THE Otago Daily Times

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9, 25 November 1861, Page 2

THE Otago Daily Times

" Inveniam viam aut faciam." MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1861. The very sentiments we enunciated in an article last week concerning the question of war or peace in New Zealand, have also been laid down by the Sydney Morning Herald. In the strongest language our contemporary asserts the position, that peace, secured at any price may be the means of inflicting lasting disnonor on British supremacy in New Zealand. He points out, as we did, that peace is easy enough to ,b£ obtained, that the natives will be only too gla'T. to acquiese in it, if they be permitted to dictate the terms. But if this permission be accorded them, England'is lastingly disgraced. She will stand self-con-demned as the lawless invader of the territory of a half savage race, and when her claims are disputed, her subjects massacred, and their property laid waste, she will then appear, like a defeated bully, to acknowledge the physical force correction, and submit to exist on sufferance, in the dominions over which she had the audacity to claim supremacy. An inglorious peace will bear no other construction, not alone to the Maorjes, but to the whole civilised world, than the admission that Enor-

land had attempted to gain by force that which, morally, she had no claim to. The wasted homesteads, and slaughtered lives or her subjects, would be but the retributive sacrifices, only too justly laid on the altar of the lawless. vanity of a nation that know ho laws, human or divine, in the pursuit, of territorial aggrandisement. The issue raised by the war, it must be remembered, has not been allowed to rest on the causes that produced it. Did the natives only fight for the land of which, they allege, they have been unjustly deprived : did they simply content themselves with defensive war to guard the right to property, of which they deem themselves defrauded: did they simply assert that the disputed title to land at Taranaki should have been fought in a court of justice, and not on the battle-field, peace might be granted as a matter of equity, or as a matter of expediency, and British honor suffer no tarnishing. But that question we have not to decide on, for the Maories have themselves ignored it, in favor of. the protest^they liaye raided against the supremacy of Great Britain in New Zealand. What matters the safety of a little wooden tenement, the ignition of which has led to a larger conflagration ; the hut may be left to its fate, whilst the safety of the palace, and the arresting the spread of the flames be attended to. Even so is it with New Zealand^ The title to land in Taranaki, which ignited the spark of warfare, is nothing to the conflagration that has arisen on other and greater questions. The issue has come to this: shall England uncompromisingly assert her right of dominion over New Zealand, her claim to govern the two races that inhabit it, or shall she submit to a negation, or even a division of her powers, and to secure temporary peace, lay herself open to the infliction of wrongs, that one day must culminate into a war of extermination. It is almost an insult to Sir George Grey to suppose that he would allow the honor of Great Britan, confided to his care to suffer in his keeping. But men like Sir George, so thoroughly self-contained, so earnest in the prosecution of their own ideas, so ingenious in converting into tools men who deem themselves allies, are apt. to be led away by over anxiety to secure their object and to forget that the end does not justify the means. In his anxiety to secure peace, Sir George may be trepanned irgo an inglorious one: and it is an essentiar part of the policy he pursues jhat no one will know that peace is established until the conditions are decided on. The very ministers by whom he should be guided, it is said, Sir George is converting into blinds tools, who when the}' think they are leading are absolutely being led. The impoverished inhabitants of the north, and the ruined residents of Taranaki, whose relations have been murdered, whose property has been ruthlessly destroyed, who have been driven away as houseless, homeless, wanderers from the homes they had circled around them, even these have not complained of the war, have not murmured against the policy that contributed to it. Something we may allow to the desire of vengeance, but the revengeful feeling mijjht have been doubled edged, might have been directed against the natives that committed the ravages, and against the Governor that proclaimed war. But the latter feeling they have never expressed, and it fair to suppose they do not entertain it. As we have said we will not express an opinion whether the first act that contributed to the war unjust and impolitic, or the reverse. The question is one that would absorb columns, but something of weight may at any rate be allowed to the .fact, that tho«e who have suffered most by war, have not disapproved of the policy that led to it. . • But if the exception may be taken to the opinions of the people of Taranaki, that they themselves were interested in the question of acquisition of property which occasioned the war, we may instance those who never had, and never can have, any end to gain by the war, but who in many ways have been, and will be, made to suffer by it, and who still .would shrink with disgust from an inglorious dishonoring peace. The inhabitants of the Southern Island have learned the lesson v to suffer and be strong." With no interests to secure in the war, they have to contribute to the expenses of carrying it on, and they have to submit to the unnatural alliance between themselves and the Northern Island until war is terminated. There is no use to attempt disguise, the Southern Island has no interests in common with the Northern, and a separation must be brought about. But the islands have drifted in common into a war, and though the interests of the one only are concerned, the/ honor of the other compels it to see that war terminated, before the union be dissolved. The reparation, which is the vital interest of the Southern Island, must be delayed until the war is concluded; but the inhabitants would never be party to a peace which in the slightest degree could compromise the reputation or honor of the nation, allegiance to whose supremacy it is their delight to acknowledge. If Sir George attempt peace on any terms, he will raise a storm against which his tact and statesmanship will not be proof. The honor of a nation, like that of a woman, will not bear the slightest breath-stain ; like Caesar's wife, it mu.t be above suspicion. But even expediency cannot be urged in favor of an inglorious peace, for the British are masters of the situation; the power of dictating terms is within their grasp, and the weakness would be inexcusable that would lose sight of the adj vantages that in reality have been gaiaed.J

Sir George—in allowing every one to suppose that peace is certain to be established —m permitting troops to understand that their services will shortly be dispensed with—in ostentatiously undertaking peace missions to the natives,— adopts a policy which a half-savage race will be apt to construe into irresolution and weakness. The first step should have been to require an unconditional consent to the terms on which he was prepared to grant peace, then the reforms it is said he proposes to introduce, he could have shaped into concessions. But these reforms are now proposed conditionally on peace, and the Maories will regard them as the hard won results of their appeal to arms. Instead of making submission as disaffected and revolted subjects, they will consider they have made terms as between nation and nation. By the "Aldinga" several warrants were sent down from Victoria. One was against a person named Cuthbert, for wife desertion; he was arrested in Dunedin. Another was against Mr. South, a solicitor, on the charge of embezzlement; he was arrested by Detective Tuckwell on Saturday night, on his return from Canterbury, which place he had been visiting. Some surprise has been expressed that public notices have not been issued in Dunedin and elsewhere, by the Bank of New Zealand, announcing the readiness of the Bank to take up the unfortunate post —dated notes issued at the gold fields. Such a step should certainly have been taken immediately the repudiation of the notes by the other banks was known. We understand the manager of the bank has gone to the diggings to arrange matters. Unquestionably it would be a great mistake on his part to attempt any secrecy after the affair has become so generally known. Naturally the notes have even now become widely circulated; some are flying about Dnnedin, and it is due to the reputation of the Bank that measures-be immediately adopted to take up the notes which are unquestionably informal, if not^llegal. ! We observe that Messrs. Jones, Bird & Co. are erecting a splendid ran^e of stables, extending from the Provincial Hotel across to High-street, with a covered-in area for Auction sales. The " Geelong" arrived on Saturday evening from Christchurch, Canterbury. We are indebted to the Captain for newspapers ; they contain little intelligence of importance. Detective Tuckwell, from Melbourne, arrived by the " Aldinga." He will form a useful addition to the Otago force. He is known as a smart detective. The Local Government has consented to an increase of Is. per day in the pay of the constables. Many f of the best men, finding the pay too small, had / tendered their resignation. We observe, amongst the latest improvements, that an omnibus has been started to run hourly between the Post Office and the Water, of Lei th. We learn that, owing to the interference of certain private .arrangements, it is doubtful whether an Executive can be formed that would be generally accepted as suitable to the requirements of the times. For reasons, which will be elicited hereafter, we understand the Superintendent cannot accept the Executive recommended by Mr. Dick without the express information that it possesses the confidence of the Provincial Council, which its members did not appear to do last session. It is not improbable that the Provincial Council will be immediately summoned to advise His Honor on the formation of an Executive, and to take into consideration other subjects.