MAJOR ATKINSON TO THE SETTLERS OF TARANAKI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 705, 2 August 1869, Page 3

MAJOR ATKINSON TO THE SETTLERS OF TARANAKI.

[?ER FAVOE OF THE TARANAKI HERAJ/D.] Gentlemen, —Since-my arrival here I hare endeavored as far as possible to ascertain how colonial questions generally, but move especially those relating to New Zealand were looked upon by the English public. The results of my enquiries are, I regret to piv, most unsatisfactory ; for although ! was prepared to find the " Salutary Neglect Policy" generally advocated, I was not prepared for the all but total indifference shown by ail classes to ail colonial questions, except those which might cause the expenditure of British money. The great diilieulties with which we are contending, snd (he enormous sacrifices wo have made, and are making, are practically uiiko;iw;> and unacknowledged here. '.! here are not, 1 bdieve, a dozen iLetnbers of the House ol Commons who know—or care to know our real position at the present time. Nor is it against indifference only that we have to contend; for there is prevailing a very general feeling that we wish to be protected by British troops and British money, upon land which we have either obtained by fraud from the Maori.*, or wrong'udy taken from them. When the* news of the horrible massacre at the VVairoa arrived, it is true that there was, for a short time ( (but only for «, very short time), an uneasy feeling awakened in some quarters, and as • jou will have seen, several of the papers hsve urged the G-ovesnment to send more , troops, or to assht us in some other way. The Government were undoubtedly shaken for a moment, and, had further greac ciis asters followed at once, would probabh have been induced by iVIr Fitzherberfc to Egree to guarantee a loan. Bur. that there «as any real desire to aid us, or any deep belief that we had any real claim for sue cour, or were deserving of help, I cannot for an instant think ; for no sooner did the news of die first success of our forces on the East Coast reach England, than orders were at once sent out recalling, uncondi iionally, the 18ih Regiment. Whatever we inay hope for, can we, after this, as prudent men, rely upon Imperial help? As soon as I heard of these orders being issued, I wrote to the Colonial Office, — through Sir George Grey, who strongly| advocated the views I expressed—pointing out that the removal of the troops at such a moment mu3t greatly add to our diilieulties, and would very materially increase the chances of a general war ; and asking that power should be given to the Governor to retain the troops, if his Ministry considered it necessary, upon such eondi lions as the War Office might impose. ■Hie answer was that the troops would not 1)3 removed till May, when probably things would be more settled, i also had persoiial interviews with two members of the Government, and they were both very clear and decided iu stath g that Colonies must provide at their own expense, for their own defence. I, of" course di I not fail to point out, while admitting fully our uw a mistakes and shorteomi.igs, that a large part of our £3.000,000 loan had been tpeut under Imperial oaicers ; that for °ur political differences with the Maoris. the Imperial U-cw&rnment were at lea>t with us iquaJly responsible ; and that altogether our position was so exceptional, »nd the efforts and sacrifices we were making were so great, that we might rea tonably hope lor some assistance from 1 fear, however, that our cnance for obtaining such assistance is but s »iall, and we shall, I am firmly persuaded, lose what little chance we have if, in our extremity, we should unfortunately attempt to draw back from the " self-reliance policy." This we may depend upon, will not defend country settlers ; Ktt is to be done at all, it must be., done 7 w;th the help of an efficient

Colonial force. And most earnestly do I desire to impress this important fact upon all country settlers. By what I have seen ana heard since I came home, I am more I convinced than ever that the only possible i wny for us to-obtain a lasting pence is by > the colonists themselves making the Maoris feel our superiority and pow.-r as well in : war as in peaee. 1 say this for two rea- • sons. First. Because I believe it is practicable for us to do so, and will be the cheapest way in the end. Second Bo . cause I am eure that England will never ■do it for us. The Times certainly does • not overstate the feeling of this country, 1 either official or general, in the conclusion 1 of its article upon New Zealand, (21st April, 18P>9,) when it says—" We mu3t surely, however, now have said enough 1o show how ludicrously mistaken was the I demand for Imperial assistance some months ago. Had it been listened to, we should have boon despatching troops half across the world to attack 500 savages ensconsod in a Hold work, who were only formidable because the colonists had om milted to take common precautions against such an outbreak. A few Armstrong guns, and a few hundred of disciplined natives will, it is perfectly evident, suffice to give a good account of any Maori force likely to appear in the field, and a military establishment on that scale would cost the colonists so very little that the consequences must rest with themselves if they decline to maintain it. Whatever may have been the case twenty years since, they are now fully competent to dispose out of hand of any probable enemy, and it must not be expected that we in this country should any longer concern ourselves about New Zealand wars." If, then, this represents Kngiish opinion truly, as I believe it does, i is it not essential to our hope of peace that we should at once recognizj this fact and act upon it. When brave, determined men, such as the m; jority of our colonists I undoubtedly are, make up their minds that a thing can and shall be done—it , will be done, however impossible or foolish it may seem to the half-hearted. Our minds of a Colony have not yet, unfortu-y nately, been made up to say that we can • and will do the work that is before us, and | so long as we halt between two opinions, , so long will Maori difficulties continue. It i is hard to believe that England cares verj little for our sufferings, and still less for ' our difficulties, but so it is ; and not until I wo as a Colony, have accepted this truth i will our course be clear before us. Of so ( little importance are our affairs considered here, that, although Parliament is up for ( the Whitsuntide holidays, most of the ' London daily papers have not yet thought ; it necessary to report or remark upon the , atrocious murders at the White Cliffs. 1 have said that I think wo have but a poor chance of obtaining help from Eng- ! land, I have, however, some hope, although ' it is but faint, that upon proper represen- | tation we might get some pecuniary assist- , jnce if we can only get the English Go v eminent and people- to believe in our honesty and truthfulness, which, they cerDainly have not much faith in at present. . The great difficulty in the way of our get- < ring any help is that they don't believe in , us here. Can we overcome this feeling ? I believe we can, but I fear it may take ! years to do so. Our only plan is to follow on to the end in the manly course we have i adopted, without faltering or without , shrinking. , I shall not now go into any questions of colonial politics, because I read with great interest all that is going on in the Colony, not omitting the proceedings of the Tara- , naki Society, my object in the present ad- , dress is to tell you, as far as I am able of the general opinions held in England upon , sew Zealand affairs. In writing to you from here at a time of so much anxiety < and distress, I am fully conscious of the i ureat disadvantage under which I labor, | for while I can only talk you are acting and enduring. But you will, I know, be- ' Iteve me when 1 say how keenly I feel i being obliged to leave my fellow-settlers, ; to continue if not to finish, the work which we began together, and which it was my j great ambition—if GrOD spared my life—that we should together finish. So far, I am thankful to say, I have been most successful in the main object ot ; my visit, and yet hope with God's bessing to be with you about the end of the year, upon this I cannot at present sneak with certainty. In the meantime I urn losing no opportunity of stating the true case ot the Colony, not without some hope thai my trouble will not bo altogether thrown away. —I remain, &e., 11. A. Atkinson. Blnckhcath, London, M:y 21, 18G9.