THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 1871.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 776, 7 January 1871, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 1871.

•Late telegrams which we publish to-day from Tauranga, although sufficiently alarming in themselves, set at rest the doubts created by a previous message from our correspondent at Patea as to the massacre of sixty Europeans in the Waikato. There is no mention of such a horrible incident in later messages, aud it is certainly a great relief to be able to think that the rumor was destitute of truth. The aspect which Native affairs are assuming is sufficiently serious and calculated to create widespread mistrust and. alarm, and while this suspense lasts, rumors of all kinds are sure to be set afloat, arffl magnify the further they travel. Although happily beyond the reach of Native disturbances, except so far as they touch our pockets, the residents in this district must feel a deep interest in the welfare of their fellowcolonists iv the North Island, who, according to all present appearances, will • shortly be involved in another Native war. The murder of Mr Todd, the surveyor, is bearing its fruit, and there is every reason to believe what those who kupw most of the Maori manners and customs said at the time was true — that it was a declaration of war. The General Government, iuatead of taking immediate and repressive measures, allowed a considerable time tv pass, until they were shamed into action by the declaration of some friendljrchiefa that thfcy would go alone to the Waikato and " tie up Todd's murderers." Instant action alone would have, convinced the murderers that the Government was in earnest, but over a fortnight of valuable time was lost, before a demand was made for the surrender of the murderers to European justice ; .and during that time the Maori grew confident and insolent, and the King refused to give up the men who had slaughtered a European in cold blood — and. that man a Government officer, engaged in surveying land which was declared confiscate by the Parliament of the Colony, for acts of rebellion committed. Again a delay took place ; the matter was .being considered by the Gbvernment — Messrs Yogel and Fox were travelling through the country electioneering — while the Natives were gathering their forces together, sending threatening messages to the settlers and, ..missionaries, aad, as the telegrams said, "affairs in the Waikato were looking very gloomy." Now the climax has come, and there is no reason to doubt that we are again on the eve of a Native war. It is plain that the Maoris mean fighting, for Whitora and his party have marched on the township of Alexandra, threaten to burn it down, and openly defy the Government. They are supported by Tipihini and his party, who are openly building a pah within six miles of Alexandra, while settlers and Militia are all under arms, and evidently expect hot work of it soon, as those demonstrations on the part of " the Natives are not to be mistaken for anything else than war. At last the Government have taken* action, Colonel Lyons and fifteen of the armed constabulary having arrived at Alexandra from Hamilton. An insignificant force like this could not possibly make any stand against the Natives if they are in the force the telegrams appear to indicate ; and the probabilities are that the Militia and Volunteers will be hurried up from Auckland to the front, to go through the same miserable sort of work that has been so often forced upon them previously. The dissatisfaction and opposition to the Government appears to be wide-spread ; for private telegrams from Raglan state that lately even the friendly Maoris have avoided the town ; and from Aotea and Kawhia threats have been sent to the missionary that if he returns to his missionstation he will be shot. It is to be hoped that the fears of the settlers are exaggerated, but we fear that there is every 1 reason to believe that we are again on the eve of a war ; and if so, it will be the most desperate war the Colony has ever gone through. There are no Imperial troops now,— it will be colonist against native, and a war of extermination, and solely attributable to the " sngar-and-flour policy" of the present Government. It is singular that, co-incident with these events, the news arrives from Wellington thatDr Featherstone, who has just returned from England, has been appointed Agent-General for the Colony, and proceeds* home again in two months. This is the office which it was said Mr Yogel had secured for himself, and of which he must have been very sure when he declined visiting Hokitika on the ground tliat lie was about to leave for England. It yill be curious to trace the causes which* have brought about this change, but -the, probabilities are the threatening appearance^of affairs in the North Island, the failure of Mr Vogel's visit to Otago, the approach of the general elections, and the speedy assembling of Parliament, when the Colonial Treasurer's own pet scheme of borrowing many millions for public works and immigration is again to be brought before the House, after it has passed the ordeal of the constituencies, when it is sure to be received in a very different spirit from that with which it was regarded Jast session. The ' Government cannot afford to part wish*»its magician at such a critical I period as this, and the Colony lias every ' reason to congratulate itself upon the change which has been made in its proposed representative at Home, where Dr Ueatherstone has already won for himself and the Colony the respect oi the highest circles.