The Southland Times. MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 1868. FOR EUROPE VIA PANAMA.

Southland Times, Issue 997, 3 August 1868, Page 2

The Southland Times. MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 1868. FOR EUROPE VIA PANAMA.

♦ POLITICAL— GENERAL; ~W"e are again brought face to face with the Native difficulty. The Northern news published in our last issue is important and ominous, showing plainly that we must prepare for a war which threatens to be as fiercely and treacherously carried on the native side as any yet experienced in the colony. It is humiliating to know that at the commencement of renewed hostilities the Maoris should have gained a signal victory — -a victory that will inspire them with confidence in their powers to conquer, and draw to the rebel flag thousands of the undecided, and, so-called, friendly natives. The pleasing delusion which has been cherished during the last two years, that the war was endedj and the outrages occasionally heard of merely the doings of isolated bands of Hau haus who were not sympathised with by the Maori people, has been dispelled, and we are again forced to realise the fact that discontent and a thirst for revenge still burns in the breast of almost every tribe of natives in the North Island. From all quarters rumors of preparations for a determined struggle are being received. The pivot of the Maori creed is an " eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," and they are carrying it out. The accounts of the onslaught at the Turo-turo-mokai redoubt, and of the bloody cannibal orgies which followed, are of such a diabolical description as to make every civilised man bristle with indignation, and pant for the opportunity of punishing the murderers, and administering a lesson to the whole Maori race which it would never

forget. This melancholy record of death, treachery, and barbarous mutila- j tion must suggest the inquiry — when will this state of things end ? Never until the colonists of New i Zealand force the Governor and the .Government to a determined war ; a war that will settle for once and forever the question of British supremacy. The vacilating policy hitherto pursued, the sentimental vaporings of the pseudo-Maori philanthropists, the persistently mis- 1 placed faith in hollow expressions of loyalty, must be succeeded by a determined, energetic, and unflinching effort io tread out the last spark of rebellion. What has the Gsey policy brought the country to? It has plunged it into debt, destroyed the prestige of the British arms, impregnated the Maori mind with the conviction that. the British Government, and the Governor of the colony, were so completely under Missionary and Exeter Hall influence that no matter what atrocities were committed, .what number of lives sacrificed, ,no adequate punishment would follow. They have ample grounds for coming to such a conclusion. Weakness, indecision, and systematic inactivity have naturally inspired the Maoris with the belief that right is on their side, and they must conquor. Is it possible to imagine anything more stupidly insane than the formation of a Penal Settlement at Chatham Islands, with only about a dozen;.;, men 'as custodians of nearly two hundred of the most fierce and determined rebel prisoners. The escape of these prisoners with arms and ammunition is an indelible disgrace to the country, and a stinging censure upon the Defence Dej; artment. When the prisoners were first exiled to the Chatham Islands, rumors were afloat to the effect that Sir Geoege Geey never intended that the term of servitude to which they had been sentenced should be enforced. This was the conviction of the Maoris, themselves,

j and recent events vould certainly go far < to give a coloring of truth to the report, j The well known Maori proclivities of the ex-Governor, and the peace at any price policy he maintained, has lead to a long series of mistakes too momentous to be calmly reviewed. It would now be useless to pine over the past. The fact is that years of war, involving the expenditure of millions, and fearful loss of life and property, has left the colonists in a less secure position than they were before the first outbreak. The question now to be considered is, what policy shall be adopted or the future ? It is certain that the war policy of New Zealand Bhould now be uncompromising, prompt, and determined, therebelnativesmustbe completely beaten. •The time has passed when sentimental sympathising with the savages' can be tolerated. The seed sown by the peace party has brought forth fruit, and what is it"? Treacherous murder, the mangling of the bodies of fallen foes, and a return to the vilest description of cannibalism. Is Sir Geobge Bowen to determinedly and unwaveringly face the difficulty? "We fear not. From His Excellency's despatches to the Duke of Buckingham:, published in other columns, it would appear that the present Governor is likely to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor. His account of his journey from Auckland to "Wellington is more like a newspaper report than a State document. He appears to be perfectly delighted with the questionable enthusiasm with which be was received, andisevidentlyindoctrinated with the views of those who accompanied him, paliation of Maori offences, and conciliation — a policy that has been tried and failed. It must now be war in earnest, and any Government that will not put down rebellion with a strong arm cannot continue to possess the confidence of the people. There must be no more sham trials, no more prisoners sentenced to penal servitude allowed to escape, and no more mock confiscation of rebel lands, If the Native difficulty is to be settled, prompt and certain punishment must follow Maori depredations, and no quarter given to the perpetrators of such sanguinary murders as it has recently been our melancholy duty to record; The war that has now commenced must be sharp, short, and decisive. If this cannot be done it would be better to abandon the North Island altogether. The telegraphic intelligence, from our Wellington Correspondent, published in our other columns, is unquestionably the most important that we have had to chronicle for years. The Parliamentary news, though necessarily scant, is of unusual interest, and the records of the doings of the Natives is startling and humiliating. It will be seen that the work of the session of the General Assembly has commenced in earnest, and the contest of Colonialism versus Provincialism has fairly begun. The discussion was commenced on "Wednesday, on the occasion of the Colonial Secretary moving the : second reading of the Road Boards Bill. Mr Staejpobd acted wisely, at so early a ] period of the session, in causing this question to be brought forward. It showed unmistakeable evidence of confidence in the policy his Ministry has adopted, and it also evinces a deteiv mination to carry it out without flinch-, ing. Until the Bill is before us, it would be premature to pronounce an opinion as to its merits or demerits, but sufficient information has been received to "justify the conclusion that it is based olftlie* Local Government Bill of last session, revised and amended. The statement of Mr Staffobd, "that the General Government would henceforward feel bound to legislate for any part of the colony," would indicate that the hitch in the ■Westland County Act had already been got over. From the news to hand, however, no idea can be formed of the Ministerial policy, except in this particular instance. No reference appears to have yet been made in the House as to the renewal of the Maori war. Mr Pox has openly taken the position of leader of the Opposition, and he gave notice of motion, " that the House should not proceed with any further business until the Government had explained its policy." The debate on this motion cannot fail to elicit information of much value, and in a measure determine the strength of the two parties — the Colonialists and the Povincialists. Until the result of Thursday's debate is known, further comment on this point is unnecessary. The native news is very grave indeed. The whole of our predictions hive been more than realised in a ::iuch shorter time than we anticipated. The Colonial forces have again been beaten, the Friendly natives have proved treacherous to their European comrades, causing a panic that led to a defeat. What action will the Government take to suppress this rabelliou ? That prompt and

energetic measures are required, all parties will acknowledge. The time has passed for conciliation. It is evident that the present force of Mounted Constables and Volunteers are insufficient for the work to be done, and it is equallyevident that the defeat the European forces have experienced, has already had the effect of drawing into the ranks of the. Hau Hau rebels, numbers of the natives who had been looked upon as the staunch friends of the Colonists. At no period of our history has the condition of the North Island assumed a darker complexion than at present. But bad as things are we see no reason to despond. As far as the Native difficulty is concerned, when the news is spread broadcast that the Colonial forceß have been defeated, it will create a determined spirit in the minds of the people to stamp out the rebellion at all hazards. If the Native race is exterminated in the struggle they will have i themselves only to blame for it. The time has arrived for action— short, sharp and decisive.