THE RANGITOTO KORERO.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 226, 13 February 1865, Page 3

THE RANGITOTO KORERO.

Out of courtesy (we presume) to a correspondent, our contemporary gives insertion to the following letter, an excellent commentary on the views advocated in that journal:— “ To the Editor of the Hew Zealander.

“Srt!, —I have been fur a long time amused by the pakeha’s peremptory demand for separation from the Southern portion of Now Zealand, without consulting the insignificant and contemptible Maori, it is hardly fair’to expect so much condescension. Who and what, indeed, are the Maoris? —a race powerless against Britannia's mighty sway. “ I’oor things! Small right have they to be considered. And yet, ’tis true they can frighten us .in to a peace. How powerless! “They can fool u» into a truce. Mow innocent! They excel Maciiiavel in cunning. How artless! They can tlmidi us into so.net lihig resembling respect. Mom worth!/ of our Imperial and Colonial contempt. “And to wind up these few qualifications, they can build a pah, in tiie face of the pakeha, and with their fowling-pieces and tomahawks, dely the whole torrent of British wrath, i have been told that extremes meet, is it possible for the Maori to bo so much afraid of us timt they actually treat us with contempt? it seems so. And 1 can conscientiously say iiuit we thoroughly deserve it.

“A lot of old man and women are surrendered prisoners of war. A Hag of truce protects the delivery of a few worthless old muskets, while the enemy are busily employed in escaping. We clothe and feed a few hundred natives who condescend lo associate with (ho pakoha as friendly Maoris. As soon as winter is over, away they go. Why should we blame them? In their innocence they know no bett-e ■, which was palpably evident from their ignorance in not knowing when they were well off. View the indifferent manner with which they reject, our demands. A sure proof that they must be savages, or they would not be so notoriously uncivil. “That they continue to be afraid of us, I have little doubt, from wbat.l can learn from the great Rangitoto korero. They- overlooked, with consummate coolness, everything that the pakoha requested, and wound up with significant emphasis, 'you had better leave us alone! That’s all.’ We may treat the Maoris as a cypher ; but they have had the impertinence to put a figure in place thereof, which bears , a striking resemblance to No. one, and I have little doubt that this same number one will terminate in a sum of long division, or scramble into fractions.—l anf, &0., “ Initial.”