South Centerbury Times, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1882.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2930, 16 August 1882, Page 2

South Centerbury Times, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1882.

There is a very large section of people in the Home country ever ready to welcome a dark skinned petitioner, and to invest him with scores of imaginary claims upon compassion, in addition to such as he may possibly possess. Mrs Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s cabin” probably kindled the sentiment in the first instance, and the accounts (some false, others only too true) of atrocities committed on the persons of aboriginals by white colonists and invaders in various parts of the world, intensified the feeling. The missionary stories, so pretty, so picturesque, so moving, raised the philo-negro feeling to a pitch of enthusiasm, so much so that if an African or an Indian could be got for the platform at an Exeter Hall meeting, there would be sure to be an immense gathering of the public. Relying probably on the survival of this feeling even in a Jday when communication between England and her colonies is wonderfully rapid, and when there is a thousand times more knowledge of the dark places of the earth among Englishmen than there was twenty years ago, a Maori deputation has gone Home to lay the grievances of the New Zealand aboriginies at the foot of the throne of Britain. . The deputation consisted of Sydney Taiwhanga, Wirema Te Puhi Hiki, and Kakene Parore, and on their arrival in London they were introduced to Earl Kimberley, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, by the Bishop of Nelson. Bishop Snter is a very fair representative of the philo-Maori sentimentalists, whose feelings sometimes get the better of their judgment. He refuses to see anything in the dealings of the British colonists with the Native race; anything but fraud and violence. This limitid vision may be all very well from an ecclesiastical stand-point, but it certainly leads occassionally to very undesirable and dangerous intermeddling. During the recent Native difficulty at Parihaka., Bishop Suter so far allowed his sentimentalism to run away with his discretion, as to raise an ill-timed protest on behalf of the Maoris, which, it is fortunate for the colony, did not foment a very serious disturbance. This zealous prelate introduced the dusky ambassadors to Earl Kimberley. The Bishop surely knew enough of constitutional usage to be aware that the actions of the highest official of the British Crown are circumscribed by constitutional rule's. No sentimentalism is allowed to be imported into Downing street. Had he taken counsel with himself he would surely have foreseen that to all intents and purposes the mission of Sydney and his co-adjutors must inevitably be fruitless. Lord Kimberley replied that he would transmit the memorial of the Embassy to the Colonial Executive for their remarks thereon. That was all his Lordship was prepared to do. All that was left for the Exeter Hall pa rty, was to make as irach of the d ark-skins as possible ; and,no doubt they will "do so. No doubt also a certain very numerous section of the British public will take them in hand 1, weep over their supposed wrongs, and denounce the lawless tyranny io f the Colonial Government, which drove these interesting aborigines from their lands, and threatened ffihem with fire and sword. But the Ihulk of Englishmen are sufficien.tly well-informed and sensible to refwan from jumping at conclusions, and to. he aware that the British spirit of fair-play is as likely to survive in Colonial dependencies as in the Mother Country, We venture to say that any audience of intelligent Englishmen; hesiring a fair unbiassed statement of what took place recently between tl he colonists and the Native populati on, would endorse' the action of the E executive. A critical time like that, w; as a time at which all party considerations should be dropped, and the hat ads of the Government strengthened by the Opposition. Such a time there is now in England, and such a ti me there was then in New Zealand. We rejoice that what tbrei itened to be a serious rupture was aver ted by the skill, energy, and firmness of the Native Minister land his colleagues; and that everything was. done to conserve the rights, and spare the Jives of the native population. this is New Zealand’s aniswer to British questionings. An efl:brt has been made by one of our con temporaries to throw cold water on the deputation by “ showing up ” the chai racter of Sydney Taiwhanga, whose chai racter for honesty will not it seems bea: r inspection. Wo prefer to let th& t pass and to treat the matter as tho ugh that chief were a model of virtue, . The principle remains the sane te; and we assure our English brethren that we are as solicitous about the right of the Natives as they con Id possibly be.