THE AUCKLAND PRESS ON THE SITUATION IN WAIKATO.

Evening Star, Issue 3201, 24 May 1873, Page 3

THE AUCKLAND PRESS ON THE SITUATION IN WAIKATO.

The Waikato Times , a journal which has hitherto given a steady support to Mr M'Lcan’s Native policy, and which expresses its warm approval of the action of the Government in connection with the late murder, so far, remarks as follows on tbe subject

Tfep pps'tißP ip which we stand can be put jn a few wprds. Are Europeans to pursue their industries here, or are they to start afresh as ruined men in more favorable climes? In considering this question, it mu't be clearly understood that the Maori’s power to lie and deceive is unequalled. A Maori thinks nothing of stating, with a grave countenance, that which he knows to be qntyae. To lie is his nature ; and those Who have pretended to understand him—vhl(sp they were, as in the opinion of many thpy have proved to be, perfect charlatans—sfapphl haye been aware of this fact. In many instances personal knowledge should have guided the judges to the goal of justice. Let us look at the other side of the question. The attempt has been made by us to render even-handed justice to the Maori and white man; we may have failed to do so in some instances, but a large majority of our failures are attributable to the lying propensities of the Natives. A native oath, as a rule, is less valuable than the piece of paper by means of which it is handed down as an occurrence tp posterity. Whatever faults there msy have been in the working pf oar laws, and in the legislation itself, it is an indisputable fact that the turn of the pcale has always in practice been in favor of the Native. We cannpt afford to fight the Natives in the expensive manner adopted by the Imperial Government. We must secure ppnfidence ; the must be brought to reason; otherwise we cannot live in that security that is necessary to the successful prosecution of any undertaking. We have undertaken the settlement of the Colony. We have brought the knowledge acquired in other Colonies to bear on our enterprise. If we are to succeed, order must be established. The Ngapuhi tribe has offered to take the matter into its own bands. It would suit us to grant the whole of the land owned by the King’s pe<ple as a reward for bringing the opponents of law and order to their senses. It matters not to those in rebellion by whom they are brought under subjection. Either the white man m the brown will have to produce the murderer or murderers of poor Sullivan, to be hanged as a warning to those who may take to similar eccentricities. The murderer must be hanged, and, as we said previously, the duty must be speedily done. We trust that the natives wifi not be foolish enough to drive us to extremities; otherwise the annihilation of the Maori race is tolerably certain to take place. The murderers must be hanged, and the accomplices receive at least a heavy term of imprisonment. The New Zealand Herald has the following just and timely observations on the subject: -“We do not wish to say anything that could prejudice settlement in the interior ; but wo think that, at this particular crisis, it is the duty of every colonist to strengthen the bauds of the Government, by refraining from doing things which, otherwise lawful, are calculated to excite the Native mitjd. We regret, however, that in every instance this wholesome rule is not obs.rved; and that two armed parties are at present engaged surveying blocks of laud outside the confiscated boundaries. When it is remembered that poor Timothy Sullivan’s life was taken as uiu for the omission of Pakurutu’s name froth a Crown Grant, it ia not difficult to imagine what may happen m consequence of the proceedings to which we refer; TJie survey parties, no doubt, require arms for their protection, and being |rn«d| they may not to attacked \ but then

innocent persons may be murdered as utv for what they are doing. Now, that is a view of the case which, in our judgment, calls for the interference of the Government. Wo do not object to the purchase of land from the Natives by Europeans: on the contrary, we approve of it; but we hold that purchases should be conducted in such a way as not to incite the Natives to crime. Direct purchase is a good thing ; but direct purchase which leads to direct murder, is by no means a thing to be desired or encouraged. Now, as the land cannot be made away with, we put it to these who employ the survey parties in question, whether th‘*y should not withdraw them for the present Doubtless, the irritation in the Native mind will pass away, when toe surveys may Vie completed without difficulty ; but if they do uot give way, for the sake of the public good, the Government is bound to take such precautionary measures as will relieve the outsettlers, who are in no way interested in these land purchases, from any risk arising out of armed men surveying and mapping Native territory. It is the duty of the Government to protect life and property, even when by doing so, freedom of individual action is infringed.”