Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, MONDAY, 9th JANUARY, 1865.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 211, 9 January 1865, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, MONDAY, 9th JANUARY, 1865.

Hunting-grounds in the Islands of New Zealand necessary to the aboriginal inhabitants for their subsistence, coveted, encroached upon, or seized by the grasping colonist: brave Maories resisting to the. death this destruction of their means of existence, their laudable bravery treated by usurping oppressors as rebellion I —these are specimens of the crude notions in the ■ mother country of the trpubles of this land and their causes. By the recent mail from home we have full ami sufficient proof of the truth

til ill BilCii io wic CHBB, iiOt 2,3 W 6 might SUp* pose among the humble only, where ignorance of the manners and customs of a people so far removed from them as the Maories are, may well be expected, hut among those we ought to expect to he, and usually call, the educated classes, those, indeed, who lecture at Exeter Hail, and those who write the leading articles of the Times — articles intended for a portion of the daily intellectual food for thousands of individuals. We quote from an instance in point. “ The Maories,” says the Times, “ though ostensibly disposed towards civilization, and caressed by a certain party as promising converts from barbarism, claimed to live and move after the true fashion of savages on the territory which they occupied. Reclaimed as they were in part from their original habits, and instructed, to all appearance, in the pursuits of industry, they demanded the preservation of their hunting-grounds, like genuine savages.” We remember a similar idea as to the nomadic habits of the New Zealanders having been broached several years ago in the House of Commons by one of the anti-colo-nizing gentlemen of that time—possibly the originator of the philo-Maori party of to-day, —this man, in the most sublime ignorance of the subject on which he was discoursing, excited himself to the highest possible pitch of virtuous indignation against those who, in defiance of the natural principles of justice, invaded the forests and hunting prairies of a nomadic people like the New Zealander, and deprived them of the means of securing their subsistence by the slaughter of the wild animals of their country. We remember, too, how the tables were turned, and the ridicule of the House thrown upon the worthy philanthropist, when a hou. member who did know something of the subject, exposed the fallacies of which the first speaker had been guilty, and amid much laughter plainly showed that, with the exception of each other, the only wild animal the Maories had to hunt was a eat; that the waste lands were not used by them at all; but even before their discovery by Captain Cook they were in possession of a rude agriculture, and raised a sweet potato, an esculent aurum, and some other things; that the flax root constituted a large portion of their vegetable diet; and almost all their animal food consisted of birds and fish.

Where there is such ignorance on such subjects we cannot wonder that there is even greater ignorance on subjects of higher moment, and such is found to be the case. The Maori is considered as the most wonderful creature in the world, as he has been able to keep at bay with only a mere handful, so to speak, whole regiments of British troops. “ We have not in all our experience ever met with such a people.” How it has happened that the Maories have, been able to do this they will not inquire; or if they are told it has been from the pernicious influences of Exeter Hall, Downing-street, and the Church Missionary party, they seem to have some abnormal state of the auditory organ, for they cannot hear, understand, or believe'what is said.

Meantime they do not cease to complain about the cost to them of the misdeeds of the colonists, admitting, indeed, that the war (as they call it—not rebellion) must be carried on, and, however unjustly, the Maori must be subdued, wondering when it will be done with a people so very brave f anxiously waiting for each mail to know whether any probability yet existed of this consummation.

This being the case, we may judge of the jubilant feeling excited by the news of the fall of a small pa at Tauranga, and the submission of a handful of rebels. No sooner is this known than the conclusion is formed that the’ war is ended, and the natives have submitted to British rule. A slight degree of fear is acknowledged that peace may be made with them on terms too easy, on the ground that the Governor had determined to confiscate but a small portion of their lands, and that “ excess of leniency or indulgence might lead to a renewal of the rebellion.” This will be their sapient and only natural conclusion from their premises when they learn that the war is not over—is farther from that titan ever : that scarce a settlement in the Northern Island is now to be considered safe; that it was hardly thought

possible (by a party) to remove the Seat of Government from Auckland to Wellington at this juncture ; and that not a soldier can be spared at present from the seat of war, wherever this may be. This much is to be said by way of consolation when contemplating the grevious and manifold errors our friends at home rest under—the blame for the continuance of the war at least will rest upon the head of the right person and to a great extent from the right cause— excess of indulgence and leniency. We may hope that a little time will serve to cast still more light on their minds respecting the whole matter. Perhaps Sir George Grey fears this result too, and tberefore|has done what in him lies to keep the light of the colonial press from the popular mind at home, and hence his semiprohibitory tax on newspapers.