THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1881. A SAD CASE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2392, 2 December 1881, Page 2

THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1881. A SAD CASE.

Our respected and venerable morning' contemporary, the “ Lyttelton Times,” is a fit subject for a little sympathy jnst now. He is suffering from a severe attack of Native fever, brought about by an overwrought brain while engaged in the manufacture of romantic incidents connected with the famous invasion of Parihaka. The disease appeared simultaneously with the departure of a special correspondent from "Wellington for the scene of operations on the West Coast. Since that eventful moment our contemporary has been the prey to nightmares of the most horrid description. Daily his columns have been filled with shrieks and lamentations over the injustice being perpetrated upon the noble Maori and tha horrors likely to ensue. Correspondent No. 1 at the front, acting under instructions, forwarded the highly coloured imaginations of his imaginative mind. Long accounts of midnight interviews with dusky chiefs and cut-throat warriors, accompanied with dark hints of impending tragedies, were duly received and belched forth. Correspondent No. 2 came in and stopped the gaps in his confrere's stories. Between them they supplied the fuel, and the editor toiled at the bellows. The result, although highly sensational, has been injurious to health. In a word our contemporary became insane and raved. We regretted it as much as anyone, because we had begun to look upon him as a reasonable being. Tha fulsome praise with which he formerly bespattered the ancient Knight of Kawau, so long as ho remained in power, had been discontinued. Why it was discontinued we need not seek to unravel. Perhaps, like the rats which are said to leave a sinking ship, our venerable friend also thought it was time to make a shift if he wished to avoid being swamped. Or he may have yielded to the arguments we have levelled at him during the last year or two, pointing out the error of his ways. If so we feel flattered. He baa renounced Grey, but still hates Hall. Of course it will take time to effect his further conversion, but we are confident of success. In a short time we hope to see his equilibrium restored, in which case we shall renew our efforts for his salvation with redoubled vigor. In the meantime our patient has been retarded by the appearance of Mr. Rolleston at Papanui. That gentleman took occasion to enter into a lengthy explanation of the Native question. He pointed out in unmistakeable terms that the course pursued by the Government was the only one by which it was probable that bloodshed could have been avoided. He showed that at the rising of Parliament things on the West Coast were in a condition in which they could not be allowed to remain. “ Our drays,” remarked Mr. Rolleston. “ had been turned back into the camp, fences were being erected where the Government had persistently warned tha Natives they ought not to place them, and on one occasion a display of force had been made by the Natives which showed that an outbreak was imminent.” Much more was said by the hon. gentleman, more than sufficient to convince any right thinking man of the justice of tha course taken. But our contemporary being insane, it was not to be expected that he would see things in their proper light. As an evidence of mental derangement Mr. Rolleston read the following passage from a leading article in the “Times” of July 4th, 1879 ; —“The main point to be noted is, that active disaffection does not now exist at the Mokau. We may infer that it will be confined to the Waimate plains; at all events, the attempts on the part of To Whiti to get allies, if any have been made, have failed. Tha occasion is propitious for a decisive blow. One of the rumors that has reached ns speaks of the planning of a raid on Parihaka, and another mentions that the Government hope soon to bag Te Whiti and Titokowaru. We can only hope that these rumors are true. If Mr. Mackay, tho new commissioner at Taranaki, can signalise the beginning of his career by tho seizure of the Maori prophet, ho will cover himself with glory, and effectually secure tho peace of tho colony,” It was no wonder that the reading of this precious extract was greeted with shouts of laughter. It was something so different to that which they had been used to lately that tho feelings of tho audience nearly overcame them. Well, all these things so fervidly desired by the “ Lyttelton Times” in 1879 have come to pass. Tho raid on Parihaka has been made; its inmates have been dispersed, their whares destroyed, and the place knows them no more. Tho Government has “ bagged’*

Te Whiti and Titokowarn, who are now in safe keeping. They have don. even •more. Hiroki has been taken, and will •ore long stand before a tribunal of justice. And all this has been accomplished -without the spilling of one drop of blood. It has however, been reserved to Mr. Bryce to “ cover himself with glory and effectually secure the peace of the •colony.” Why, after living to see his wishes carried out in such a satisfactory and complete manner, our contemporary should continue to hurl his poisoned darts is a mystery which time alone will solve. No chance of villifying tho men who have “ covered themselves with glory,” is allowed to slip, no attempt to tarnish that glory ” too petty not to be worth trying. No later than Tuesday last, the truthful “ special ” forwarded a lot of sensational nonsense about a gathering of Maoris at Normanby. What if the Natives did dance a halca and drink beer by tho bucket. The first is just about as natural to them as it is to a Scotchman to do a highland fling; while, as for the latter, it is—perhaps unfortunately—too general. 1 But the impression sought to he conveyed by the “ truthful ” special was that there was danger of an impending outbreak owing to the unprotected state of ( the township and tho desire of the i Natives for revenge, and hence there was J a flaw in the Government policy. No- ( body, however, seems to have been ( alarmed. It has been the custom of the ( Maoris to assemble at Normanby for ' years past, and no harm has resulted to * anyone except themselves. We are afraid ( that our venerable contemporary will | ■ have to give the Native question “ best,” 1 •so to speak. The tremendous efforts he has put forth to incite tho Maoris to re- \ hellion, have proved abortive, and he j stands convicted by the voice of public I •opinion of treachery where loyal support I -should have been given. We shall rejoice * to-see him once more “ clothed and in his a right mind.” d OUR LOO All NEWSPAPERS. » n Three appears to be quite a flutter in our d local newspaper world just now. The “Star” is shortly to undergo a change in its Editorial management, and its neighbour of equal ill- ai smelling notoriety, the “Telegraph,” is also w coming out with an entire change in manage- w meat and ownership. Those of our readers w who may have heard of this last named 0 journal, will be glad to be informed that after the elections on the ninth tho new proprietory h will take charge of it. Their names are a guarantee that for the future its pages will r{ not be disfigured by pilfered telegrams, or t< vamped up items culled without aoknowledg- cl ment from its morning contemporaries. Tho gentlemen who have undertaken to “run" the * Telegraph” as a Conservative paper of the £ strictest character are as follows :—The Hons. \ John Hall and Wm. Rolleston, Messrs Peter a: Cunningham, J, T. Peacock, Drs. Prins and P Townend, O. W. Turner, W. P. Oowlisbaw, and several other gentlemen of equal standing D and wealth, whose names we shall publish for 1 the information of our readers, so soon as the b company is registered under the Act. We are glad to welcome the addition of this errant dirty boy to the ranks of progression and liberalism, and we hope that its new ° editor, Mr H. O. M. Watson (who we presume h intends to knock off his present work of the □ curing of souls) will conduct his journal in A an honest and respectable manner. Share- t holders in the Bank of New Zealand are also q to be congratulated on the recovery of the te heavy debt in which the “ Telegraph ” stands J in the books of that institution, and it speaks well for the open-hearted liberality of the gentlemen above-named, who have so man- e ( folly stepped forward to spend their money in d the good old cause of Conservatism, tl