CORRESPONDENCE.

Marlborough Press, Volume I, Issue 45, 10 November 1860, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the Marlborough Press. Sir—lt is proved'beyond doubt that the brave sons of “ oul'd Ireland are swifter runners than the aboriginals of these islands. I refer to the disgraceful retreat of live hundred men, bearing the uniform ,of the British, army, taking to their heels from fiftyMaories. Our friend 'Punch, of Flecfrstreet, London, in two months hence; will perhaps pourtray Colonel Leslie scampering • away -from fifty New Zeaanders in an open country': it was not the bug--11

bear- the bush- on tlie last, occasion,*l say it is aburning shame of the authorities, whoe^-tl^-are, whether the Governor and liis 1 ' the commanders of the. forces. I think that General Pratt is under secret-ihsthi'C-tions from His Excellency the Goveriibr, withstanding the denial of one of the'leading, members of the Government (Mr. C. W, Richmond), in reply to a question of one of thesoutbern members, when he said that General Pratt was unfettered with instructions; in fact, that he had a carte blanche. I will suppose, for argument sake, this statement is the truth. Even, so, I am at a loss to understand a true soldier being trammelled with such instructions. The heroic spirit of Major Nelson could not endure it; for the newspapers inform the world that he Wheeled round with a body of his men and returned the fire of the brave foe. For, mark you, sir, Wiremu Kingi. with all his faults, does not identify himself with the Omata murderers. I believe this mistaken individual possesses a manly spirit, and would scorn to take a mean advantage of his enemy. If Major Nelson had been in the position of Colonel Gold, I feel persuaded that this trumpery disturbance might have been crushed on the very day that Captain Oracroft, of the Niger, with the aid of the volunteers, took the pah at Waireka. No thanks to Colonels Murray and Gold. There is little doubt that the latter could have taken the pah at Waitara, and with little loss of life, instead of allowing the Maories to quit the pah at the rear. I would ask what has the newly-fledged MajorGeneral to say in answer to the grave charge of leaving his wounded, or rather those under Major Nelson. From what we read in the Taranaki papers, he (Gold; preconcerted the plan of attack as Tataraimaka. If such-was not the case, they: ought to relract the statement, and apologise to General Gold for printing wrong information. I should much regret, to sec any man censured undeservedly, hut until this and other grave matters are contradicted, I am hound to believe the reporters to the Taranaki journals'. I think that some member of the House of Commons will extract the naked truth. j , , Now, as to Colonel. Murray, at Waireka, c<mld 'i£.bb possible for any i&m to behave worse than he did : t.o leave the volunteers in the lurch, and to make the unfeeling remark that they (the volunteers) had got themselves into a mess, and they must get themselves out of it? What sort of talk do you call that for a British soldier. I can understand a Neapolitan butcher making such an observation, hut can scarcely credit it coming from an Englishman. • lam glad to see that a memorial to His Excellency the Governor has been adopted at Wellington approving of his resisting, by force, of arms, the rebellion in Taranaki, and censuring the Wellington members and others for the opposition they have raised in the House of Representatives against the Governor’s policy in resisting Wiremu Kingi’s insolence. 1 heartily join the memorialists, and sincerely hope that no peace will be made until the rebels have been subjugated. I shall conclude this disjointed letter by publicly acknowledging the kindness of the Ngatiruinuis to me on my tramp down the coast in January last, and would observe that the natives are not so had as many paint them. I am, &e„ F. A. Duncan, Picton aud Wellington.