"AT LAST.”

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5434, 27 August 1878, Page 2

"AT LAST.”

TO THE EDITOR OE THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES. •. Sir, —The Waikato natives, known as the King party, have been for some few years back in an apparently uneasy state. We have heard of numerous meetings taking place from time, to time amongst them at short intervals, all of a; more or less defined political nature, and public attention has teen a good deal turned in their direction, from a hope or feeling that possibly i some appreciable, advantage to both races might be the result. ; These .numerous meetings have at last culminated in the late famous conferences at Waikato and Waitara, the result of which we are assured is extremely satisfactory, and no doubt in due time we shall

be told in what way. The truth on this subject appears to be that the Waikato people and their adherents have for some time back become perfectly aware of the terrible mistake they have made in cutting themselves off from the world of progress which surrounds them, and in setting up a barrier of isolation within which, without a breach of their own rules, they can only exist in a state of stagnant poverty, and an imaginary and sulky independence; while in the moving world without many of their countrymen are attaining to positions of wealth, respectability, and high consideration, and that all who are outside of their torpid dominion are enjoying the innumerable advantages of a friendly .and industrial communion with the European people. They see also that the fence which they have set up cannot stand long before a state of progress and innovation such as it was impossible for them, as Maoris, to have foreseen. They see that their own rising generation, though not loving Tawhiao less, love money more, and are sure, sooner or later, to yield to the current of civilisation and progress, and “leave him alone in his glory/' This is the position the Kingites have for some time seen themselves to be in. They cannot much longer hold the pakeha at arm’s length, and have been, like good Maori diplomatists, despairing at nothing, and trusting to the oft-experienced tractability of the European official character, casting about for some device to let themselves down easily from an untenable position, and at the same time gain every advantage possible in the course of the operation. The first little overture was made to Sir Donald McLean, but he was found too wary and cautious to commit himself to any serious concession from our side without something of guarantee on the part of the Kingites for their future good conduct. They only required that all Waikato should be returned to them, and some other trifling matters of that sort, and themselves to be bound to nothing at all. As Sir Donald McLean could not see his way to such an arrangement, the affair came to nothing, and as the Hon. Mr. Karaitiana said in Parliament the other day, “ They did not believe in Sir Donald McLean's policy.” The next trial was made upon Dr. Pollen, but the event was absolutely disgusting. That pakeha had the conscience to talk plain common sense; stated plainly what he intended and meant, and went to the extremity of actually, staling that he expected the very same course on their part. He objected to the roundabout-metaphorical style of discussion by which the Maori negotiator, when the affair is over, and he 'has gained all he can, is enabled to appear quite surprised when asked to fulfil his share of the compact, and to declare his words had quite another meaning, or, indeed, no particular meaning at all, as is often the case. As may be supposed, no great advance was made with Dr. Pollen. He was set down as a “ bad man,” and parties rested on their arms, and “ wondered what next ?”

When Sir George Grey appeared on the political field, and especially when he became Premier, the hopes of the Kingites ran high. They began to think that, “ at last," there was a chance to solve the grand problem they had in hand. ’ Sir George was known to be a “good man"—the very best of good men, in fact. You might talk as much nonsense as you liked to him, and if he thought it would do any good, he would talk the same to you. He was not of a tenacious character ; had no great power of grip, and, even if he got you down, you could easily slip away from him. And so, after a little coquetting between the parties, the great Waikato and Waitara confabulations took place, the result of which, as I have already noticed, we are assured to be quite satisfactory. There are, however, some other results which the Native Minister, iu the hurry of business, had not time to bint at, and which are not so very satisfactory—such, for instance, as an immense territory out of the public lands given away for absolutely nothing, except to convince a handful of beaten rebels that we tremble in our sleep for fear of them, arid to increase, if that were possible, their natural greed and insolence; (2) £SOO per annum given away, or promised, to Tawhiao on equally good grounds ; (3) the certainly of being obliged to make large concessions in land or money to every red-handed and rebellious chief in the confederacy, to each in proportion to his deserts, which are to bo calculated of course by the amount of mischief each has done ; (4) something very considerable indeed to Rewi, suppose we say Waitara, or an equivalent in lieu thereof, so as not to put him on a par with the rest, although they are all very : good men notwithstanding. . As for the melancholy exhibition Sir George Grey made of himself at Waikato and Waitara, I suppose if he likes that sort of thing he must be allowed to do it. The only objection is that it is not much tothe public interest that our public men, supposed by courtesy to be our best men, should appear in such places in the character of babies. What a scene was that at Waikato, when Tawhiao, presenting one end of a bit of stick to Sir George before the assembled hundreds, observed that he (Tawhiao) brimfull of aroha, was at the other end, and (as Michael Cassio said when he was drunk) that “ God was above all." These remarks were so terse, logical, and witty, and so very much to tho point—supposing there was such a thing as any point at all anywhere in those parts just at that time—it is not surprising that Sir George Grey was obliged to tell his friends the Kingites to “ settle it amongst themselves," whatever it was, and let him know how far they had got next morning. This they did, and the result is what I have stated (I and Mr. Sheehan). And then Sir George Grey was glad to get away from the lion’s den with his coat considerably torn, metaphorically, as Mr. Sheehan said Rewi spoke when he made the modest request that Waitara should be given back to him. • But about that there was no metaphor at all, tho worthy Rewi thinking it quite within the scope of pakcha “ goodness,” t.e foolishness, to give it to him off hand, and, indeed, quite reasonable, seeing what Tawhiao is supposed to have netted at Waikato, the question then on the tapis at Waitara being, in the apprehension of Rewi, exactly what it had been at Waikato, namely, What is to be got ?’’ and nothing else. The Hon, Mr. Karaitiana is entirely of my opinion, as he said in tho House “he thought it would be a very good thing if Sir George Grey gave Waitara back to Rewi." Air. Sheehan also said, on the occasion of tho debate on the address, that Rewi merely wanted wanted Waitara as a locus standi , which, •par hasard, I should say means a place to stand upon, and as the Captain of Orakau is not a man to “ stand on trifles," it is quite certain he did not mean to stand on a “ metaphor.” But Rewi has also declared ho wants Waitara for a locus to plant potatoes in, and I do not think anyone can bring forward a single instance of anything like a fair crop of potatoes having been raised metaphorically. Air. Fox, on, the same occasion, made a pertinent remark on the absence of Alanuhiri, To Whiti, and William King from the Waitara meeting. Air. Sheehan explained that William King and Alanuhiri were a pair of cripples, and could not come (what a pity they were not crippled twenty years ago) ; as for Te Whiti, although he cannot be denied to he fit for mischief, there was an excuse for him too. Take notice, sir, that Te Whiti is too great a man, at least in his own estimation, to condescend to come into contact with such scrubs' as pakcha Alinisters, or even Maori chiefs. Aloses was a link boy compared to him, and the angel Gnbriel runs on his errands; wo have his sacred word for that. But, nevertheless, if tho absence of the wily impostor was not far more desirable than his company, T could tell Air, Sheehan in three words how to fetch him to Waitara, or anywhere else, except Heaven.

But these excuses for the absence of those worthies from Waitara are, as Mr. Fox said of tho accounts given of the whole affair, “misleading.” There are other imaginable reasons for their absence ; for instance, no Maori gentleman can interfere with another gentleman's plunder. Tawhiao had his pull at Waikato, as was correct, and in consequence Rewl made no official appearance there. And considering all things, Tawhiao did pretty well, if he can only “realise,” though I hope that Parliament may have a word on the subject previously. Rewi’s turn came at Waitara, as was also quite in order, and Tawhiao kept aloof, as did the other big fish very properly. Rewi has had his try there, and the result re-

mains yet in petto between himself and Sir George. I should like to have a five [ier cent, commission on liewi’s little loot, to build a “Refuge for Decayed Maori Doctors,” au institution which seems likely, from late events, to be wanting. As for the rest of the banditti, they are waiting with a limited amount of patience to see Tawhiao and Rewi fairly bag their taonya —“realise,” as we say on Change. That effected, they are quite satisfied that they will have nothing to do but ask for just what they like, and get it. You see, sir, it would never do for all the magnates to coino to the same meeting, as the pakehas are so, “stoopid” they might leave tlm whole “benevolence” to be divided amongst them all, which would be vexatious, and it is clearly better that each man should make his modest little effort at a separate time and place from the rest, and this for very obvious reasons. Mr. Sheehan concluded his reply to Mr. Fox’s objections by saying that “if private people would stand out of the way and not interfere iu native affairs, he would no longer have to speak in the language of hope, but ns to something which had been satisfactorily accomplished.” So that, in fact, it turns nut after all that notwithstanding the statements of satisfactory results made in the address nothing has actually beeuaccomplished. I had a vague idea that such was the case, but did not see Mr. Sheehan’s very candid admission until this moment.

I think that if Premiers and Native Ministers would just stand a little “out of the way,” aud give some place to the present most favorable current of affairs, aud would content themselves with merely maintaining order between the two races, (no hard task now) aud would refrain from running about the country filling the heads of conceited “chieftains” with mad notions of their own importance, the King difficulty would soon fade out, or be rubbed out, and we would be ready to commence with another, quite as perplexing, which seems likely to crop up iu the future; —but, sufficient to the day is the evil thereof.—l am, &c., Noksian. Auckland, August 10.