THE ESCAPE OF THE-EX-PRISONERS.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 89, 14 September 1868, Page 223

THE ESCAPE OF THE-EX-PRISONERS.

To the Editor of the Hankie Bay Times . HATUTff fully digested the details of the lato outbreak, some of us, I fear, have come to certain premature conclusions, and in consequence we have permitted (through the columns of one of-the local papers) perhaps the most plucky and energetic man. amongst us to be slandered, and have certain very degrading- imputations cast upon him in re touching and concerning the late engagement on the Ruaki Ture, the policy adopted by the Commandant, and the result j in re touching and concerning that most promising expeditionary party who were so good and so brave as to attempt to reach and bury, if practicable, those who so nobly fell in the late engage-, ment; in re touching and concerning a certain one who considers the No. 1 Diviston Armed Constabulary a pack of hounds, and refuses to bark on the ground that he is not permitted to receive 6a per day for doing so. Now for the issues.

• First, —Are ex-prisoners to be permitted to roam at large in this our Northern Island, and add to their numbers ad libitum'}

Second, —Is. the Commandant of perhaps the best Corps which has been raised hitherto to be deprived of the satisfaction of seeing his men engaged in one of the pluckiest fights in which the Hauhaus have met us? Was he, after the good service they have rendered towards restoring quietude in one of the most disaffected districts on the East Coast,, to allow them to remain, after temporary quiet had been restored, in comparative idleness, when such aredapture as that of the ex-prisoners was possible?, i ....

Most assuredly not. He properly bade his corps proceed to the scene of action, even though they had been on a long campaign; They had been tried and found worthy in similar encounters with Hauhaus, in an and frequently far more difficult, country. The. engagement.over, large talkers paint the scene to perfection. Some have it thaf the dead and wounded were never -thought of—this, is purely a fabrication. Some doubt, 'even now, if one whose loss we deeply deplore is not in the hands of the - enemy. “ Some • say that' the men engaged , shouid have rushed the position which the rebels held. Little do these vain.; talkers know, of bush war? fare.! - Tliey-cannot oorceive a deep moon?

tain torrent /whose wooded banfcsare to- perpendicular—they ; cannot conceive plucky men on little more than half rations, eager for an engagement, knowing, as they did, that the enemy's strength was’ superior to their own. Men like this would hot* unless under a murderous fire, have suf* fered their dead to remain on the X know the character of the men enjgaged§ and how they were officered; I also know the character of the men who fell, and how they were appreciated. I cannot understand the idea of cau* tiously prying and peeping at the enemy ; but. I do know -what result frequently follows when one is engaged with an enemy in a gorge. I can understand marching to the front; but fail to understand peeping* or how otherwise could the enemy’s strong* hold have been seen. I think it does Lieut. Sanders infinite credit to have viewed a palisade. Bush lawyers are at this season of tbs' year very green; I imagine Mr Hawthorne is living in proximity to a bush, and has become entangled with those very obnoxious briars. I can see his idea; it is the ono prevalent in Poverty Bay—that if they don’t choose to help themselves in the | matter of fighting they will lose their land. I can see how adverse to the settlers of Wairoa the bare idea of becoming militia* men or even volunteers must be. I also see of what infinite benefit to publicans, storekeepers, and others a pay-day must be during the present depression, and can imagine how comparatively secure they felt, when they knew that the matter of sixty-seven men kept guard daily nightly over their slumbers—even the approach of a stray horse being noticed by the vigilant sentry. In conclusion, I thank the editor of the Herald for the courtesy displayed in thus plainly admitting Mr Hawthorne to his open column, and also humbly thank “our own correspondent” at "Wairoa, for likening our pet corps to dogs. Possibly he imagines that because of late they have been compelled frequently to make use of horseflesh, they have become canine. I don’t fancy their general behaviour while in Napier will cause the public to endorse that opinion; I have heard it remarked that, for a Colonial Corps, they were a pattern; in discipline and 'appearance “Our own correspondent” might have become confused with reading “ notes frpm ono at the front; ” or probably (T. have known such cases) a compositor has an error. I hope that this is the case, as the Division don't feel complimented. Before I pronounce the. word vale, I would suggest to Mr Hawthorne to prune and dig round his tree, and see whether there is not a real Poverty Bay woim gnawing at his root—see whether there are not others to blame than the CommandantI see no fault in the man; I have -known him for some time; and have never found him wanting in pluck, nor have ever heard him abusive. To him at Wairoa, X would say I should consider it but common courtesy on his part were he to apologize for likening the No. 1 Division, Armed Constabulary to dogs. .To the , editor of the Herald I have merely to add that I had given him credit for better tastb than to allow it to appear in his widely-circulated journal. ‘ Tento.