The Manawatu Standard PUBLISHED DAILY. Survant la verite. MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1883. MR BRYCE AND TAWHIAO.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 3, Issue 49, 22 January 1883, Page 2

Manawatu Standard PUBLISHED DAILY. Survant la verite. MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1883. MR BRYCE AND TAWHIAO.

In our issue of last Tuesday we pointed out that the hostile personal feeling exhibited by the Native Minister towards King Tawhiao is not calculated to foster improved friendly relationshipbetween the races- A Native is as susceptible of insult as a Europe m — possibly more so ; and a premeditated slight is not soon forgotten. We notice that m a recent issue of tha Wellington Post, a correspondent, under the norn de plume ot ♦' Takana,"> thus aensiWy expresses his views on this subject : — "Is it a fact that the Minister for Native Aff*irs had the cool effrontarj to write to the Mayor of Wanganui. forbidding him and his fellow citizens entertaining Tawhiao and the Maori chiefs at a banquet ? Surely the settlers will not submit to be dictated m such way even by their own member. I cannot help thinking that the above-named gentleman has a personal dislike to the aborigines of this country. Is this the way to bring about a peaceful under* standing between th« two races, i.c , m« suiting the principal chiefs on every possible occasion ? There are many, sir, believe that he (Mr B ) wishes to bring about a disturbance m the Waikato, enact a second edition of the Parihaka business. I have been hoping that some more capable person than myself would have made some remarks upon the telegram which appeared m your issue the other evfnirg." To this the editor replies as follows : — " Mr Brychs seems to us to have taken a very proper step m ' discountenancing ' (not ' forbidding ' as our correspondent in* accurately quote?) a public reception to Tawhiao under existing circumstances." This is eminently characteristic of the Post — time-serving and sycophantic, Its ar. ument and reproof consist of hair-splitting. Mr Bryce " discounter anced " a public reception to Tawhiao^ But why should be ♦• discountenance " any such proposal ? The incident shows the Native Mmi-ter m a light that will he new to many, though not to us, wh<> have known him for upwards of twenty years, »nd have under other circum stances often seen portrayed his petulant, spoilt-child, irrit ible. bilious, and uncertain temperament. We can well imagine the Natives, when discus* sins: the matter, express th ir " no* good " opinion of Mr Bryce m of the simple but telling metaphor m which their language abounds. We looked for something nobler, higher, and more consistent from the Native Minister, though we expected nothing different from Mr Bryge. In the first place, tbr action ot the Mayor of Wanganui m running to his patron, and quandom foe, with bis finger m his mouth, and saying m effect, " Please, Sir, maj we entertain Tawhiao f " as something very undignified and oSildish. And m the second place, Mr Beyoe's " discountenancing " — to use the special phrase of the PoBt — the proposal, was equally undignified and childish, on his part, as a man, and to a tenfold dsgree bb a Cabinet Minister. It showed a puerile soreness, wounded vanity, and upset bile, that will lower Mr Bryce immensely m the estimation of sensible people. '• Tawhiao was too much for me at our recent interview, and now I'll snub him." This is the feeling indicated by tae "discountenancing" policy, as plainly as words can put it. After all it is only a trifle, but it is a trifle that may mean a goo.l deal h. reafcer. Would it not have been as ea*y for Mr Bryob to have allowed the Wanganui Mayor and Corporation to act on thi-ir own discretion m the mutter ? Was he called upon to " discountenance " the proposed recognition of Tawhiao ? Was

he called upon to publish himself suou a petty creature m his position as Native Minister? Whatever he achieved at Parihaka is now detracted from by his latest display of mental rKminutiveness and social acerbity. We venture to say Tawhiao would have treated Mr Buyoe m a different way. Bat then we are told that Tawhiao is inherently possessed of maanannnous predilections — and is m baring and characteristics one of Nature's noblemen. We durst affirm that Mr Bryoe's discourtesy to Tawhiao will find but few apologists. Scarcely anyone but a partizan will com mend his going out of his way to show a malevolent and aggressive attitude towards an influential and welU disposed Nativr chic', whom friendship and hospitality might have conciliated, but on whom an unfriendly and repulsive recei>tion can only have the effitct of causing further irritation and estrangement. The undesirable effect on the Native raoe will be equally ap arent, and as a detail of Native policy, there can be no doubt but that m " discountenancing " a friendly recep* tion to Tawhiao, the Native Minister has been guilty of a most mauifest error of judgment, to usr no harsher ti-rm.