THE PAT MARIRES TRIUMPHANT.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 5, Issue 277, 12 June 1865, Page 4

THE PAT MARIRES TRIUMPHANT.

(From the Southern Cross The expedition of H.M.S. Eclipse to Opotiki to capture the murderers of Mr Yolkner, is one of the most inglorious incidants of lire war. Pai Marirism may now, indeed, be said to be triumphant, and the Governor’s proclamation will be as so mu oil waste paper, for have not the fanatics beaten off the Queen’s forces ? The bare mention of the words “force cf arms” to them will now be something to raise a smile instead of exciting apprehension, It will be understood to be a figurative expression, in which their langu ige so largely abounds, and not intended to be accepted in its literal meaning. The Governor may threaten and issue bis proclamations by the score, but like spoiled children Master Pai Aiariri will have his own way, for he knows that he will not be a penny the worse. What is the plain unvarnished state of the case ? In the beginning of March intelligence was received in Auckland of the brutal murder of Mr Yolkner at Opotiki on the Ist of that month, and of the perilous position of a number of Europeans who had been taken captive with him. Ihe Governor and the ministry had deserted Auckland, and there was not a soul left behind with authority to act in such an emergency. It was one, however, that must be met at once, and the Provincial Executive, his Lordship the Bishop, and the liev. Samuel Williams concerted measures for the deliverance of the captives. These measures, which were warmly co-operated in by the commander of 11.i1.5. Eclipse, were successful ; the liev. Mr Grace and companions in captivity were rescued, and provision was made for the safety of Bishop Williams and the settlers in Poverty Bay, where the fanatics were known to have gone. By that time the alarming intelligence had reached the seat of Government, and one would have thought that the next step that would have baen taken would have been to capture, or if that were not possible to inflict chastisement upon the brutal murderers of Mr Volkner, Nothing of the kind took place, and we believe there was a universal feeling of surprise at the extraordinary amount of apathy exhibited by the Government on the subject, lime passed, and on the 21fth April, nearly two months after the murder, a General Government Gazelle was issued at Wellington, containing a proclamation setting forth that the Governor was determined to put down Pai Marirism. Phis proclamation said, “ Now therefore I, Sir George Grey, the aforesaid Governor, do hereby proclaim and notify that 1 will on behalf of her Majesty, resist and suppress, by the force of arms if necessary, and by every other means m my power, fanatical doctrines, rites, and practices of tbs aforesaid character; and i will cause to bo punished all persons, wherever they may be apprehended, who may be convicted of instigating or participating in such atrocities and crimes.” Since the proclamation, the Pai Mariris are known to have been disseminating their “fanatical doctrines, rites and practices” as widely as possinle, and until the departure of the Cclipsc nothing was done to “resist and suppress them by f> ce of arras.” The result of this expedition will Lie seen from tile particulars given elsewhere. The Pai Marins made a successful resistance to the Queen’s forces on their attempt to capture the murderers of Mr Yolkner, and tne Eclipse had to return to Auckland and report a victory over us by the worst class of our enemies. We are far from throwing blame on the gallant commander or men of the Eclipse; we believe they did all they could do under the circumstances, if Commander Preemautle had not a sutlicient force to cope with the enemy without unduly jeopardising the lives of his men, it was his duty to retire. But why was this contingency not thought of P If the Governor or Government meant to strike a blow at Pai Marirism, and for the first time carry out the threat made in the proclamation, it was clearly their duty to have made sure of success, and not to have left a shadow of a doubt on the minds of the fanatics that we were powerless to coerce them. Better not to have sent an expedition at aH than to have risked a defeat, which this has been most munistakeabiy. 'The effect of this failure will be most ludicrous With that spirit of exaggeration which characterises the natives, tile fanatics will spread the news of their victory far and wide, with the addition that a large number of soldiers were killed, and all by the supernatural aid which they profess to be tl.c basis of their creed. Converts will be readily made, and Pai Marirism may be expected at flourish with increased vigor. We say that failure in this case was unpardonable—unpardonable in th se who planned the expedition without having taken the proper measures to render it a success. And who, we may ask, is responsible for this failure? Not the Commander of the Forces nor the Commodore, for military and navel operations have of late been undertaken without consulting them when their advice was available. We say the blame is clearly attributable to civil powers, and that it is a repetition of the many disastrous blunders which have characterised their temporising policy towards the natives. To with a man who reb 'ls against your authority to govern him may, if there be a doubt of yonr right to do so, bo permissible; but to temporise with a v.llain who deals in cooked heads and openly avows his aettiOi determination to c< ok yours also, and satisfy his cannibal propensities would be worse than madness. And yet this is really tne way in which the Pai Mariris have been treated, it is no wonder, therefore, that at Mr Fenton’s Compensation Court yesterday, a native from the Thames who was called upon to give evidence, actually gloried in the admission that he was a Pat Manri. This man, it appears, was brought up Irom ihe Tnaraes by Mr.Mackay, Civil Coniaii. siouer, and although not, it is said, a thorough Pi.j Mann, jS a promising specimen 01 his class. We need not go far to find a Pai Marin now, for wo have one, and perhaps many more, in Auckland, making confession to his faith in open Court wuh unblushing effrontery, and giving # smile of defiance when told that he is a lunatic and to he off What nest ?