THE ASPECT OF NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 894, 16 December 1870, Page 2

THE ASPECT OF NATIVE AFFAIRS.

[EVENING POST, DECEMBER 13.] The loudest vaunts which the Fox Government have made to the country of the success of their administration, have been in reference to their 'Native policy. Minister after Minister has enlarged upon this theme, and asserted that never for many years have our relations with the_ Maori race remained on such a satisfactory footing as has been the case since their accession to power. But'those who could read " the signs of the times," and who chose to exercise their own judgment instead of establishing their faith on the utterances of Messrs. Fox and Vogel, could see that the whole system was rotten to the core; that instead of having arranged a peace on a -firm and lasting basis with that section of the native race whose hostility we had reason to dread, Government had only secured a hollow and suspicious truce, established and maintained by bribery and over-rated personal influence, and liable at any moment to be broken through ; that instead of all the negotiation with the Waikatos and other disaffected tribes having, as was alleged, succeeded in removing the grievances of which they, complained, these '* koreros" had merely purchased a little delay at a high price, and left the spirit of rankling bitterness still alive, and, in fact, intensified by a feeling of contempt for our weakness. The cardinal point of Mr M'Lean's policy has ever been that it was better to bribe the Maoris than to fight them; and we will •also give him credit for a sincere desire to preserve them from destruction as long as possible, and to induce them to settle down to the cultivation of the arts of peace instead of following the practices of war. But unfortunately the objects of this philanthropy scarcely appreciate it; they accept the flour and sugar and other contributions, so lavishly bestowed upon them, in the light of " black mail," which they have levied on their enemy, firmly believing that it is wrung from our weakness, arid that if we possessed the means of coercion, we would never treat them with such consideration. Mr M'Lean committed the same fatal error of which Sir George Grey was guilty when he abandoned Waitara in 1868. At the time when the present Ministry succeeded to power, the strenuous efforts of Mr Stafford and his colleagues had crushed the insurgent Maoris on both coasts, and had gradually formed a strong and reliable force accustomed to bush warfare, out of the unpromising materials they commenced with. Open opposition to any serious extent had ceased, and had the operations projected by Colonel Whitmore been carried out vigorously to the end, Te Kooti would, in all probability have been rendered as helpless as Titokowani. but the fruits of the blood and treasure expended during Whitmore's campaigns were thrown away; Mr M'Lean descended from the post of vantage, which he might have occupied, divested himself of the power to overawe* which the tried force at his command gave him, and adopted the policy whoie fallacy is daily becoming more apparent. It is impossible to m\c the Maori so as to preserve peace, except a coercive power is clearly visible to hiin, and in this element, our present native policy is deficient. During the months of apparent quietude, which have elapsed since the " demilitarization" of the defensive force of the Colony was completed, warning intimations have not been wanting that below this smooth surface the old fire of rebellion was still smouldering; and the events which have lately taken place in the Waikato, and the aspect of affairs on the East Coast, show that an outbreak is far from being improbable. Whatever motive may have originally induced Mr Todd's murder, the circumstance seems to have had the effect of arousing the King natives, who evidently look upon it now as a challenge to the Europeans. The murderers have applied for assistance to "finish tbc work they have begun"; and though Tawhiao has refused compliance, yet we know that the Waikatos. ,'ha've never relinquished their design to repossess themselves of the confiscated land, aud a large number of them ( would seize any pretext for attempting it. Te Kooti and Kereopa, outlawed and hunted, seem again to have raised a following, and of course, would co-operate heartily in any movement against us; while Titokowaru with his band would infallibly draw to the sam.e centre. Even if no combined movement of the Waikatos, or Ngatimaniupotos should take pfafa

against us, there are many members of those tribes burning with a desire for fighting and plunder; and if they cannot gratify it by an attack on our settlementsunder their own chiefs, will not unlikely place themselves under Te Kooti. And with this danger, which has been threatening for the last year, now drawing nearer, what, are our means of defence ? Seven hundred Armed Constabulary distributed in detachments over the Island, unable to unite with celerity, or leaving important positions open to attack. As at present constituted the constabulary is merely suitable for keeping down isolated outrage, and unable to act in repelling a formidable attack,... Besides, it is an untried force. Individually respectable, individually clean and smart, individually perfect, perhaps, in the manual exercise, and collectively able to go' through company and battalion drill after a fashion—yet, how will its rather dandified members acquit themselves in the wild bush warfare, to which it took so many years to inure the old force? . They may acquit themselves beyond expectation ; but certainly the Colony will look with sore misgivings at their -first essay; it requires more than smart clothes and good' character to enable men to fight Maoris; in the bush. Of course w e will fall back on the ** friendlies " again—the ressort as of old—but a more unsatisfac-* tory reserve we could not possess. Ih.W case have they been worth the money they cost. Flour and blankets and Maori doctoring have again, apparently-brought the Colony into a serious dilemma—and whatever means the Ministry may adopt for getting us out of it will have to ba prefaced by an entire change of tactics. " Bribing the Maoris to peace'' will never do when we have to bribe them first aud fight them afterwards.