the truth, rather than be culled from the mass that really enter into a demonstration, because they suit a particular result that is desired to be .arrived fit Confining ourselves at present to Sir David’s ideas on Native policy, we cannot help feeling that much injustice was done by him to the Fox-Yookl Ministry. The description of Mr M ‘Lean's supposed proceedings w as amusing enough ; nut then Sir David’s hearers apd the readers of his speech must remember thpt ho spoke of a mystery, that, according to his own confession, not half-a-dozcn people understand. That he should be one of the favored half-do/.cp is scarcely consistent with the habitual caution of Mr M‘Lean, who is not remarkable Tor showing his cards to an pngeuerous political opponent. If, therefore, the Native policy bo such a mystery, it is a somewhat more poqffoxing pusijle to know where Sir Pujd his k&owlcd^e

of the distribution of largesse, or that blindfold bribery of filling hands behind j a man’s back, which reminds one ot | children’s pleasant way of giving a companion lollypops Shut your eyes and . open your mouth, and see wind God ; will send you.” In these days of elair- i vovance, some seer may be continuallv j tnicking Mr M'Lf.an in his errands ot j morevfor such t hey assuredly are and j reporting to the Stafford clique tor the , special behoof of the parly ; for it must not be forgotten that that proved success of the native policy of tnc I ox- V oma | jNlinistrv is the great stumbling block to j their opponents being trusted with power, j It is plain Sir David and his friends arc i conscious of this, and look upon that Native policy as the bulwark ot tlioir Ministry. Had Mr M'Lean joined Mr St.vvi'uu o last session, he would have | been in office now; and it is plain from j that, gentleman’s speech at Timaru and j Sir David Monro’s at 'Waikouaiti, that the tactics of the party arc directed to j weakening tlio confidence of the country in that policy. Mr Stafford objected to it being thought Mr M'Lfan was the only man in the country capable ot dealing with Native matters. Sir David Monro wished to lead his constituency to believe Unit there was danger in the pacific course pursued, because it carried the appearance of weakness with it. Let us endeavor to direst this most Important question of all party considerations, and view merely the bare facts. They present themselves to us in the following light: Following precedent, Mr Stafford did his best to conquer a peace, after having allowed the country to drift into Avar, through inability to organise a sound system of defence ; although the sums of money spent on his own and prior fruitless efforts were enormous. The self-reliant policy, in the hands of his party, proved a failure; peace was not conquered, and the relation of the Natives to the Queen’s government was anomalous. When prisoners auto taken, instead of treating them as rebels, they were merely detained as prisoners of war, and placed on the island of Kawau, on board the hulks at Wellington, or on the Chatham Islands, with full opportunity to escape if they could. From all three places they did escape, with feelings of rcA’cnge aggraA’ated by eaptiA’ity, and Avithout any conviction being arrived at, that their" conduct differed in motive from that of (heir captors. The Government of the day had no authority to treat them as rebels, and hoAvever bloodthirsty their conduct was they could not be proceeded against as criminals. The Stafford Administration took no steps to correct this, but went on lighting Avhen fighting was needed, and letting matters go by default when the Natives retired to cultivate their potato plots. Tito Koav.vru and Te Kooti flourished as heroes under this system, won their laurels, and grew into fame. The first important step fowards a change was made by the Fox-Cooke Administration, through the passing of an Act. changing Avhat before was merely civil I war, into rebellion, and the first prosecutions and convictions were under that Act. It would have been unwise to have made the Act the means of revenge ; but convictions under it were necessary to assort the authority of law; and, accordingly, there were both executions and criminal convictions. Prisoners, hitherto treated with honor, were condemned to penal servitude, and made to suffer the degradation Avhioh follows crime rather than the | prestige usually conceded to prisoners of ! war. Perhaps Sir David Monro will point out wherein Aveakncss Avas exhibited — whether in the timidity Avhich shrunk from dealing with this matter in a statesmanlike manner, or in the boldness Avhich dared to grapple Avith the dilhculty, and define the future relationship of the Maori race, Prior to the Fox-T oget. Administration. tli,o bush of the North Island was tlui stronghold of the Maoris, j Mr Stafford cleared no roads, made no openings into their fastnesses, secured no l important passes; but hjs successors cleared away the bush, built redoubts, and employed the Armed Constabulary iu forming roads into the interior, Under Mr Stafford no Natives were employed as contractors in making roads through their own districts; they Avere not led to taste the reAvard of industry nor to reap the benefits of improved intercommunication ; they were loft to their Maoridom. Under Mr M'Lean their labor has been utilised at a Avage that satisfied them and was cheap to the Government; the sugar-aud-blankct policy, tending to the perpetuatjon of idleness and degradation, has been abolished; and whereas differences of language contribute to ideas of separate interests, which are in their nature identical, schools have been established, Avhich are well attended, iu which Maori children arc instructed iu English literature and lan- ! guago. There may be a difference of opinion as to the advisability of granting a general amnesty, in Avliieh Tito Koavauu and Tf: Kooti an ill bo included. At the risk of condemnation by our readers, we should undoubtedly advocate that course on proper securities. Their conduct, however brutal, Avas recognised by the laws of war, and only became a crime by an Act passed subsequently to the committal of the offence. Compared Avith Fenianism, theirs is only a question of degree ; the superior ruffianism of the Maori being the result of habits of barbarism. To use the word “ pardon ” in their case is almost a misnomer, for they could not commit a breach of a law that did not exist; but when rebels “to the back bone and spinal marrow,” like Sir Charles Gavvn IVtfv have honors thrust upon them, notwithstanding the j shaking of local institutions consequent upon their conduct, it would bo political sin not to extend clemency to men who happen to be born Avith a dark skin instead of a fair one.