Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus in jurare verba magistri. MONDAY, MAY 16, 1870.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 787, 16 May 1870, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus in jurare verba magistri. MONDAY, MAY 16, 1870.

Oun contemporaiy on Tuesday last was not satisfied to adorn a tale, but must also needs point a moral. The Government intelligence being embodied in the leading article, we are entitled, we think, to identify the writer with our local pocket minister. This system of enlightening the public is a faulty one. Government intelligence should be told for what it is worth, and called and acknowledged to be official. The Government has not dared to publish its despatches for reasons only too well known, and the .sole mode of ascertaining what is going on is from the cooked intelligence commiv nicated from time to time, when it suits, to certain favored periodicals. The article of the Herald under review is a case strongly in point. Mr Witty and,Mr ITamliii have at last got their reluctant natives up to the Lake, where it appears there are no Hauhaus after all. A few head have been surprised and slanghtered 5 and the party mean to try to fish up the boats. Some little time ago, when a few Hauhaus were there, the samejnovement resulted in a stampede, after an exchange of shots and loss of one man. Now that it has been at last achieved when it is of no use, we have the old homily about Colonels and so. on, Our reading of the story of this and last year slightly differs from that of our contemporary. It is,, .true ...that last year in May Colonel Whitmore and Colonel St. John, in command of two. par-

ties, numbering together 300 Europeans and 500 natives, about half of whom "were carrying food for the rest, marched fiom Whakatane on one side and Fort Galatea on the other, to meet at Ruatahuna. All that time Te Kooti was powerful, and the Uriwera mountains maiden land to the European. This year, a few weeks earlier in the season, 995 natives under Kemp. and Ropata mo\ed about in the same country, also in two divisions, They each remained as many days as their food lasted, and then returned, Colonel Whitmores troops did so also, only that they encountered resistance which neither Kemp nor Ropata did, and occupied the head of the mountains (which this later expedition did not I'each for a much longer period) until in facb they had destroyed all the crops in the country, i The comparison of the Waikari -rnoana expedition now that the lake has been reached with that of last year is equally unfair, The posts and various expenses were necessitated by the delay in making roads and in building boats at Onepoto. Anybody can march light and return safely by a made road where there is no ene my, as has been done on this occasion. The difficulty is to maintain a position in a difficult and desert part of the country for a period, to pack provisions, &c, to it, and posted convoys while so employed, when, as was the case last year, they are liable to surprise and attack. We see no analogy between the eases. Certainly last year neither could Mr Hamlin's present force have been induced to go to OnepoLo, nor has it been possible this year to coax the Arawas to go to Ruatahuna alone. The natives of Kemp and Ropata are very different men from the Arawas. Last year we had only attempted to keep the enemy on the East Coast in check till we were rid of the grearer evil of TitokowaruUntil ColonelWhitruore's expedition Te Kooti was considered strong, and likely to meet with great support from the Uriweras. It is evident, therefore, that a considerable force was then necessary. The necessity for Ropata trailing 450 men after him just now—a force larger than either of Col. Whifcmore's columns — is not so apparent; especially if we attach the least credence to the Government report of Te Kooti's forlorn condition, and the ill-will towards him felt by the Uriweras. But the truth is that though wretchedly unsuccessful the Government lias been now twelve months hammering away at the band of an outlaw, which at the beginning was only 100 in all. Allowing for every sort of bungle, still there must he something done towards lessening our difficulties, and overcoming the great obstacle of our ignorance of the country. Before last year no natives could be got into the mountains by themselves: now even Ngatiporous require a party of 450 strong to do so. Last year without white men the Arawas point blank refused to close with Te Kooti when he was pursued and overtaken by Major Mair. A few weeks later Colonel Whitmore and 100 Europeans marched in by Ahikercru, and the same tribe hesitatingly accompanied them. Alter some days the two columns, Mtherto far apart, met at Ruatalnma, and encamped and ra'saged. the country for a week, reinrning afterwards by two roads. Since then the ice has been broken. No parties of less, than 400 have yet entered that country, but the best tribes, of will now go -in

parties of 400 or 500 without Euro* peans. This is all that has been gained—it is not much, but it is something. It shows that if in twelve months we have not done so much as was achieved in the preceding six, still that no mismanagement can prevent the gradual improver ment in our position, however much it may delay the end. The wonder is not that Te Kooti is weaker than last year, but that he exists at all in spite of the enormous means at the disposal of Government to crush him. We mean no disparagement to Messrs Witty and Hamlin, who have done their part well ; but we believe had a better system at the fountain head existed, and better and fewer suck-r ing Generals in arm-chairs inis-di- \\ rected operations, we should to-day, instead of the inferential and trifling improvement so much boasted, be able to say that the island was at peace. We cannot forget how nmch more formidable the outbreak on the West Ooast was, the quelling of which, together with the Ngatapa and Ruatahuna expeditions, were all completed in six months, besides the,.raising of the force to do it with. And while on this subject let us say that if the late Opposition had, when "out in the cold," not used their influence so largely to de-> ter the friendlies from rendering any useful service, we should not have seen so much delay at Waikarimoana last year. At least no efforts have been made to thwart Government this year. They have had large * votes, they found a large trained force, and only one little enemy in the field, They have, done their best, and it is rather' small. What they have failed to do, however, they have not failed to "brag" about for such articles as that of last Tuesday must be accepted as official. It is to be supposed the difficulty is lessening; but we complain that, under the circumstances, it exists at ail.