The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 1883.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4436, 24 March 1883, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 1883.

Some time ago we referred to the unwise action of the Poverty .Bay people in raising their virtuous, indignation at the pardoq of To Kooti,.and pointed out the danger and difficulty likely to. arise trom their action,^io the way. of interfering iwith the settlement rof disputes reI garding native lands, •£ While not attempting to uphold the action of! the Government in ... pardoning native murderers for political purposes, W# endeavored to show the Gisborneitei the uttefrjioutiljty of tbeir action, as the .-step had been taken .and could not be ■retraced. By recent telegrams we learn that thereafter*-of the- terribje: outrage committed fifteen years ago, has given the -people'and the-Government a proof of thr sincerity of his-r&pentance^tiyl interfering in the unlawful detention of the surveyor sent out by the Native Minister

to fix on a route for the railway line through the native country. Doubts and. fears were .freely expressed when the ban.-was removed from To Kooti, as to bis faithfulness, and intent to submit to the country's law; but, there is every reason to believe that these must have, by this time, been entirely removed. His prompt action in proceeding to the release of Mr Hursthouse has given clear proof of his straightforward desire to become a peaceable and loyal subject, and although \he amnesty provisions leave a wide power in the hands of the Government, there is strong presumptive, as well as actual, evidence that, if exercised with a wise i discretion", the Act in question may be j made a very valuable one. It U only natural that the friends and relations of those' who suffered on that horrible oc casion should have their feelings aroused by the unconditional pardon granted to a participator in the outrage, but seeing that the individual is showing as far as he can his desire to abide by law and order, and thus betraying a certain repentance for his past misdeeds, it cannot be thought by any reasonable man that it is not wisest to " bury the hatchet." It cannot be said that the easy "let off" of Te Kooti will render other natives regardless of the law. When the crimes committed by him and his followers shocked the colony a war was being waged between the races, and the aboriginal, inhabitants of the soil knew, and cared, less for European laws than they do to-day. Step by Rtep the march of civilisation progresses, and no fear need be felt as to any danger arising from the action of the Government in pardoning Te Kooti, as regards his escape from punishment for bis offence and its tendency to make others disregard the law.