The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 921, 29 March 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1879.

i,' £t ha popular thim,' to. exalt the native- !. P-tioT »* *fW l;lt * Slr ****"' M'l'KA*' ( , amt we tto net wtmrfet that it fc» »". when ;< we remember that we art' all tmcltned N> s tarry »>»f. the injunction ft' the a<inur»t>te » ol'it maxim £>" mtn'tui.* "M »»'•+» fitwm- <■' But to allow our appreciation of the- many " tcoott qualities <"f the t»te Native Minister. '- ami, tlw> respect in which we h«-»lti hts " mmt'py, to shut us out from alt mcprnry into the merits or demerits of the native policy initiated by hint wouht W t» act »* a manner for which no warrant could be <t foaml either in ttw Latin proverb or w,.„l '•• sense. Then, the position we have a : * ri'-'ht to assume- is the protection of eur '"' own interests untrammelled by any tVeltn^s '!' of respect which we many cherish towards '"' the memory of the man who- flayt'tt f<>r so '* many years a prominent part in the attiar* !!! of this Colony. Certain of the pvtbltc ~ journals of the Co tony are proiuuhratmv ',i opinions that would IV-a.t one to-siippo^ that they tear Mr. wttt tvt »f h- eiriuvl to the dtltieutties of hts position. I. One of these—published in Weillmrton- ■■ = '' demands that the Waimafe Plainssurvey 3 » should be proceeded with, despite the native bounce, ami that the perpetrators of the outrage (meaning the action, of the natives in tiinun- ott' the surveyors) sh-itF.!. , be punished." fins call; to our mind r.h • !]: existence in Mr. a propensity '. for insisting uport having his o-rett way. ,!i Whatever other fail in u* may be laid to hts id charge-and we have little doubt hut that ~- Hlu-.i.-i.v are Htirm-'r-.'s si-vtbe» vttmv ev it. nerienco of native matter* has not extended beyond their nfhees that will have no in to point to what they in their wisdom: eimeeive to be numermi* faults in Mr: '''* with teinporwit!'/- in his treatment of th- '" natives. A perusal of hi. haran ;ue >.vr 't :',"' Ti.; tVyn'f in !■'•>■ (. -. ■ •■•;■• ol : jto.o.iv '."•'•■•

t';u->hnTi hj« t.U"'i-t.' .•uiii"!i!i..-fil tuaC u-fhin-but tiu> triat "t fftumtf. tlw tu'rvil.fi>-;. ; : btifucn Clur HniiiKu-y Ivuvl frv!>naa.L w..i::.t thw V« 'VffMiimt. v. ?s ,„,(;, howiovtfi-. uninirvxli-'l with hrs ':t- f»-v----niinsifioiu f'-'ir be" iwb-t'-'l-.. " t-r tn.ui; SWlkiDn.* the to iif.frnipt fiu-'i-i- tn t;>.i«> iiiirt,. but h.-■■ iletlvoiMrun; up f... jll !'•>• »:\s a mi-ti.aj.."!--nt.-fltiuili;wy t» any tiniil .<i'r.|-1.-ni. fir ...t tin- i ,puwti«'US bwl-.wtM-u tin- n;Utv>'s ;wi tiu- i ttoveniuun-vt." 3U\ ywliUn./ ill hU i«i'l m unuu.- ; titkeiii'ilu bnicn:«v i«f..»fi-ut-4 Tk VV It t.T. in. ; eoply tn a iw tu. wlmttwr hv r not Vm tn«d irv I'inrUwlva. that '• fin j K> tvU>«t m fcho nn-Unairy N;>r j wiv* h'j U's» (It'oisuvt- ru VKCwi'H'tiße to the> , Wi»imJite- rtvinss. Btr said that ttW tai-nt hint btiort as a j.itfvbtunimt i»r febottiutt Einir-tuun ye:*r» aitu ' tl t '- ,i;, '. r - t! ;"" survey taust! go "r v a» tlu< taking of tliu biuli had t>oen sanutiotuxl W i*ai'l;btn«'riE. Tk e»r» were no 6 aiiyiMtnuan'l r..» suirtt rcsot»«bn, »wh mtwrvuptuv_c >hv S>KRir..KA3.-,iu!- treatisd tlw iMSi.-iitbtv,'*' t" halt atv houc'* ocatioti,. after the kmimut "f excited Maovi*. Mr &m.r.K\S athuveit fiirw to. t'tnUhvatut having cemrcwk-d hmi-'f his promise »t to ttvtemtjit, he trtrnvit the people atut said, "This w"rfc »*'«« dime with the »:mi;ttorv '-'t thu taw. and those wll"' opp<'*w it do so at. their pi-i'tL What more *" the-detractor* «(! Mr. Shkf.WAS want I Wilt nothtni,' but thetrunii-diivto-e.tpentlitufe of gnnpowdev sattst'y fln-m. Trotisufed fconi "alt sfw-nnse* *■( swtteruw 'p«»Bun»H vudeTickj at the tiaiuU ...E the nati*B»v nome- newspaper writers* uii/tit ttiirifc ili p'<'d tun t»- tonimetwe at the wrong «nd by using eomputsioti ftrst awl moral suasion afterwards ; br;t what of Erontiwr siuttterst l Let the tUV ft' .uu-_of the natives ho taken, and. as the oi thenv teufgnis** c.o odier tav t-hati " an eye-ftif an »yp atwt a tiwth l><; » tn..>tlt." thwefwnee- *>l evil; work byiuu' ttie so..[teel wowht bo t'.'i-r too probabkv h w.mW bv ?. isiiinat Bor frontU>r settteci* t.> reiu.iv« tlit-ir ■fc'iMttitis* beyond the- reaeh of infiiriated ; Motive* »nd probable- bloodshed. _ »s ttiis what some wht* writw sinjermgty. and others who, sfcandici'," at a safe eliitatuv. incite- to. battle, wish to see I They v.-oittd feft ashame.lof tfi«-msetreS tf they thon-ht i that the- adeption of their ideas would te..d ! t..i *uot» direfwt tem-dts; yet. s.-tdd 3lr. . Sttmarjisr n;»«o p-mw any f«rtfu:r at the stage o« whiah we attf writing than. tw ditt withowt irctniving ttn> gvrat a risk," : Frora tIW eoromencuHnent, ha has taken « firm stand in hi* stealing with the nattveu, and in, this p.uticwlar tie-dirTers trom any 'oi hi;* predectaasors. Tlie- poUcy of the : ts*t» Sir D*>:**tt> M'LfrAJt had been |»la«vd jtt jt*xtrtf»»»ition with that of Mr. SMttEti.v.x i in order tw to »K»>w thwinU-nonfy ; «£ the latter. We «tiftVr totally fr»m th» ; viewf. ft«» pwlkry »i the- past has Wen to pampsr th« nativs*—tt> bolster wp thetr Lpm that they would *w day wc»y«r ; the laadd that had bwts «untwcated (w atkato.. to- wit>—and thU at aw alarmmg :»iu:riri«e »f xotmey: the po-Ei«y ♦■«' >!ri* f» s?»* a'i'iwt possession &r tru: tsvmtst tlvvt mw «ontiscafo.l. and t«> settle the native- dLtU':nl".y- !>y sotslmg th.-e kimk Whk'v p-.U.-v i, tht;-tM-'tttT : tI..M | «.:..-: no.. ..u v ; ■ * ■■•>■ t-a <uy prevented cho growth of file .-iml pusr.oral industries, or that whteti ■ now iudi«io»sty " taU 1 * th«f bid! by ttieIwtna," and not only say* that the thtis :ho» asri«ee{ wh«n these fond* rottitbc Icdivttn wp* to the Government bat inauts

swi*»r ami Hour policy acted as a planter to a» ©ld constitutional wound that required t constitutional treatment to ensure its * eradication. It did not go the root of the 'difficulty. The natives were fairly quiet, _ it t* true, but they had even- reason to be _ 90 The bulk and the best of their land < «a* left untouched, and when any suspicions arose that measures were being ] taken that might jeopardise their pro- T prietorahip of their lands, they indulged t their savage natures by committing a 1 murder or two. Let those who think, or i rather say, that Mr. Sueeuas has not • been autlicicntly linn over-the Hikoki J affair rati to mind the apathy of ] t.ho government in not taking ( step* to avenge the murders of Toim. t StLivAS, and others, and the Te Kooti fiasco. Let them call to mind the action , 'in Parliament of .<ir Donw.o M'Lean ; when asked anv question relating to his native poticv. and the mystery in which , that poliev was permitted by Parliament and the people to be enshrouded through- < ... tl t a long period of almost unexampled native violence, monopoly, aggression, ;md impudence. When questioned on any point in reference to native matters, ir. was the custom of Sir Do.vamj M'LfaV t» quench all curiosity by intimating that to Ratify his interrogators would" be to endanger the success >n his ■policy. Thtw for many years not only was every native outrage sttffercd to pas* utmost without a murmur, but no fresh fond was acquired, with the exception <■! those useless blocks that were 'when no native difficulty existed, whilst ■upon rebels who surreptitiously and even openly thwarted the Government and settlers in everything that did not meet with their approval, jealous of anything bearing the least resemblance to oppression, public money was lavished Sir Doniu. M'Leas's p»'»cy had one ■fatal fault—it did n»t pent.-: rate the native dittietttty bovond the skin, and left the core untouched. It secured the peacefwtnese of those natives who lived m European settlements, and who had ImiKine demoralised nondescripts through t;,.verlitvtent bounty, whilst it failed f.»» produce the slightest effect upon tha natives bevond the Confiscation Itoundarv. much "less the denizens of the Kins: Country. There could not be more ' conclusive evidence of this than that which is now living afforded in the W ai'mate Plains dispute. A member of a • Jovenunent of progression, and a man who has a good notion of how to cope with what has been termed the " Native ' ditt'ienlty "by common consent—on account o"f ot;r inability to compass it—Mr j r Siieeiian no sooner assumed oliice than j * he eteited himself courageously to secure * to the country the lands which properly ' !, t t'ti,' t»» it, and to disabuse the native ' tutndof theimprewion which past treatment - has e.rer.ted that millions of acres would ■* be aitowed to remain unproductive to * yrntifv their whims. The natives had not s Eieett "accustomed to such positive action. '" Hitherto their opposition and threats :< l-vl successfully crushed our spirit of 1 ■■.i'ni.Te.-.sioii. Tlits cannot be now. v The t luvcmtiu'nt can no longer permit 1 ! Eho intives to hold despotic sway ■ , -i over the cream of the lands of the r! f. .f. .uy. Mr. Shekeiax has signified this * is a manner winch cannot, be iiiisiimtors ! s fe,,..d bv the natives : that others pretend '■! (~ m i-rm'Ws k an-! it matters not. The per- * i .siste-nee «i Tit W;:trt in opposing the wit! t- i of the t!»v.Tiiitinit in reference t-> the - > Wairoate Plain.; on belt vtf •>? the natives. '•'■ wi the rrtttef.-uiee of the natives to c ' i hand over Hiu>->Kt for trial for murder. •(have been the means of arousing the - ! present adntitvistr.ition to the nece.--si'y V \ for asserting the rights of the Colony to ■' ; ,tn. wha" it chooses wi-'h its own. and ;■■ s ! maintain law atid order. We are glad r : fli;i.f the prompt action of the ' b.ventm.:,. 1 . in eafttnu' oe.f. the «: ..u.sMoiilarty :>-:tdet-s r ' . afuvif sitpeithnnt.-. f ■;• t.s to st.ve th"'t. Y ' sl'.ould it W n.Yessary to shed blood, the ■ i •* native dithV'-.Hy " must henceforward s i csbt ontv a* :i fhrvvj "f tti^tr.i-y. ■t ; " i. .. "