CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 161, 12 February 1864, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the Hawke's Bay Times.

Sib, —The subject of the defence of the Province against any attacks which may be made upon it by the Waikato braves, or any other tribes of the aboriginal genus now in arms against the supremacy of her Majesty Queen Tictoria and British authority, or those who, at the present time, only render a passive assistance to those who are in arms, is so obviously au important one, as regards the future peace, welfare, and prosperity of the Province, that it most undoubtedly claims the serious attention of both General and Provincial Governments. Let them not place too much confidence in the fact that the Natives residing within the precincts of the Province are now friendly, (or, rather, profess to be so), for they are apt to be deceived. I firmly aud conscientiously believe, sir, that I speak truth—a very disagreeable and unpalatable truth it may be, —when I say that it is the general belief of the public of this province that the Natives of Hawke’s Bay are not friendly ! Bather a bold assertion, truly; nevertheless truth, “ impugn it whoso listeth.” Were they friendly—wore they (as they and their pakeha friends say they are) heartily sorry for the war now being waged in the North—were they really sincere in their professions of friendship towards the European inhabitants—would they, I ask any one of common sense, send arms, ammunition, and provisions, to their fellow-countrymen at and about the seat of war, in order to prolong the struggle against the British—that very nation for whom they would have us to believe they entertain such a high opinion ? The answer is selfevident. No, Sir; it is but a too true fact that the generality of the natives of New Zealand are treacherous and hypocritical. They have deceived the New Zealand Government oftentimes before, and may deceive them again ; so they (the Government) would do well (to use a sailors’ phrase), to “keep their weather-eye open.” Considering then, „that our habitation, for the time being, is among such men as these, whose numbers exceed, or, at any rate, equal, our own, is it too much for us to us to expect that those in whose hands the management of affairs has been placed should do something more than they have done, in order to enable the settlers of Hawke’s Bay, (although, perhaps, in some respects an insignificant province) to protect themselves, their families, and their property, from the destroying hand of ttesemi-civilizedhorde who haunt these islands? Heaven forbid that such a calamity as war should ever darken the face of this fair province ; but should it however, unfortunately break out, 1 sincerely trust that no imbecility or want of energy will mark the doings of whoever may bo called upon to assume the conduct of affairs. One word of caution and advice to the “ powers that be,” and I have done: “Beware of the ‘Bishop’s Lambs’—they are not to be trusted. Have no ‘ friendly’ Natives I am, Sir, Yours, faithfully, NO PAKEHA-MAORI. Napier, Feb. 16,1864.