Mr. FOX AT COROMANDEL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 50, 12 June 1862, Page 3

Mr. FOX AT COROMANDEL.

(from the Daily Southern Cross, June 4.) There is no longer any doubt that Mr. Fox’s mission to Coromandel has proved a decided failure. We always anticipated that it would, and are not, therefore, surprised now, hut we sincerely regret that negociations should have terminated in such a manner as to complicate still more the difficulty already existing in the way of a peaceful adjustment of the conflicting claims of the Native and European populations. But there is not much to be gained now by discussing who is and who is not to blame fur the unfortunate position in which we now find ourselves. It behoves us all rather to address ourselves to the serious work before ns, and to take counsel together as to what it is best to do under present circumstances. Notwithstanding the government organ sometime back positively declared that it would be the duty of the crown to provide protection for the Maories, it appears, now, that on the failure of the negociations, Mr. r ox informed the Chiefs that in case of the diggers encroaching, they, the Natives, would be left to their own resources. We have yet to learn whether the Colonial Secretary in declaring this, wished it to be understood

he had ceased to consider the affording of protection a duty, or whether he still considered it so, but held at the same time, that under the circumstances it was a duty which it was nut expedient to recognize. Much depends on this point. Should the former be the case, he allows by implication that the diggers have a right to go upon the land, and to hold their own there with the strong hand, and further that as it is not the duty of the Government to take cognizance of any act of violance which they may [commit in defence of their claims, such act cannot in the eyes of the Government be unlawful. If on the other hand Government refuses to act, because to do so would be inexpedient, we liud ourselves in a very extraordinary position. The Government and the people of Few Zealand will be stigmatised with conniving at what they believe to be wrong, and rejoicing at that being done by others which they only wanted the spirit to do themselves. For our own part we believe that the most honest policy would be to declare that for the sake of the community, Maoris and Europeans alike, Coromandel must be made Government land. There is no such duty in our opinion incumbent on the Government as that alluded to by the New Zealander, and if there is not, why should there be any pretence and shillyshallying about the matter, or why should men seek to acquire Coromandel in an indirect manner by availing themselves of the services of compavtivu strangers in order to benefit by lima- acts, should these prove successful, whilst they are prepare;! to throw then overboard, and to repudiate all connection with them as with lawless freebooters, in case of defeat. We consider rather -that it is the duty of the Government now to state clearly what may be done, and to point out the course which they themselves are prepared to adopt in reference to diggers and Maoris, rather than to bide their time until circumstances show whether it is advisable or otherwise to encourage Europeans in digging on native land. We trust with confidence that our contemporary will drop its mysterious and enigmatical tone, and tell us fairly what we are to expect. We mentioned above that we regarded our position at Coromandel as considerably weakened by the result of the Fox mission. Fegociations seem to have been carried on in profound ignorance of the best manner of dealing with the native race. That Mr. Fox, the prime minister of Few Zealand, the dens ex machind, should have allowed matters to go so far as to elicit the “refusal direct ” from the natives, was a great mistake and betrayed a wonderful want of tact on his part, Had lie been at all conversant with the private histories of the men with whom he undertook to negotiate, he would have seen in Te Hira’s absence a sufficient indication of the probable result of his mission ; indeed he would have concluded with confidence that the natives had arrived at a foregone conclusion, and have abstained in consequence from persisting in a system which he has always deprecated with great warmth, when he suspected others of making use of it, —namely, that of teazing the natives to sell. But as matters stand now, Ins teazing has actually elicited from them not only a downright refusal, but the suggestion —a pretty cool one when put to a responsible minister —that he had better let them have fire-arms and ammunition, for the purpose, we conclude, of shooting European subjects. There is no tiding over the present difficulty. The natives have thrown down the gauntlet, and there is little doubt but that it will he taken up. And the ministry must remember that though they may pretend to wash their hands of all further responsibility, and though they can in point of fact be only regarded as his Excellency's agents, still they owe him and through him the country at large a duty which they must not shirk. They must not allow themselves to be carried away by the idea that they may shake the dust of Coromandel from their feet and allow things there to take their own course, whilst they themselves pack up for Wellington. If Sir George Grey were here they might go and talk wherever they liked, but at present they owe it was a duty to us to remain at their post till they are relieved, or at least till Sir George Grey hears how matters stand in Auckland, which we conclude will be a signal for his instantaneous return. Hot that we think that they are likely to do much good by their presence, but they happen to have the keys of the arms’ and money chest, and ws may probably be in want ci both soon. It is strange how men are altered by circumstances. Had any soothsayer risen twelve months ago, and told us that within

tliat short period Ur. Fox’.; views would bo so modified ; that lie would tell natives “ face to face,” on the part of the Government, that the latter did not intend to protect them against the Europeans, who would have believed him ? Few, if any. But we have always believed that it would come to tins, not exactly in the case of the gentleman we have been speaking of, but with many of the so-called Maori sympathisers. Wo considered their glowing periods in defence of Maori rights, and their expressions of tenderhearted sympathy with the race, as so much holiday talk, and as a style of declamation which would be dropped when matters become serious. Ami we fiiitl now that we were not mistaken. A disturbance, or even a war, entailing of its very nature gold and increase of population, will be regarded in a very different light from that at Taranaki; and even in the mother country it is more than probable that men will begin to see in the onward progress of the white race, even at the expense of the New Zealand native, an inevitable and necessary consequence of the bringing together of the two races,; and possibly even a providential arrangement.