THE WAR AND THE MAORIS.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 20, 16 July 1864, Page 2

THE WAR AND THE MAORIS.

(From tlie Southland Times, June 30.) Now that Her Majesty's troops in the North Island are reposing, if not on the laurels they have won, at least in comfortable winter quarters at the conclusion of a somewhat severe and eventful campaign, we think it would be well if the relative position of the combatants were carefully considered by those who have the conduct of the war in their hands. The grave question of how to bring it to a happy and successful — as well as speedy — termination, is one that has for a long period agitated the whole body politic of j the Northern Island, and it may with equal truth be asserted, of the Middle Island likewise, for we are all more or I less directly or indirectly affected by it. ' From time to time we hear, as each successive mail informs us, nothing which has yet induced the belief that hopes are entertained, so far as affairs have progressed, either of a satisfactory and honorable peace by treaty (the idea of which is regarded by some, and perhaps justly, as absurd), or by an ffectual and thorough subjugation of the hostile tribes by force of arms. In fact, the dispute between King Potatau and Queen Yictobia is as far from a satisfactory solution as ever it was. The native difficulty is ever assuming new phases, to deal with which necessitates the careful and dispassionate consideration of those at the helm of affairs ; and the perplexity of our position is increased* tenfold by the simultaneous outbreak of hostilities in some unlooked-for quarter, just at the | moment when our forces have made some j progress in another. How long such a j state of matters is to exist it would be hard to say ; but every one will be agreed that the sooner a peace is obtained, honorable to British arms, and decisive as regards the safety of the European population, and the consequent welfare and prosperity of New Zealand generally, the better for all parties, — the natives themselves included. From the accounts published in the Northern journals from time to time, we gather that the opinion is daily gaining ground that our relations with those natives, usually denominated " friendly," require and demand the most careful attention. It may be bad policy to trust too much to their fidelity — it may be a worse one to ignore too much their claims for consideration for the valuable services they have, on many occasions, rendered to the Imperial cause. It is not a worthy attribute of that man's mind who, receiving favors, seeks not to render favors in return. He who receives valuable aid and assistance in emergency, and doles out in return but the empty acknowledgements of the lips, cannot win over to him a mind of generous feelings and impulses. G-ranting, then, that loyal natives — we would not have it inferred that they are necessarily imbued with the "generous feelings " we have alluded to — have been found to espouse, like Britons, Britain's cause, and have not been permitted to share the honor of the advantages which have accrued to us from their assistance, or have not' been recompensed in any form whatever, is it to be wondered at that they should be dissatisfied, or should grumble at their position and our treatment of them ? Of their motives in swearing allegiance to the Queen we have nothing whatever to^do. That they have done so is sufficient, and, all that we should consider is their actions, and the obligations imposed on us in consequence of their ready and effective co-operation in our designs. One example only would we ; cite— that of the bloody conflict at; Eanana, where the loyal "Wanganuis, in; one engagement, extinguished, perhaps for ever, the spark of rebellion in that quarter. The question, no doubt, will arise, how would our own disciplined forces have fared in the savage melee? r :■■ It is a great ; mstake, likewise, in underrating, or not recognizing more, the intel-' lig^nce ,o^ that he is ; no common sayag'e-^and- the half-castes who "adopt their 'mode of life and their cause, are even more dangerous', 'and; were doubtless the r moving 1 spirits in many of the encounters that have" taken place. That half-castes possess often a xnore-than-ordinary amount of . i intelligence no one can deny, and it should behove us not to treat their eapacity^for mischief too lightly, or to"Tiegleet:to reward .them property for the aid they renderour cause. , That the lpy|j/- ntoe9^M\iacutely . their position Wnl^perhaps biestH^e :seeii from a^ rep6rt ! of a speech of a half-casteV- named Eetbeat Tapsaiji^ at a m^et^gTat 4 Maketnjybetween

the " Whitd" Scarfs " -(friendly natives) and Messrs. 'Smith and Eice, the inter- i preters, and furnished to the New Zea- . lander .by, its correspondent at that place: — „ , , "Retreat Tapsall, a most intelligent half-caste, and Sergeant of Police, thus addressed the meeting : — < Mr. Smith — You and others have always stated, that wo in this Pa are rebels, but now there is proof to the contrary. We have spilt blood, and lost our head chief. It has been . said that .-we were afraid to face the enemy ; our doeds will showwhether we have been faithful to Her M "■*■' jesty or not. I have no doubt the Major of the Forest Rangers and his men came here to light ; but I am sorry to say,instead of this, that it lookslikeas if they came here to bounce over us. } The English say they don't want .us to fight, -but we were,almost forced to do it by Major Hay. "We went; 1 *^ " out like Britons, to face the foe, accompanied I>y~the brave men of the Forest Rangers. It was not the men's fault ; but he who ought to command them, followed, and at a distance of a mile from the enemy, halted for supper, with about one hundred and fifty white scarfs, the remainder ' marching on, commanded by that brave" old chief ■who now lies low. I then took command, and led on my tribe ; but those who i receive 10s. goer, day,.an&_ are., furrusjied^vith, every necessary for... the ; field, left, us^tp fighf; it put. \J. hope that ttuV _. wilTputan end to the suspicions of those" who) at '■'-■ present "reside here^ It- is my wish that! all Europeans, with the exception .of Smith; and ~Rice, should leave tliis place, for the others are a set of — ■ — — • i rl am ;not .afraid, to. .tell them this to -their. .. facea, for they are of- rip assistance, to us "whatever." ' I have, since the arrival of the'troops, made it my business to patrola number of men a mile or two miles, as I thought it requisitie,' every nighty' and, gave all the. information it was possible- tojobtain' f to the Major in -command of the" Fpfesfcßangbrs. „ I am a half-caste myself, and.l ask the"bffice"rs"of the force (Forest Rangers), whether I have done my.,* .duty or not? „,1 .know .that I kave performed my duty, "but ~ I have ! no. doubt^that Major. Hay. -will; receive, the credit/;for it. If I find any praise bestowed that; he does ■ not deserve, I shall make a point of appealing to the officers.^ AT-,:' 1 .:-.iiJ~!. r :\.\:\ \IJ-M::'S\; ': Retreat then asked Mr. Smith "Whether he was wrong in what he had saidl" ' ; i! - ; f : J Miv Smith gave no: reply/ '■' Retreat continued, ■ "I am grieved to think that iwe; are 'left hero destitute, almost starved, having, been. obliged to neglect our own plantations, &c., in, 'order to support Her Majesty's supren^acy m the^Arawa district." . „,... We haye seldom, says the above quoted journal, met with.' a more straightforward, out-spoken j address that this* of Uetbeat Tapsall. He knows full weR that he has done good sendee, and he is not ashamed to avow it. He and his tribe have fought for the Queen's supremapy;' they have performed a duty, far more distasteful to a warlike and undisciplined race than, actual fighting— that of patrolling at night ; they have surely clone enough to disarm all suspicion oi\ their trustworthiness. By their whole conduct; they have placed an insurmountable barrier against any future reconciliation—-any"irater-nising — with their Maori countrymen. And how have their services been rewarded ? Let Eetkeat Tapsael tell his own tale : — " I am grieved to think that we are left here desolate, almost starved, having been obliged to neglect our own plantations, &c, in order to support Her Majesty's sujDremaey in the Arawa district." The employment of race, against race being at present supposed to be the most efficacious method of conducting the struggle, we trust the claims of ' the loyal natives will be duly recognised by -the Grovemment: We will : rconclude byquoting from-' a recent number of the Argus, commenting on the fight at Wan-; ganui, as follows : — " However deplorable may be the necessity which compels us to use one savage against another^ we believe that, in the end, such a policy will be found to be the most humane, that could be adopted. There is nothing more likely to bring the war to a speedy conclusion, and thus to preseve the natives from utter extermination, than the knowledge, which, by this time, must be rapidly extending among the insurgent tribes, that a large portion of their own countrymen are disposed to make common, cause with the Pakehas in putting down this insane attempt to establish an independent Maori kingdom. The fear which we have always entertained is, that this unhappy contest should spread into a war of races. • That fear may-now-belaid.aside. -It-is evident that the Maories ..themselves are about equally divided on the question between King Potatau and. Queen Victoria ; and it is clearly to the intereste of future 1 peace in New-' Zealand tnat this division Bhould be mauitained; It is at 'once a justification of the British policy > arid a-promise of a speedy conclusion of the war, that Mapries are to be found in all parts of the islandnot less eager to defend the Queen's supremacy than the British. themselves. They have already been most" valuable allies in the field, and have "given the most substantial, proofs of their loyalty and goodwill."