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GOVERNOR GRE Y'S MIST AKE.

(From the Olago Dully Tiniis, Nov. 1.) There cannot bo a doubt that the recent uncertain condition of affairs in the North Island is irritating alike to the natives and the colonists. VViioevor is to blanvj, there is too much reason to Tear that tlio opportunity of making a peaceful arrangement with, dignity to ourselves, and one that, under the circumstances, there was aprobablity oi the natives accepting, has been allowed to glide away. It does not need any great penetration to see that had Sir George Grey kept his word with the natives ' when Ngaruawaliia was occupied by the Queen's there wa3 a much greater chance then of making terms with the insurgent natives, than has ever occurred since. The circumstances were, afc that time, favorable for coming to an arrangement. General Cameron had marched rapidly through the Waikato country, driving the native's before him, and occupying or destroying their various fortified, positions. The two great Maori strongholds. Mere Mere and Itangiriri, had fillcn— the. one being abandoned hopelessly^ and thd other as hopelessly defended. Within the fude defences of Kangariri were assembled the very,' flower of the enemy, and the .tenacious defence they made was worthy of the ancestral fame. of the . warriors of WUikato. -iJiit they ibughfc in vain ; and in -'addition to the mis- ■ fortune of vi;- or defeat, the -natives ha. l to aubuitt to what to> thVm r \va, ; s little less to be de3irod than |;a -vftUTtor/fl.'-. :doat;h^-captivity. When the 200

George Grey held an advantage to which-no subsequent military success has produced an equivalent. The effect of the capture of these 200 prisoners was striking an. l unmistakable. The great rebel chief, Win. Thomson, bitterly no doubt as he must have felt 'the humiliating reverse his arms had suffered, a-ecepfce I it as an ominous syu of the future, if he recklessly protracted his resistance. He had pacific overtures, and sent to tha General a token of his desire to negotiate. Other chiefs made similar signs, and the reply was that when the Queen's flaj floated at ISTgaruawahia he would talk with them. Sir George Q-rey wag quite- right in making this stipulation. It was fitting, before he condescended to negotiate with the Queen's enemies, he should dictate his terms from the enemy's capital — that the flag of insurrestioh, which had defiantly been reared, should ba hauled clown aud replaced by the -symbol of her Majesty's authority. There ... was nothing in this condition to jeopardise the favorable. nature of the opportunity for negotiating. Ngaruawahia was, only a little further up the river than Rangiriri,; and the natives probably could not, after the fall of the latter expect to make a successful stand at their capital. And so the 'troops- were ■ allowed- . to. occupy the seat of Maori royalty without, resisttaiiee. N^aruawahia, the centre of the rebellion, from which had issued the form Liable organisation which bound together ancestral, enemies in a common cause of hostility against European rule, fell without a blow, and the British ensign floated proudly on ths enemy's flagstaff. The Governor's condition was fulfilled, and the discomfited and humbled Waikatos waited for the promised words. But the Governor was silent, and the; only token he gave of his intentions was by pushing forward the troops further into their country. From that date disappeared the fairest chance Sir George Q-rey; lia3 ever had of signalizing himself by a .course of conduct which would have secured for him the approval of all parties, excepting, perhaps the virulent war faction at Auckland. Coming on the heels of a signal victory, and the possession of the enemy's capital, terms of peace might have been ma.le offering some chance of being respected afterwards. Whilst on the one hand the Governor could have afforded with dignity to offer generous terms to a conquered enemy, -on the other haul the natives would have been prepared to accept conditions they would not now subscribe to. But the chance was missed, and ever since, th ; war has been a history of unsatisfactory operations and humiliating disaster. The natives lost confidence in the Governor : he had broken his word, and they saw, or fancied they saw, only a determination to destroy them and conquer the whole of their territory. Desperation sewed them ; the de-peration which animated them at Okarua,, and dictated those memorable words, " ake, ake, ake " — that in spite of defeat aud famine, caused them to light on with a courage bordering on madness — that produced the terrible slaughter at the Gate Pah, and that now nerves the natives to continued resistance. All this might have been spared, huudreds of thousands of pounds saved, and the givate t disaster that has been inflicted on the British arms in New Zealand have been averted, had Sir^George Grey but kept his worJ. No wonder that the natives distrust him. The campaign since Ngaruawahia has been productive of ba.ren results. If we admit the advantage gained oy ttu dusfcraatio v of tl\a native positions at Maungalautave and Rmgiaolria, it would pu/.zle even a military critic to see the wisdom of the Tauranga expedition. H.isty and ill advised it has proved to bo ; it only extended the theatre of war and augmented our enemies, without producing the least advantage. The submission tendered by some of the tribes on the East Coast may be pointed to as a proof that the Tauranga expedition was not without good e'fect. But no one acquainted with the facts can regard the farce in the shape of surrender, whicli 1.13 'ice i pUye I by a few insi jjniiu'ant tribes, as a serious indication of the sentiments of the rebels generally. The hundred or so natives who to save their s'iins and p.-escire (heir Lv.i.'s made a parade of submission — and who are now it appeal's likely to give trouble again, were but a sorry return for the lives and money the Tauvansja expedition cost. But even afcer the the Grate Pah affair Sir George Grey ha. l another chance. One great obstacle in tlve way of inaking terms with the natives ha I been removed by the departure of that tire-eating chief Rewi to Tar.vnaki. Wm. Thomson, whose sentiments are much nore liberal than those of any other Rebel leader, intimated to Sir George Grey his desire for an interview. He did not conceal his desire if not to nibmit, at least to terminate the war. But nothing was done. Had an armistice been arranged iiossibly negotiations for peace would have been successful. -But no ; this opportunity, like ofchei-3, whs allovveJ to escape, an. l fclie natives allowed to brood over their position, and prepare for another struggle Finally, we have the escape of the Mao>-i prisoners, — the indecision of the Governor ; the corresponding contempt and bravado of the natives; the Ministerial dilUculty, and the meeting of the Assembly. It is sixteen months since General Cameron entered the Waikato country ; an. l all that the Colony can show for thai period of warfare is territory we cannot occupy — prisoners we cannot } ceo p — a!U I a bill of costs it remains to be seen if we can pay. In lien of a peaje on the heels of a victory, we shall, if we have peace at all, obtain ifc only at the sacrifice of almost every condition we have been supposed to be lighting iov.—Otago Witness

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ST18641109.2.19

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 70, 9 November 1864, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,235

GOVERNOR GREY'S MISTAKE. Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 70, 9 November 1864, Page 3

GOVERNOR GREY'S MISTAKE. Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 70, 9 November 1864, Page 3

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