The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1869.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 5, 7 January 1869, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1869.

Time rolls on. Weeks, aye months, pass by with swift and stealthy tread, and, yet, beyond the costly marine excursions of the commander of the forces with his ' picked men ' — a few grossly exaggerated telegrams respecting our successes, published only to be .contradicted or strangely [ modified, wheu they have accomplished their purpose — the abandonment of our redoubts and commissariats to the foe, — aispiri ting information as to Colouel Whitmore ' expectations, of crushing defeats to be inflicted ou the enemy, expectations doomed to end either iv smoke or even less— vaunted injury inflicted on the rebels iv the shape of whares fired, and kumeras destroyed — and, to crowu all, the exceedinvly temerarious feat of 'laughing at the lion in his den ' — we have had no intelligence from the seat of war. We have heard of no crushing defeats actually inflicted on the rebels; we hear of no important step being contemplated at the present for the vigorous prosecution of the war. During all this time Tito-kowaru has been allowed to augment his forces, from the time, when with a band of 300 dark skinned savages he threatened Patea, until he has now an army of close upon 1000 fighting men, drilled, disciplined, and well armed ! Meanwhile the doctors are quarrelling aud wrangling over the course of treatment tq be prescribed for our unhappy colony. Those of the Allopathic school insist strongly on the necessity of foreign aid, whilst those of Homoeopathic proclivities as pertinaciously advocate that she should have recourse ouly to friendly natives and colonial forces. The poor patient, prostrated by the the loug course of depletion to which she has been subjected by her ordinary advisers must, ere this, inevitably have succombed had she not been blessed with an inherently vigorous constitution. This supineness — this suicidal apathy is wholly unintelligible to us, except on the principle — increasingly recognised by the colonial press, that the New Zealand Government is fated to mull everything it takes in hand, the truth of which past experience amply proves. It is easy to find fault, no doubt, but we have just grounds for complaining of the supineness of the Government. They do not take adveutage of the opportunities fortune throws in their way. Months ago, when the but half-told tale of the atrocities perpetrated by these hell-hounds in Poverty Bay, sent a thrill of horror through our frame and cardled the lifecurrent in our veins — what did they do to turn these feelings to account ? Nothing ! literally and absolutely nothing. Had they at the time invited the Volunteers to prove their claim to their title, and help to stamp out this accursed thing, we believe that almost to a man they would have stepped out of the ranks and have shown to the world a sublime example of true and genuine patriotism; for we cannot harbor the calumnious thought that they are inspired by aught but martial spirit. It is true that in every corps there may be a silly noodle or two who, may have joined solely with a view to enhancing himself in the eyes of his fair Dulcinea (when he should have become proficient in the goosestep), by his military trappings and soldierlike deportment. The doctor's certificate', speedilybronght infcorequisition would ha ye

saved the others the inflection of the presence of such as these. Employers would have felt themselves bound to make provision for their temporary absence in such an emergency. An army of our Volunteers to the number of 700 or 800- all well drilled, well-disciplined, and trained to the use of their arms, would in the course of oue month have inflicted a greater blow than any number of raw recruits hurried off to the front, without haviog — atleast in the case of many — ever fired a shot iv their lives. Had the diggers at the time been asked, and allowed to fight in their own way, and under their own officers, they would have turned out in thousands. With such aids the effectual stamping out of the rebellion would have been a thing of a very short, time, and we should have been' spared the humiliation of having to send for our 'big brother' to fight for us, and to leave us to the tender mercies of ' interesting savages' when he returns home. Why some such steps were not taken at the time, we cannot conceive. We can only account for it on the supposition that there is in the Cabinet one Phili-Maori at least, who, knowing the direful retribution that would be inflicted, were Jan] appeal made at the time to the colonists, was able to sway the counsels of the Government. We are confirmed in this supposition by noting how very carefully the enemy i? informed of our movements. But io what purpose all this waste of words? What the use of greeting o'er spilled milk? Simply this — more midnight | murders — more violation \oi defenceless women, accompanied by tortures and horrors too revolting to be chronicled—* more cannibal feasting on European victims, may take place, and this hint may then be useful. We are however beginning to despair. The summer is on the wane, and we very much fear, that, as it was ia the last, so will it be in the present, campaign. After' a summer of glorious inactivity, we shall be informed that military operations have been suspended for the winter!