The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 1879.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 438, 25 June 1879, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 1879.

The spirited action of the Hawera settlers in preventing the Maoris from breaking the Sabbath by ploughing . Naboth’s vineyard has brought the district full to the front, and shifted the centre of interest from the New Plymouth side to the Waingongora. They have shown Te Whiti that whatever may be tolerated at Tapuae. he must not turn his sword into a plough share here. They have suppUed us with the first episode in difficulties with Ta Whiti and his followers, on which we can think without humiliation. Some one offered to bet us £SO on Saturday that the men of Hawera would prove to be rich in the better part of valour and stay at home for some time to come. We had unbounded faith in Hawera, but our principles, together with our chronic impeenniosity, forbid our taking np any bet exceeding one colonial Robert Sterling. We mean to look the individual who offered this wager straight in the face next time we see him. The ‘ Hawera boys’ have unquestionably played the man, and that from the beginning of the train of circumstances which culminated so honorably on Sunday morning. When at parade on Saturday there was a general wish to clear the invaders off Mr Livingstone’s property at once. In the first burst of honest indignation the propriety of consulting the Government was forgotten. The counsel to ‘give the Government a chance,’ (and a very magnanimous gift many thought it) prevailed. A meeting was held in the Town Hall, and a resolution forwarded to Wellington. It is not often that men • in power receive telegrams in the strain of this resolution, from people whom they affect to regard as supplients. Men who do not know their own minds never speak in this tone. ‘ The ultimatum’is the name by which the resolution is known. It amounted to this, ‘‘Turn these wretches off by twelve o’clock to-morrow, or by jingo abroad that the invaders have threatened to plough for Mr McLean in the morning, A large meeting is held again in the evening, and it is resolved to protect McLean’s property all morning, and to rid Livingstone of his guests at twelve o’clock if the Government have not done so. It is suggested that about, thirty will bo enough for the business, and that if the rest will leave the Hall measures can be concerted. A few persons leave the room; but they moan to have a ride in tllO morning for nil fbnf- fbayncf mn. siuer iney are m the ‘ thirty and remain. “ Shall we go armed or not ?” is the question. “ Armed,” cry many voices, “ without arms” cry others. “ Let part be armed and keep at a distance to cover the others in case of necessity,” says a voice. “ Let ns send arms to Livingstone’s house to-night,” says another. “ Better stay at home than go unarmed,” Buys a third, “ for one man with a revolver would clear the lot of us off.” “ Yes,” cries a fourth, “ depend upon it they’ve got arms about them, or a covering party hidden somewhere.” Now, why all this talk of arms ? Why did these men think they wore going into danger ? Simply because they were not •able to conceive the cool impudence, and rampant fanaticism, which is necessary to bring a small party of men, with women and children, and unarmed, to plough up a settlers lawn, when they know there are two or three hundred armed Europeans within a quarter-of-ari hour’s ride of them. Who, unless he saw it, could conceive it ? The desire for arms, then, was natural enough. But Mr Finnerty mounted the form and said, “ Not one of you is prepared to shed blood to-morrow ; you will not take arms for use, but for show; and yon might as well show a red rag to a bull. Yon don’t want to use them now, but if you show them, you will very soon have to use them.” “ It’s very reasonable,” assented several voices, and it was agreed to go. unarmed. In the morning, as there was no bugle to hand, the first parly started with a grand flourish of stock-whips, and were followed for hours by odd ones, and amall contingents of horse and foot. At the cross-roads there were settlers in front, settlers behind, settlers to the right, and settlers to the left, all hurrying to the ploughing match. Arrived at McLean’s there were no Maoris to keep off, and who could resist going on a quarter of a mile, or so, to see the ploughing at Livingtone’s ? The quarter ot a mile is soon done, and there are the impudent wretches at work. It is not a paddock or a field that they are ploughing; if it were, they might go on a little longer. Mr Livingstone’s house is about five chains back from the road ; in front is an enclosure of about an acre, beautifully undulating, and laid down as smooth as a carpet, in lawn grass. The invaders are ploughing this, from the road fence up to the door, turning the bullocks on the gravel walk in front of the verandah. Five shillings an acre, which Mr Livingstone offered, did not tempt them to plough elsewhere. They are bent on doing as ranch mischief, and giving as much annoyance as possible. Ur perhaps they arc thinking that when Te Whiti has given them the house to live in, the lawn will be convenient for a patch of potatoes. They will not even do the ploughing well, but leave a strip ot grass between the furrows. Thus they go on under the very noses of a hundred men. Need we say that there is some blood boiling in the crowd? There is a limit to the patience and endurance even of people accustomed to wait for the Grey Government, and that limit is reached now. The ultimatum said “ twelve o’clock,” and now it is

scarcely ten, but the British Lion’s tail is up, and he is bound to make history right off, and he does it. The struggling Maoris are held, the bullocks yoked to the drays, the ploughs put into them, and in spite of the frantic efforts of the men, and the grayel-slinging of one of the women, the teams are driven off. 1 When they have a good start, the natives 1 are allowed to follow. All is done as quietly as possible; not a blow is struck, and scarcely a high word spoken. The only, thing approaching violence, or a threat of violence, occurred at the bridge, when the Maori men went off the road, r and appeared disinclined to cross, some of them sitting down. Several voices cried out, “ Kapai the stock-whip 1” and one thong was uncoiled. Whatever they may believe about Te Whiti’s power over bullets, it was at once apparent that they mistrusted his control of stockwhips ; for they wore quickly upon the bridge. We have thougt that the best justification of what was done that could be given, would be to relate it connectedly, as we have done. No body of men, worthy of the name, could have acted otherwise under the circumstances. Yet it will be said that they provoked a breach of the peace. What peace ? and whose peace ? Who has had any peace here for weeks past ? Was it Mr Livingstone’s peace that was endangered? If he enjoyed peace on Saturday and Sunday, how would he fare in War ? We believe we express the mind, of the whole district when we say we want no such peace, and will have no such peace. The settlers have fairly committed themselves to stopping the ploughing. To stop it once or twice, and then let it go on, would be infinitely worse than not stopping it at all. This is recognised fully. No sooner did the ploughmen and their following return on Monday than there was a determined rush to put them off, and this too in spite of a rumour that they were hundreds strong and well armed. This time, however, the settlers took arras, and wore ready to use them in answer to arms on the part of the natives; but fortunately the enemy were neither hundreds strong, nor armed, and were put over the river again almost as quietly as on Sunday. We say fortunately, not that we suppose that the bitter end will be in any way averted, bat because every day gained is precious —that is within certain limits. If the Government succeed in gaining day after day, for the next six months, to do what requires about a week, it will be more disastrous than if war had broken out suddenly a month ago. Whatever the Ministry may think, very few persons of common sense in this district believe that the difficulty will be tided over without bloodshed. Our best citizens recognise the gravity of the situation, amrsay “Well it must come, and the sooner the better.” Certainly if the present state of things is prolonged, the district will soon lose scores of men who are now thrown out of work. They would gladly stay to fight, but can’t live on air while a Grey Government gets ready. It begins to be clear to them that in the matter of getting ready, the Government arc determined to make haste slowly. A few weeks ago the , settlers compelled them to. take a vigorous step, and it becomes clearer every day that they were compelled, and that their assent to the arming of the settlers was forced. They wanted to play a double game here, and make the people think that they were getting their way when they wore not. But they selected the wrong agent Major Noake came here to put the district in a state of defence, and like a soldier he proceeded to do it as quickly, and as thoroughly as possible. Tin's was not what the Government wanted. They wanted an old woman who, like Juliet’s nurse, could keep going without coming to the point. Finding that Major Noake is not such an old woman they recall him, to the infinite disgust of all who hear it. What has the gallant Major done that did not want doing ? What has he left Undone that a miserable Government placed it in his power to do? We pause for a reply. Through the protest of the settlers he has since been recalled.