The Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, THURSDAY, 13th JULY, 1865.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 5, 13 July 1865, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, THURSDAY, 13th JULY, 1865.

Circumstances have frequently occurred causing us to raise our voice against the suicidal policy of supplying arms and ammunition to the so-called friendly natives, as there is only too much reason to believe that our so doing is fraught with evil results. It is well enough known that there are, in sober truth, no natives at all that are truly loyal to the British Government. That there are now, as there have often been, some who have fought against the declared rebels, argues nothing, for there has constantly been quite cause sufficient for this to be found in their tribal quarrels, apart from any supposed loyalty or wish to serve Her Majesty,

This has been so often discussed that we should not be disposed to recur to it on this occasion but for the recent occurrences on the East Coast, at Waiapu. There are there two parties, one under Patara (Butler), professed rebels; and the other under Mokena (Morgan), of something less than merely dubious loyalty; but as the latter has succeeded in provoking a quarrel with the former, he confidently makes his appeal to the pakeha for war material with which to maintain his cause against the other. The origin of this quarrel seems to be involved in a good deal of doubt; but there seems to be no reason to suppose that love for the pakeha had anything to do with it. Its more immediate cause was the setting up of the Queen flag by Morgan upon a block of disputed land. But there are some who suppose that the quarrel is a myth altogether, and that its end is to supply the rebel commissariat with war material at the pakeha’s cost. It cannot be denied that this view is sufficiently reasonable when we come to look at the plain facts of the case. We have at first several skirmishes reported, in which Morgan is reported as being invariably successful, but hampered by want of arms, &c.; he applies for this assistance to the pakeha, and it is rendered to a great extent, though we are unable to state the precise number of guns or the exact quantity of ammunition supplied to him. Then comes the change to the aspect of the question. Morgan, well supplied with war material, goes out again to meet the Hau-haus, but, “ unfortunately,” leaves the stores of gunpowder and arms in the pa, unprotected, which, as might be expected, was quickly taken possession of by the enemy, without resistance 1 And what follows ? Are the eyes of the authorities opened to the folly of thus supplying the enemy with war materials, to be used against ourselves in time, through the so-called friendly natives ? 0 no ! Morgan, with the utmost confidence, sends a most urgent appeal for more help, and this has been granted him, perhaps not exactly as he would have wished—more guns and powder merely—but by the despatch of some 45 men of the Volunteer Regiment, which, to say the least, is more busi-ness-like than the previous action. Since the above occurrences. His Honor the Superintendent has paid a visit to Wellington to have a personal interview with the Governor; and we believe is about to proceed to the scene of hostilities in the St. Kilda. On the return of this vessel we may hope to be put in possession of recent intelligence, which we shall look forward to with some interest. Meantime, we trust that a lesson has been learnt on the folly of supplying arms to natives to be used at their discretion. We have no faith in them as allies, but it is evident that if they can be made useful at all in this war, it is only by employing them under competent European officers, and as a portion of the colonial forces. To supply them with war material, to be used at their discretion and without responsibility to any one, is a practice every way to be condemned as fraught with danger, and only calculated to work into the hands of the-rebels.