TE KOOTI AND THE KINGITES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 14, 17 January 1870, Page 2

TE KOOTI AND THE KINGITES.

0 The Wellington Post of Saturday last, says the news received from Auckland is very far from being satisfactory. Instead of Te Kooti being hemmed in between the King natives aud the Wanganuis — both anxious for his capture, in fulfilment of their pledges — it appears that he was quite free to go where he chose, and after a certain time spent, no doubt, in recruiting and replenishing his ammunition aud supplies, he has, as usual, slipped away, and before long we may expect to hear of him making a raid on the East Coast. This, however, is not the worst of the news. It is evident that the King natives, with the duplicity of their race, have deceived Mr. M'Leau, and while professing their desire for peace, have been strengthening their hands for war, calculating, perhaps, ou the departure of the troops. It ia impossible that Kooti could have left their territory without their connivance, and it is more tban likely that he carries with him the sympathy of a large portion of their number. The King has gathered around him a formidable following, for what purpose is not known ; but certainly not for our assistance against Kooti. The 600 men who, under the auspices of Mr. Fox, left Upper Wanganui. with flags flying, guns firing, and all the pomp " and circumstance of Maori war," have either made a separate peace with the enemy, or else waxed lukewarm in our. cause. We hear nothing of them j but it would be folly to believe that they could not have come in collision with Kooti had they eo chosen. Most probably we shall learn of their re-

turn home in a few days in a somewhat more staid manner than that of their departure, and with a supply of good rifles as the fruits of their march. Of course arms given to Maor<s are "like water spilled upon the ground that cannot be gathered up again." . . Mr. Fox's diplomacy has only resulted in arming a few more doubtful natives. . . . We have already seen the failure of personal influence to'control the Maoris for any length of time. Sir George Grey used it to the utmost without success, and though Mr M'Lean has employed it skilfully, it is not, as we said on a former occasion, sufficient to trust the safety of the colouy to It is only too evident thafc the spirit of turbulence and the love of war and bloodshed is too deeply engrafted in Maori minds ever to be reasoned out of them. It breaks out through the lacker of Christianity and civilization which has been placed on them — more fiercely in the young than in the old— and we must be prepared to repress these savages with the strong hand until their inevitable decrease^ and our certain, increase, renders them powerless for mischief.

B__i^i_-B_— The Rangi tata bridge question (Canterbury) is finally settled, and the Timaru Herald expects that the work will soon be actually commenced. At a late meeting of the Bradford Chamber of Commence, the president reported having received a copy of a report from the Chamber of Commerce at Shanghai containing an account of an exppdition made by that body up the Yangtze, a river which was navigable for 1500 miles above Shanghai, and which opened out a country as large as Europe to British commerce, and a country wbich, according to the description contained in the report, seemed to be a land flowing with milk and honey. It produces iron, coal, gold, silver, rice, indigo, cotton — almost everything that could grow above the ground and the population only wanted to be supplied with English manufactures.