UPON WHOM WILL REST THE RESPONSIBILITY ?

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 356, 8 March 1866, Page 1

UPON WHOM WILL REST THE RESPONSIBILITY ?

(From the Wanganui Times, 22ud February.) The extraordinary course pursued by Sir George Grey and his advisers, since the return of General Chute from his successful campaign, and the arrival of Te Ua, at Wellington, has created considerable uneasiness amongst the settlers in these districts. Military men, who were naturally anxious to be relieved from the irksome and unpleasant duty of defending outposts now abandoned, express their astonishment at the hasty manner in which our whole frontier is thrown open to an exasperated enemy, smarting under recent defeat, and thirsting for revenge. The precipitant action hy the Government may lead to very serious consequences; and should such be the case, the people of these’ districts, and the colony at large will suffer, but no one will he personally responsible for the consequences. Admitting that the Imperal troops must be sent home, surely that is an additional reason w r hy our Colonial Forces should be kept in a state of efficiency, at least until we know the result of the recent campain. Instead of prudently awaiting the result, and showing the enemy that we are prepared, if necessary, to follow up the advantages already gained, we adopt a course of action calculated to encourage him to retaliate, and to sow the seeds of disaffection among the loyal natives. The Government may have done a right thing in reducing the pay of the Native Contingent, and even in permitting as many of the Forest Rangers as were entitled to settle upon their land, to go and do so at once ; but it was extremly impolitic to effect those chauges with such rapidity at the present moment. Following rapidly on that imprudent policy, orcleVs and counter-orders are daily received from Wellington, until men in authority are utterly at a loss how to act. A hundred men of the native contingent, under Captain M'Douuell and Lieutenant Gudgeon, were to relieve the Imperial troops and Pipiriki. Then again, the whole of the fortifications at Pipiriki were to be destroyed, and the position abandoned. On Sunday and Monday last, Stewart’s and Woodall’s Redoubts were demolished, and these positions evacuated. The settlers at once petitioned the Government upon the subject of their defenceless condition, pointed, out the danger to which they were thus suddenly and unexpected exposed, and prayed that the matter might be carefully and maturely re-considered. Anticipating an unfavorable reply, some of them are preparing to leave their homes and properties ; and no doubt many of the settlers near other abandoned outposts will follow their example. This again will encourage small parties of the exasperated enemy to destroy the abandoned homesteads. , Whilst the precipitate action of the Government thus creates a panic amongst the settlers, and discontent amongst the Native Contingent, the alarming intelligence arrives that several of the Taranaki friendly natives have gone over to the enemy ! What effect will tnat have upon the disaffected tribes between this and Taranaki ? We have heard enough to induce us to believe that General Chute will be at

either Taranaki or Wanganui within the next ten days. The disaffection in Taranaki appears to have been caused by some trilling irritation which may easily he allayed ; but there the state of the country certainly did not warrant the hasty steps taken by the Government, The paramount power should maintain a dignified, firm, and consistent position. In saying, for instance, to the Native Contingent, “ We reduce your pay by. Is a day per man, and also order you to proceed again on active service/’ the Government should in a position if necessary, either to enforce their orders, or dispense with the services of those men. The fact is, they can at the present moment do neither cue nor the other. Kemp left for Wellington by the Wanganui on Wednesday last —at bis own expense—to say to the Government—“ You restore our pay to its former rate, or we decline to serve.” The Government must succumb, and thus place themselves in a fake position as regards our native allies. Flushed with victory we jump to the conclusion that the enemy will at once tender their submission ! Surely the Government must know that to conquer, and then to retain possession are two very different things ? We have now a defeated and exasperated foe to deal with, and ins submission will be contingent upon our ability to maintain the superiority of cur position; and to do that, we must undo much of what has been hastily and imprudently done by the Government.