NATIVE WARFARE.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 30, 3 May 1845, Page 4

NATIVE WARFARE.

During the sitting of the Legislative 'Council on Tuesday last, His Excellency took the opportunity of congratulating the members on the state that the affairs were assuming at the Bay of Islands, and asserted publicly that Nene of Hokianga had taken up arms against Honi Heki for the purpose of upholding British authority ; thus sealing his professions of friendship by practical warfare, to the loss of perhaps his own life, or at all events to the loss of some of his people. We really cannot imagine that His Excellency, after sixteen experience of native character, -can be so wilfully blind as to believe -what he has thus asserted. His chief Dragoman may have been endeavouring to persuade him so i but Jie knows better, and many persons who are not acquainted with the real character of the New -Zealanders, will be led to believe the Governor's assertion, unless it be at once contradicted, so that the antidote .may go with the bane. We are well aware that Nene has commenced warfare -with Honi Beki, and after many years' knowledge which we have of JNene, we are proud to say, that a 'better disposed chief towards Europeans is not in the flsland ; but nevertheless, Nene has not commenced hostilities upon account of the Europeans, but on account of the death of his grand-daughter, a half-caste female child of about eight years old, who was barbarously and inhumanly murdered by some of Heki's people. His Excellency is well aware of the death of the child in question, and if he did not know that l Nene's hostilities had been commenced in revenge for that event, it was his duty to have made every enquiry on the subject, and of whom could he enquire 'better thau of his pet Dragoman.? that 'usefiil officer who His Excellency states, is worth the Colonial Secretary — the Colonial Treasurer — the Attorney General — the Judge, and the Bishop all put together — dared not have told him such a wilful and positive falsehood : and if he has done so, a court of enquiry should be immediately instituted, and if such m the fact, we at once say, that the Chief Dragoman should be dismissed iiis situation — but granting forgone moment that such an assertion had any --foundation in truth — is it a matter of congratulation that two tribes should ibe-at open warfare with one another, and that -warfare to uphold BritisJi authority? if such '■was the case, a day of humiliation and prayer should be at once appointed by the Bishop for the degeneracy and disgrace which has attended our arms — but to his Excellency in particular such a warfare should have peculiar horrors :—: — we have always considered his Excellency as a humane man, as a gentleman who has been foremost in the works of charity and religion — as the elected of Exeter Hall — and for him to congratulate the public on two tribes warring with each other, to their mutual extermination, is hardly to be believed. — We must of com-se have been deceived all along as to his Excellency's real character, and, as it now appears, he is neither humane, charitable, nor religious man. We would ask quietly and submissively, why are the Queen's instructions, reiterated thro' three several Secretaries of State, disobeyed ? Has his Excellency forgot that he is ordered to put an end to native warfare? the New Zealanders,

even under the Governorship of Captain Robt. Fitzroy, will be exterminated to the eternal disgrace of the British Nation. We would not, however, have our readers suppose that because Nene is fighting to revenge the death of his grand-daughter, that he would not fight on account of the Europeans if he was solicited: we fully believe that he would, as there are many other chiefs in New Zealand who would also do so. — But we trust that their services will not be required by us, but that on the contrary we may yet live to see the two races assume a more peaceful attitude than what late occurrences will, at all events ought to, lead to.