THE Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, MONDAY, 20th FEBRUARY, 1865.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 229, 20 February 1865, Page 2

THE Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, MONDAY, 20th FEBRUARY, 1865.

Political capital can be extracted by a certain class of politicians from every act of the party to which they are for the time opposed. The Auckland press, smarting under what it considers an injustice inflicted Upon the province by the Weld Ministry, regard every act of that Ministry through a distorting, medium, and refers to the road-

making operations now undertaken on the West Coast, as if they were only an excuse to introduce the war and a wav expenditure J n that part of the colony, by exciting to resistance and rebellion the natives of that district. The Herald, for instance, at a recent date, acknowledged that the West Coast natives were rebels and well deserved chastisement, as also that it was necessary to reduce them to submission ; bat it argued that the Government should have plainly stated this, and that it was its intention to so chastise and reduce them, and not have done this under what is little else than a trick. At this present time it is well known that the Governor is all in all with the Aucklanders, and yet it is easy enough to see that this, so far as the trick is concerned, is the bantling of Sir George, and not that of the Weld Ministry. It is a trick that was almost necessary to vindicate his course in the eyes of those at home, whose praise he courts, and whose censure is his dread. It can be seen running through both his late far-famed proclamations—for no one now supposes that he expected the first of these to produce any appreciable result in bringing the rebels to submission, or that it was to answer any purpose other than a pretext for the issuing of the second. This, which was not a production of the Weld Ministry, but is known to be His Excelieocy’s own, evidently marked out the West "Coast campaign, in so far as road making necessitates war with the rebels.

We think we cannot be accused of being over partial to His Excellency. .Yet we do not wish to lind any fault in his conduct that does not actually exist; and in tins matter of road-making we consider him won by of praise, for to a certain point be is acting? on his Ministers advice, and ia opposition tu instructions received from home that lie was uot to use her .Majesty's troops in forming roads through the enemy's territory. Sir George has chosen to consider New Zealand as the territory of her Majesty, and so removed the obstacle; and fur this he deserves the gratitude of the Colony, Er it is clear that if he had chosen he might have taken his stand upon Lis instruct ions ami acted otherwise than he has doue. But be its due the credit we give, or the censure bestowed by the Auckland press, it is to the Governor and-not to the Ministry it belongs, any farther than that they were consenting parties to the deed.

We cannot understand in wliac light Sir George is regarded by the home authorities. T .Ve see in this ignoring of his instructions one more act marking the character of the man. His ministers may advise—his masters may direct; if the directions or the advice is according to his own opinion, it is well, if not, he disregards both one and the other, and in either'case follows his own will. He can often bring the directions ” as reason for his disregarding the “ advice,” as few subjects indeed will not hear the description of “ Imperial interests ” from some point of view. The term is of too vague a nature to be of any practical value in anything he may think proper to include, and should he have to excuse himself for neglecting or acting contrary to instructions received from home, the self-same excuse will not fail to clear him there. But apart from individuals, .be they governors—or ministers of the peace or of the so-called war party—we regard principle as alone of importance. The islands of New Zealand have become the home of a large section of the Anglo-Saxon race. To be surrounded by a horde who defy the law in its application to them as offenders is unbearable. No one, we verily believe, wishes to have war with the natives, ’ and, consequently, there is no real war party; but constant collision with them on every occasion of their transgression— condoning* all their offences from simple trespass to actual murder whenever they please to resist our interference, is a state of things altogether incompatible with an Englishman’s ideas of justice and social order, and must be altered. The question of roads is perhaps as good a

test to be applied to the case as could be found. They are actually necessary to our social existence and advancement as a people. The experiment must not be tried only on the west coast of the island, though it was quite the best way to introduce it where it was well known its execution would be resisted before any other place where it might be doubtful; for if it should have produced resistance from natives who are now quiet, and called friendly, much blame would have been cast upon its authors. But there it was well known that there was au enemy to deal with; his resistance was a matter of course. We do not treat him as an enemy in this road making. If he ehoses .to acquiesce in our right let him staud aloof, and claim compensation for any laud taken of his property or damage done,"and he is not molested, while the beginnings of law and order are by this means introduced. If he should resist, he is treated as an enemy for this resistance, not for anything that has passed. The i’oad is made, and others have learned the lesson that we - have the right to make roads where it may be necessary they should exist, and if they be friendly and true subjects of Her Majesty, they will not think of resisting the act. As in this case, .so with others where the introduction of British law is attended with the risk of resistance from natives supposed to be friendly, it is good policy to introduce that law first among the disaffected by force. Persuasion is useless with one party, while another is known to hold us at defiance, bin when the unruly are brought to- submission the others submit of course.

It is a great problem, this introduction of our laws and order amongst the natives of New Zealand, We believe that this roadmaking- amongst rebels on the West Coast is at least one step, and a good one too, in the right direction.