TARANKI.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 270, 22 May 1860, Page 2

TARANKI.

[Fromtte:TaT<tnM News, May 17.J Since our last publication, the military authoritiesjiave deemed itf necessary to take the extreme measure of suppressing Saturday's number of the TdranaM Herald. It is very much to be regretted that such an occurrence should have happened ; still more so, if with reason. The discussion of this question cannot, well be avoided, however desirable and prudent it might be to pass it over. We feel bound to say that, in a military point of view^ we consider the act is well -justified, and in, all truthfulness we commit ourselves to this opinion, unpopular as we feel all but assured it will' be. But the question belongs to matter of much wider moment -than" the bare fact and its justification, and it is not impossible that some ,good may yet be driven out of the difficulty. The remarks cpmplained of, question the worth of the precautions taken against a surprise of the town, and are asserted to lay open in particulars the weak places. In controlling this, the military authorities are performing a duty that they would be blameable for disregarding, and for which they should be applaudedr But wb must, with reference; to the exercise of this necessary power, ask—can it be effective in the present state of things ? Wo boldly say it cannot. It has been the policy of Government, for which the military authorities are not responsible, to secure^ *as it is supposed, the fideI lity of a great number of the native race, and their resort is in a great measure the town; and it is indisputable that the facilities thus afforded render any attempt at concealing our strong or our weak points from the enemy outside altogether futile;, and such must'be the case until they ar« removed. Applying to this cornea a pertinent proclamation :thiß r week controlling the sale of t?baeco to themr .JDoes this,'show faith in the ma■i&aMiire^ Thia is thefi»st and main point of the;whole jmatteri: We may be called upon to defend they town any hour of the day or night. Boesany one.know what he- is to do? Do we feel any strength in ourselves beyond what each man feels that he is worth indiri^ually in a struggle ? There is much to be done, putting even the stake which we are alt obliged to recognise out of the question, to preserve to m en their self-esteen^ out of something like self-relifince. We copy in another column, from the New Zealander, suggestions on the subject of the defeDce of the town of Auckland. It is not necessary here to appreciate what thele' are worth in relation to the locality to, which, they apply ;'but the example is one which we should not lose sight of.

It J9 remarkable how, through this Maori war question, we are" continually favored with Missionary advice, Missionary opinion; Missionary addresses, all conveyed in such a self-satisfied tone as ought to persuade by their very oilness of diction and professed singleness;of purpose. Still they do riot; why they do not may perhaps be chargeable on that apparent discrepancy between smooth tone, good precept, and covert practice which both now and for a long time past has marked the proceedings of this motley and reverend body. They seem to forget that while we may assume their existence here to have been not unproductive of some benefit to the savage race, Buch a fact affords ho warranty whatever for the selfish course of action tlret all but nurses treason and fosters discontent. As a class, Wesleyans, Church of England, Lutheran, or what not, they have all from the accidental circumstances of the country, been possessed of an adventitious influence, respectable enough while confined within its professional and so far proper limits, but mischevious the moment it over-stepped that limit, and arrogated to itself functions peculiarly appertaining to the civil power, and to the civil power alone. Ear-sighted and not generally improvident, their study throughout has been to strengthen their position against future contingencies by a corporate, and landed interest. The votaries of present self-abnegation if you mark them well are beings grown lusty and fat on a past order of things, when spiritualities fetched a high price, and acres upon acres of the finest land in New Zealand poured in almost fast enough, but not quite for the appetite that cried give, give, from mom until eventide. The tide of opinion is now setting in adverse to their interests; they feel it —they know it, and hence that system of passive resistence to public opinion which consists not in open and professed opposition to the general good, but in a sly, compact, and well understood system of mischevious interference. The influence already acquired by questionable means is made the basis of secret aggression. The here and there individual talent of their order becomes subservient to political manceuvering,. and even-the pulpit is come at last to be made the vehicle for disseminating half-hatched treason under the guise of Christianity, fair dealing, and Maori sympathy. In an address of.the Rev. T. Buddie, recently delivered at Auckland he touches on the native idea of Christianity, Love, and Law, and a strange melange it seems to be. As a Missionary he of course sees everything through the medium of a Missionary lens, and, therefore wholly differs from those who deetn the Maories loyalty about as varied as his tattoo, with about the same depth of impress. Mr. Buddie is evidently put forward by his party, as their interpreter. The address consequently possesses a weight which its own intrinsic valu« might scarcelymerit. The whole address is of that wary description that does for anythingor nothing—couchedin language whose very caution and tact preclude censure, while they secure small respect The address abounds with the usual exhortations to peace and charity, forgetting, in its anxiety for the latter, who has been the aggressor., It discourages popular excitement, oblivious meanwhile that our homesteads have been burnt—our properties, half ruined. It tells us to guard against the indulgence of any unkindly feelings towards the native, in the face of the blood of five murdered colonistscryirig from theground : and then, with an unction which savors more of silliness than sense, it touches on the wickedness of Maori extermination, consequent ditine displeasure, and all that sort of stereotyped missionary phraseology, as though the Almighty had made the writer or any of Ilia sect exponents of divine purpose, or as thougK personal interest and platitudes of a strongly prejudiced^ party should or could run counter to the vox populi, whose willing unanimous expression of opinion may not irreverently be taken for the vox Dei. , : As to the Maori profession of being further guided by Love and Law, when,-how; and where has the former been exhibited, unless we instance the-Missionary-acquisitions of untold.acres, with many other pleasant things ? The ordinary settler, we maintain it, has profited nought by his Love, but been crippled rather by his selfishness and jealousy. No scope for .enterprise, has been allowed,—every- avenue to progress shut up,-— every incentive to exertion discouraged in obedience to the dictates of a policy which, however temporising and expedient, has been altogether unworthy of our Imperial rule. The question of European and Maori sympathy is of too grave a character to be settled by a soilor's squabble at Waikawai. Far better reserve such, incident for a shilling book and gilt cover, to charm the eyes of infancy. . '"'.."■ Then, as to Law, what has this race been throughout our intercourse with them else than like the Gentiles of old-^-a' "Law unto themselves V ' We point to the action that for years past has marked the magisterial functions of our local courts. We do not exaggerate—the legislature enjoins one law for the Maori, another for the European.,. Our very loyalty and constitutional respect have been constantly turned against us for our own discomfiture. Verdicts peculiarly affecting ourselves have been 'sedulously blazed abroad in order to court Maori admiration of British impartiality, and these in startling contrast with others which, touching on Maoji interests, absolutely necessitated a Maori scale tor their special adjustment. . _ And so we have gpne on hitherto; hoping- wittt an. ardour that no neglect seem to.chill, anxious for the termination of a policy that, with all its crashing drawbacks, has yet, from an Englishman's inherent respect for law, been always held inviolate. Equally with Mr. Buddie, we.trust

Ltn&t <{ Christian influencel',maydoita part in. the regeneratfanofthe Natives inm&ftways tkanohe; and if "they thipt; they aresupported by revelation" in this hew movement, let them be told to take good heed that it is no lying spirit that ia gone forth to mislead them, or that harries; &em < from "fanaticism" to persist in a course of treason which can have but one^ result, namely, their, own ultimate chastisement and utter subjugation;^'* ' ;'■■ ■ ' ' '. ' (From the TaranaH Herald May 12.) In seasons of unusual excitement like the.presen when discretion and reserve are more than commonly called foipj so^ietyvis^p't to be afflicted by a ; classofmenbys^e|tyl»l%illy, by others miichievous. They the pustules iof a disturbed systetri^blbfcfting the fair face of the community at large^pl"to be carried off by some corrective administeired by worn out patience and common sense. Ivor, when deferred reprehension is taken for approval, and the general respeqt for the clerical character i» made a passport for unseemly intrusions, it becomes high time for the public to step in and rectify the error. Viewing current events with the anxiety we dp, duty prompts Us to be no otherwise'than plain spoken. And so when we hear of certain ministers visiting William King recently at his pah we have no hesitation in styling the act both officious and impertinent. The step may not, perhaps, be the less mischievous though it partake somewhat of the burlesque. One is apt to pause at the , lofty daring of these gentlemen (naively described . by one of them in a recent letter), who fe«l themselves competent and self-commissioned thus, almost at the eleventh hour, to hold converse with ' One whose antecedents, have never been- otherwise than crafty and inimical. How striking and men.- . tally ind^pendent ot, this, clerical. triad to. run <jount«p to the long entertainfd- and now realised; prejudices of their countrymen, and to hold con>muniori with the dark-skinned traitor 1. True, oar admiration at their prowess, may be consider- ; ably,qnalified by their gentle repudiation of-all personal, responsibility. Still, look how meekly they comport themselves in the purchase of an "eclat' safe and cheap to themselves; but, we ' maintain it, detrimental to public safety! Where is this to stop? How long is public censure to-be . witholden ? What steps taken to prevent its recurrence ? Is the military and naval talent among us to be held so cheap as to be subordinate to this or to any other meddling triumvirate? Are the experience and ability of both services at so low an ebb that we must look to missionary gobetweens to maintain our position. The Maori question, like many another in times gone by, has been shelved and shelved, till at lastif has come upon us like an " armed man.1' Policy has been hazy an i action paralysed. There has been a kind of hand-and-mouth system of le^ gislation, possessing no inherent stability, and, consequently, failing to command respect. Government has disguised or clouded its acts as a man often does his private politics. It as assumed as many shape 9as Proteus while no divinity was found to keep it steady. At length thoughtful men are gettthg wearied of this too safe inactivity. They pine to see exhibited an energy eommensu- | rate with , their: requirements; a policy which shall befriend and fpster exertion : and a clear decided line of legislation, alike understood by friend and adversary. It might be well for our legislators not to pooh-pooh these reasonable aspirations of astrugglihgcolony,or with proverbially officialcurtness to wound that right of respectful remonstrance so characteristic of our unimpulsive but determined national-mind. Let our rulers feel that while they - have acknowledged difficulties to grapple with, they have the sympathies of an almost oneBouled population to support them. The vacillation that has hitherto marked our measures may possibly have been the result of a timidity that dreads initiating anything so far from home, or from a nervous fear of forfeiting position and emolument, no less affecting a Governor than his lowest official. And so we have gone on, until j . events have forced us at length to meet what we have so long been not unwilling to procrastinate. Now, an obvious line of conduct is before vs —let us pursue it.. The occasion is apt—let us embrace it. The popular feeling is as righteous as it is wide-spread—let us encourage and,respect it. As for the treaty of Waitangi and its misty confederation, treason has since cancelled what was otherwise little known, and, where known, ignored. A new era is opening upon us; waited for with patience, aye, and long suffering. Now and henceforth English rule must extend through the length and breadth of the land. Our holdings must be secured to us; confidence must be established on the basis of power; and such means be taken, once for all, as shall preclude all cause for future anxiety. Professing no faith in amalgamation of races and other puerile conceits, we are fully inclined to rate the Maori at just what he is worth: —as one whose natural intelligence and imitative powers may conduce to the advantage of the Body politic; as one whose innate ferocity oi character must be worn down by contact with our matured civilization ; as one over whom the strong arm will be more venerated .than the strong argument; as one who, while bending henceforth to intelligence superior to his own, realises a large profit in the enlarging and humanizing his own barbarous mind; as one in fine, whose education. for the present, must be placed wholly in secular hands, so that loyalty may spring up by the side of wisdom, each mutually helping the other,, and so contributing to the support of our own glorious empire, whose true boast it is, that it ever benefits those it subjects to its sway. To revert to the more special object of this notice. Let the factious few understand that their actions have been well scanned ; their design fully made.out'and duly appreciated. What else, we would ask, originates this soreness, this irritation, this persistence in crooked ways, this impertinent intrusion into matters purely laical, but those ever slumbering, but never extinct embers of priestly ambition, that seeks as much now as in-ages past, aggrandisement for personal ends ? Those ends being se f-exaltation, the craving desire to become sole referees among a savage race, witli an eye towards future influences, and Heaven knows what. Pupils otherwise docile and well behaved, but deficient in the lubricity and savoirfaire ot their : master, are heard to trip.afc times; now extenuating the foul murder of unsuspecting colonists,— now brusquely impugning the common-sense view of those who deemed intercourse of any kind with a cunning rebel but questionable policy in the present crisis. Let these gentlemen accept a friendly warning arid pause, and not disregard those strictures the Press holds it to be its duty to make, and, if necessary, to follow up..