IS THE WAR OVER?

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 364, 5 April 1866, Page 2

IS THE WAR OVER?

(communicated.) v *:* We fancy l we hear the good folk of our dear old native land eagerly asking the above question; on the arrival of each New Zealand mail. To one and all we emphatically say, “ No: the war is not over; nor do we ex.pect. to see a permanent peace for years to come.” This is no hasty? opinion, formed upon a brief notice, and without"due consideration of affairs as they now are with us. We have carefully studied the actions of the generals who have been sent out here by the Home Government to assume the command of the Imperial forces, from General Gold, in 1860, down to Gen. Chute, in 1866 • —we have followed Governor Grey in all his dealings with the Natives since his arrival in 1862 ; —we have watched the working of the different Native policies of the various Ministries since 1860; and how, after all this, we assure our readers and all concerned that we have come to the conclusion that until the Native race are well nigh annihilated, or reduced to so few in number that there would be no fear of an outbreak, there will never be peace in New Zealand. We are well aware that some will differ with us; —that some will accuse us of longing to exterminate the “ noble savages” in order to get possession of all the valuable land which they will not now sell, even though offered double its real value; —that some will denounce us as blood-thirsty, and will heap upon our devoted heads a host of other opprobrious epithetsbut we care not for all that; we believe that what we have stated is true; that it is the feeling of the people of the land in which we dwell; and we know that, were we doubtful of this we would hesitate to give our opinions vent. But a residence of many years in New Zealandin places, too, where we had ample opportunities of watching their habits and character,—and a careful consideration of anything and everything bearing upon the war and the Maories, —has left such an impression upon our minds that will take something very wonderful indeed to efface. Some of the journals in the Colony (the Auckland ones in particular) indulged their readers with some amusing references to the war, in the course of which they gave the public to understand that it was their opinion that the war was all over; that the Maoris had received such severe thrashings that they would never think of breaking out again. Poor, deluded organs of “public opinion!” Little do they know of the New Zealanders, or their habits, when they write such “ gibbery-gosh.” Even in our own Province of Hawke’s Bay, there are evidences of strife, and bitter hatred of the white man marks the conduct of every Maori who does not get a sufficiency of “ sop” (flour, sugar, meat, blankets, tobacco, and other articles too numerous to particularise). If one of them come into your house, whether to sell potatoes, melons, &c., or if only to get a light of his pipe, evidence is afforded of their deep, undying hatred of all who have whiter skins than themselves; and generally before they depart they take good care to point to the house, and everything visible in it, with an emphatic “ Taihoa” which, being Anglicised, means, “Wait.” One old hoary-headed fellow, we remember in particular, informed us in all sincerity that ere long (he did not say how long) all Napier would be in the hands of the Hau-haus, and that all the whites would be either driven into the sea or - made the slaves of the “ lords of the soil.” "What will the orators of Exeter Hall say to this ? No doubt they will say it is all false, or perhaps that the poor deluded Natives were jesting, and they will no doubt try and convince the people of England that such is the case. But if they (the British public) are wise, they will not pay quite so much attention to the sayings of those “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” the Philo-Maori party,—the members of the Aborigines’ Protection Society. Their statements are not usually all Gospel, although they may at times say things which can with safety be relied upon. We do not for one moment wish to place all the Missionaries in the same category. We should be very sorry indeed to do so. There are certain members of the cloth now living who have acted most honorably in the matter,- — who have devoted their whole lives to the good work for which they were sent out here ; and there were also others who have lost their lives in New Zealand while performing the service of their Heavenly Master,—among which we may be permitted to mention the names of the lamented Yolkner and Morgan. These were true types of Christian Missionaries, and the memory of the many good acts they have performed will remain with us when all else

of them will long since have passed away. But—cruel word I—-they are not all alike. There are spine .Missionaries now living ia New Zealand who have taken advantage of their position to enrich themselves at the cost ef the Maories, and yet those very men have the presumption to write home indignant letters denouncing the colonists, and accusing them of trying to wrest from the Natives their land, —the very thing they (the Missionaries) have been doing ever since they were seat to the Colony, But, of course, the people of England know nothitfg of all this. They, hear only what the Exeter Hall party say about the affair, and they are credulous enough to believe all they hear. But we trust the public at home will ere long come to. know more about the Natives of New Zealand, and also more about the colonists. Then, perhaps, we may expect to hear words of sympathy ceding “across the deep blue sea” from friends at home, instead of every mail bringing us snubbings, and taunts that are as undeserved as they are untrue, about our “ greediness” in trying to cheat the “ poor Natives” out of their land.