Native Negotiations and Native Intrigues.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3099, 23 January 1879, Page 2

Native Negotiations and Native Intrigues.

' The following letter appeared in Taesday's Herald. Sib,—Your correspondent has passed the last ten days in the neighbourhood of the King Country, Waikatd. 1 was present at tbe various meetings between JJewi and other chiefs and the Native Minister, the reports of which have been duly published in your paper. I took advantage of the numerous oppori unities afforded me to obtain an insight into the real, not the make-believe, condition of affairs, and my object in writing this.is to "place before your readers, fearlessly and frankly, what that stale of affairs is. Ibave no hesitation in adding my testimony to the perfect sincerity which distinguished the words and acts of Rewi himself. This is so far satisfactory. He is beyond all question sincerely desirous: of finally breaking up the King movement;, but the. European public are scarcely aware of the 'fact, for fact it ii, that his power is by no means proportioned to his wishes. A large number o( Ngatimanjapbto the: Waikato, a few Kupapas excepted, are quite opposed.to him in regard to allowing the pakeha Government any authority over them or their lands, on any terms except such as appear to be quite inadmissable. Thus, the high hopes entertained from the meeting at Kihikihi have been completely dashed by the disclosure of the still hostile feeling pervading a large number of the chiefs of both tribes. That this feeling is to some extent latent, and just what ,might be looked for, is no doubt true, but that it has been fanned, if not actually fomented! by certain pakeha influences, is likewise certain. Of this I satisfied myself. Whether^ it be the cursed thirst of land brgoldj or party spite, or a compound of both, it is the case that certain Euroj peans, or I mi^ht say one European for certain, has been . prejudicing the friendly and the unfriendly -disposed natives against the proposals of/the present Government. Ido not think there can be otherwise than one opinion as .to this intermeddling. . If such •a! course of conduct is not legally punishable, it is deserving of the severest moral reprobation and censure. It is, in the spirit of the old English law, treason, and treason it is, to rthe; best interests of Ithej colony at large. : The native question is a colonial one, and should not be entangled with party considerationsi; and*those men who are thus retarding the settlement of the difficulty, for party or other selfish reasons, must expect to see them-; selves exhibited to the public gaze in! the pillory, of the Press. Facts, datesj and names will be forthcoming if such practices as they have been guilty of are not desisted from now and hence*! forth. But there is more to be said.: We will suppose that the opening up of this part of the country, if not for actual; settlement by Europeans, at least for the carrying through of a line ,of railway, is of paramount importance. Now that the burning questions of abolition and colonisation of the land fund are disposed of, and that all parties are pretty well agreed as to the principles, involved in the Public; Works Policy,~it appears to be the question for political consideration. I will state, the case, as it appears to me, briefly. I will not advert to the causes whjch led to the King movement, because they are well known. „-We all know that the hopes of tHose who took'a principal 5 part in it were frustrated by the war which inevitably followed. The(policy of confiscation was carried out to a certain'extent. Certain tribes who took part *in" the war; have been deprived almost wholly of their lands, others have not. Of the.'tpririer, the Waikalo tribe is the best instance, and of the latter, the Ngatimaniapoto furnish a good example. Although the war came to an end, the object for which it was undertaken was no i offected. That object was the break-! iiag up of the King movement' Th«

snake was scotched, not killed. The feel:: ing of resentment and hostility may be I considered, however, as having nearly died out, through lapse of time and other natural causes. Yet the real question aa between the Maori and colonists remains in statu quo. Has or has not the time arrived for a final and a peaceful solution; of the difficulty ? Let us consider the position as between the Naßtimaniapoto, bfwhich -Rewi is chief, and the Milkato, -of which Tawhiao is the head, on one side, and the colonists one the other. The Ngatimaniapoto still re-' tain the larger part of their lands, and of those they hare lost, there is ;fe»ery reason for believing that they do not want 'or expect-restitution. But-the case is very different with the Waikato. ; They, are, in point of fact, landless. The pake-! has' cattle graze and the colonists| plough! furirowi the land where forjjiefly \ iitood; their homes, and where their ancestors are buried. Although it may be said,; and with some truth, that the lands still held by the Ngatimaniapoto are ample fori both tribes, and that the Waikato are! only suffering the usual fate of,.;4be vanquished— vac victis —it must, neverthe* less, be evident to the impartial thinkers,

that their case is a hard one, and tbat it contains a certain element of injustice. They as a tribe did no more to merit so severe a punishment as the confiscation of all their lands than the JNgatitnaniapoto and other tribes. Why should they be compelled to pay so severe a penalty for their offences, when others who were equally guilty remain very mnch in the same enjoyment of their lands as before the war ? In fact, hare we, all circumstances considered, a moral or even a legal right to condemn what remains of a once powerful tribe to mfer extermination, ibr that is what it means ?—and, if we judge rightly, no such consummation is desired by the colonists of New Zealand. From the fact that the Waikato was once the most powerful tribe in New Zealand, it s chief* are jealoris and proud of their ancient prestige, and jealous of any infringement of their honor. How can it be wondered at that they should stand aloof, sulky mad moody, when they feel that they are but a kind. of permanent guests of another although a^ friendly tribe; With such traditions as theirs, we could scarcely expect anything else. Besides, the Ngatiinaniapoto««i'fe placed in a very difficult, not to say delicaie position. However willing they may be as a tribe to let the past be buried, they can scarcely do no under the circuinslanc.es, without being ■subject to the suspic^of treachery, or at least a want of hospitality. The Maoris hare their laws of honor as well as the white man. /V^nat then, you ta»y ask, is ,the|remedy for this state of things? Myansweris: Restore them as milch of the Confiscated lands as ,are yet in the possession pfth«;Grojrern- ;- ment, and such as can be restored without prejudice to the rightis which 1 individuals have acquired, lawfully, and toauoh an extent as to furnish what remaini 7 of' this once powerful native tribe with, a local habitation and a name. Let negotiations be conducted on this basis, and theve is a 'strong probabilii y of a final and peaceable settlement of the native question, and I am very much afraid that, unless on this basis, we are as far as ever, in a limited sense, from seeing that desirable.consum* ma£?on. Let the Waikato once be,.'detached frdm Ngatimaniapotpand.the difficulty is ended, more especially if it cap be donewhile Rewilives, and Wis failing fast I have sufficient faith in the good sense,not; to say generosity, of my countrymen to .believe that when the question is fairly understood, and prejudice and lelfisa feeling dismissed from: the mind,: this policy will be ultimately carried out.! W-P can find precedents similar *n principle in bur own historical records, especially in r the pacification of the Highlands; also that pursued at the Cape by Sir George <3rej, and also, by other nations. Expediency itself must recommend such a course, looking at; the ultimate gain tb^tlte^cidiiiy,, in increased security fnd openiij^r up "of #eV ; territory. ." ;...'.*,...; ; -.',^ '„,!*■,';..'?.,'.^ If it were done, when 't'^ don« r then HwwtwelUt . ,_>.--were done quick'y. , ... „.. • , -..^ ■ January 15,1879. -;. '--'-.^i -; V* y<x