THE COLONIST. NELSON, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1860.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 303, 14 September 1860, Page 2

THE COLONIST. NELSON, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1860.

Though the * Story of New Zealand, Past and Present, Savage and Civilised,' has been before the public some time, and.met with a very favorable reception in a great many quarters, we think we could scarcely occupy a column of our journal with any thing better than a brief notice of its pfrges. We dp this with particular interest, as we think the opinions and statements of the author—Arthur S. Thompson, M.D., Sur-geon-Major 58th regiment — peculiarly important at the present critical state of affairs. His narrative is clear, concise, graphic, and comprehensive, and conveys a very complete and exact idea of the country, the climate, the natural history, the people, the language, &c. It is rare indeed to get so intelligent and satisfactory an account, even though the bibliography appended by the author consists of ' ninety volumes, two hundred pamphlets, and nearly one hundred-weight of parliamentary papers. 1 'During eleven years' residence,' the author 'saw much of the country; held intercourse with representative men; sojourned for months amongst the aborigines in the interior; was permitted to consult many unpublished official documents; frequently heard natives «talk over events among themselves;' and from materials culled from these sources' he has sketched his story. We regard anything he writes as deserving of especial public attention, if not of general public adoption. Not as a missionary, but as a military man, his views are not likely to be regarded as exparte, or as called forth by a jaundiced view of the native question; and yet these views are amazingly in accordance with certain opinions at once condemned as traitorous and imbecile. It will doubtless be recollected that in the session of 1858, the Colonial Secretary, speaking from his place in the House of Representatives, said-—' On the part of the Crown the promise has been made to the Maoris that they shall be one people with us, one people under one law. The mag-T nitude of the promise it is hard to realize. It overwhelms me when I think of it. It implies a gigantic labor. It is the education of a race. But the promise binds the British Government in honor and conscience. It is a sacred promise, and I say of my Government when we use these words, conscious as we are of their deep import, we mean what we say.' These, sentiments are creditable to the minister who uttered them, and the assembly in which they were expressed; but how far the present policy is calculated to carry them into effect, it requires no political prophet to 'predict. As an accompanying exposition of intentions contravened by actions, the sayings of Mr. Swainson and the present unhappy conflict with the natives are woful facts. 'In other regions of the world,' says her Majesty's late Attorney-General for this Colony, • England has by conquest extended largely the bounds of her dominions—the result of many a brilliant victory. But what is won by the sword, and that which is held by the sword, by the sword may also perish. In New Zealand the issue still is pending, and the victory yet unwon. But if it shall be given to the founder's of this colony to be also the instruments of preserving a barbarous native race, and of raising them in the scale of civilisation to a level with themselves, then crowned with these unwonted blessings, the first fruits of a coming age, the colonisation of these islands will be one of the noblest conquests in the annals of our history; and New Zealand, already the. cradle of civilisation and the dayspring of light to the heathen people of the Southern Seas, will be indeed the brightest ornament in the borders of our empire.* The «Story of New Zealand' tells us how these fair promises ; have been blighted. The whole country is supposed to be under British law; but it is rather a legal inference than a reality. Ruled by hereditary chiefs, Maori laws and customs yet prevail. The Constitution places the native race on a political equality with the British colonists; and there is theoretically nothing to prevent a chief or any individual of ; the native community from becoming a representative in the Provincial Legislature, or a member of the General Assembly. Indifferent to provincial politics, they were satisfied with the rule under which they first voluntarily placed themselves. Their political relation to the British Government, as understood by themselves, was defined in 1853, by an assembly of chiefs, in the following figurative language:—•• This has been our agreement, namely, that the Supreme Being, the Lord of all, shall be our ridge-pole; New Zealand and its inhabitants the rafters on one side, and England with its inhabitants the rafters on the other

side—thus making one entire and complete roof and building.' Any idea of political subordination to the British settlers never once entered their minds; for their admission of tiie sovereignty of the British crown :did not draw with it, in their estimation, aryr'relinquisbment of their independence as a people, or involve the sacrifice of their personal or territorial rights. : / Dr. Thompson says, * the management of the natives, was a subject frequently discussed by the press and the parliament of 1856. When responsible government was established, the Governor agreed to be guided in all public affairs by ministers, except in the purchase of land and the making of laws affecting the aboriginal inhabitants. These subjects Governor Browne considered imperial questions, seeing they might lead to war. Several representatives, even after the ratification of this ministerial agreement, were for declining responsible government clogged with what they called unconstitutional restrictions; but others pointed out that the aborigines were not represented in the house/ and that it was the essence of responsible government for the ministers to represent those to whom they were responsible. It was urged by persons who were for having the Governor supreme in native affairs, that the aborigines only knew the Governor, and that the native ministerial policy might change with every change of ministry; to which it was replied, that even if the ministers were supreme, the Governor would still be,the executive officer; that hitherto the native policy had been changed by every Governor; and that there was more of permanency in a system in which five persons were concerned than in one in which only a single person was concerned. ■■* It was seen that the management of the natives was the great colonial difficulty, and Governor Browne assembled a Board soon after his arrival to inquire and report on native affairs. Before this Board men of both races were examined; but the strongly expressed evidence of several missionaries produced the most lively impression on its members. The consequence was, that the Board, among other things, reported that ' there had been a great falling away of the natives from the missionaries; that the people were divided into heathens, Christians, and consistent Christians; and that the Government should take upon itself the office of instructor, where the efforts of the missionaries necessarily ceased." Religion and "labor, the religion of everyday life, according to this opinion, were incompatible.' \ The" difference here hinted at between consistent New Zealand Christians knd Christians is illustrated by Dr. Thompson by the delineation of a character drawn from nature, and as exhibited by a chief 'whose ignorance is bliss,' in that he was negatively happy before commerce ' penetrated into his native district.' This nominal Christian, gorging, smoking, praying in listless indifference as to the vital genius of Christianity, which inculcates ' whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might,' was nevertheless the consistent Christian' in the eyes of the resident missionary ; but a glimpse of the outer world revealed, the 'English trader introducing clothes, shirts, sugar, tea, and various other articles' amongst the Maoris. ' There were two ways of getting possession of these luxuries—one was selling land, the other was working;' and this 'consistent Christian,' in common with his countrymen, disliked both; but pride and anxiety to 'be like the natives near the English settlements ' forced the adoption of industry as the lesser of "the two evils. Every year native wants increased, and what were once luxuries are how deemed necessaries, and therefore the Maori has less time • for sleeping, gorging, and gossipping than he once had; and instead of worshipping' God publicly twice daily,' he imitates the settlers (much to the disappointment of the missionary) by going to church on the Sunday only; but like them perhaps 'feels religion in the stir and distraction of the field, the farm, and sea.' We are reluctantly compelled to close our observations on these volumes for the present.