Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, JUNE 21, 1869. THE REBEL ULTIMATUM.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 693, 21 June 1869, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, JUNE 21, 1869. THE REBEL ULTIMATUM.

One of the four demands made by the rebels as their conditions oi peace was, as our readers will remember, " That the Waikato should be restored to them," and they further said that it had been promised by Sir W. Martin in a certain letter That gentleman has since denied the charge in the following letter to the editor of the Daily Southern Cross — Si r> —l n your report of the proceedings at the reeent meeting at Orahiri, I find the following sentence:—"A letter dated March 6, written by Sir W. Martin to Tamati Ngapora, stating that the whole of Waikato would be given up was produced." I beg therefore to say that my letter of that date to Tamati Ngapora did not contain the words which appear to be given as a quotation from it, nor did it contain any words to the effect that the whole of Waikato would be given up. —I am, &c, William Martin. This letter does not deny much It simply asserts that he did not make any such promise in that particular letter specified, but he has also asserted that whatever part he has taken in thisnegociation,hehasraken it at the instance of the Government. Further light will no doubt be shed on the matter yet, for the humiliation submitted to by the Colony, and the further complications of the native difficulty occasioned by the undignified movement on our part, must be duly canvassed in the House of Representatives. We believe, as we have already stated, that the scheme originated with the Governor, who seems to have thought that advances on our part would be met by corresponding advances on that of the rebels ; and it was in a manner forced upon the Colonial Government, who were placed in this dilemma. They must either submit to the humiliation of entering upon ne'gociations with the rebels which could only end as they have done ; or have laid themselves open to the imputation of wilfully prolonging the troubles of the Colony. We all know that the rebel sympathisers are ever ready to advance arguments calculated to tell in favor of the noble savage ; and it must be remembered that Tawhaio had repudiated his responsibility for the deeds of blood perpetrated by his people: that he had again and again, in his enigmatical way, expressed his desire for peace; and his great grief at the murders of Mr Whiteley and others, even to the shutting himself up in his whare, and some other equally hypocritical acts. The Stafford Ministry must have been well enough aware of the little value to be attached to all this; but it was not so with the Governor. He not being so well acquainted with the Maori, may have believed that Tawhaio had a genuine desire for peace, and that it might be brought about by the proposed concessions. At all events, if it were not attempted when fairly proposed, a vast advantage would be given to the rebel apologists in the argument rhat the bloodthirsty colonists would not make peace when it was in their power to do so. The utter failure of: the scheme has put an effectual s op to all such statements by-throw-ing the odium of continued war on the rebels, who indignantly refuse concessions the most humiliating to us, and repel an opportunity of discussing the matter when such opportunity was offered to them, —putting thenwelves completely out of court

by demands that the most ultra. IVtaori sympathiser must admit it is impossible to yield. The failure of these most humiliating negotiations has thru-' proved to ill parties what was plain to most of us before, that nothing short of the utter subjugation of the rebels can bring about a peace, and that this* subjugation must be effected to make u at all possible for us to remain in this island. Our degradation in the eyes of the rebels was certainly too great a price to pay for the result, but it has all events been obtained, and the sooner the rebels are made to know it the better.