THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. “Verite sans peur.” WANGANUI, JAN. 18, 1862.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 6, Issue 277, 16 January 1862, Page 2

THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. “ Verite sans peur.” WANGANUI, JAN. 18, 1862.

An almost unanimous opinion in favour of the proposals made to the Maories by his Excellency the Governor has been expressed by the press of New Zealand. If the press is the exponent of public opinion, as it must be supposed to be, the colonists are not desirous of a war for the sake of obtaining- the profit derived from the Commissariat department of the army to be employed, or for the purpose of wresting from the natives the lands which, by a misplaced generosity, were allowed to be their property in the first treaty made with them, or in order to show that the late ministry was right, and the present ministry wrong, in the diametrically opposite opinions they held as to a war being unavoidable. Neither party prejudices nor fancied pecuniary benefits have blinded the colonists to the fact, that a general war would be a very serious blow to their present prosperity, not to be greatly lightened by the profits of the sutlers attending on the military, and that if war can be avoided, with a due regard to the future progress of the country, it will be greatly better for the European as well as for the Maori population. There is, indeed, a degree of hesitancy on the part of the political opponents of the present Government in their acquiescence in the propriety of such leniency as has been shown to the Maori. If it produce the desired effect, well; but if it prove a failure, then the government will deserve all the condemnation and abuse which even evidence of udworthy motives having actuated them should call for. That it will prove a failure there is not the slightest reason for expecting. Wherever the scheme has bejn offered to the Natives it has met .vit-h acceptance. The Upper Waikato, indeed, are said to have rejected it, and no doubt some of the other tribes will follow their example. But this was to be expected, and it was anticipated. This is the very effect that might have been looked for from any terms offered that did not concede to the natives all that they wanted. It will be remembered that Mr. Fox, in his speech on the motion of want of confidence in the late ministry, drew a marked line of distinction between the different classes of natives, as they were friendly, neutral, or opposed to the government, and contended that some effort should be made that the innocent might not be punished along with the guilty. He expressed himself to the following effect. “ The terms of negociation must be left unfettered, and whenever ,his Excellency is . convinced that negociation is fruitless, then and not till then he must take up the sword. No, more than about 2000 natives have at present been actually involved, and wo have first to do with those who have taken up arms. If we proceed properly, we shall soon know who deny the Queen’s right. It does not follow because natives near my station hoist a death’s head and cross hones, that they are either a majority or a noticeable minority ; besides, there are some 50,000 natives who have never taken any part in these proceedings, and Avho have never handled gun, or come within the smell of powder ; are we not, I ask, bound if possible to, detach these men from the rebels?” To the same effect a few days later (the 16tlx July), when giving an exposition of the policy of the new ministry, he said, “ I wpuld then, that when dealing with the natives as a body, we should as far as possible leave the insurgents on one side, and if we succeed in inducing the great body of the natives tn accept of the proposals made to them as a body, the difficulty is removed to a great extent. Much will depend upon the report of the Military Defence Committee, much also depends on the decision which his Excellency may an ive at, on despatches and instructions from the Home Government; when his Excellency shall have decided that negociations

can no longer be of use, we shall advise the commencement of an energetic waiy to be condiuoted and terminated in a ci'editable manner.” Considering that since then another Governor has arrived, it is wonderful how closely the programme which the ministry then drew out has been adhered to. It will be seen that no difficulty has as yet arisen which they did -not anticipate. Their object in making the proposals which they considered fair and just, and which certainly are entitled to the epithet of generous, was to separate the natives who were disposed to be neutral from the determined and vehement upholders of the King movement, as well as to. secure to the acceptors of the scheme the benefit of a vigorous and self-con-ducted administration of their local affairs. This object has already to a great extent been secured. Not to speak of the Ngapuhi, the natives in the Lower Waikato and the Ahuriri have cordially welcomed the plan proposed as an efficient mode of extrication from their difficulties, and those natives in the north who are meanwhile determined to hold out, unconvinced by the Governor’s appeal to them, have had another kind of persuasive influence exhibited, in the encampment of 2000 soldiers in native territory in their neighbourhood. That this step will have a considerable moral influence there is every reason for believing ; and it may be that ere his Excellency has gone the round of the European settlements, and there obtained the concurrence of a large body of the natives, as he may expect to do, the Upper Waikato may have taken another thought, and seeing that they have a much smaller body of supporters than they at one time reckoned upon, may also welcome the terms now offered to them in vain. If these anticipations are realized, then the New Zealand public, judging from the view of the matter taken by the press, will be satisfied. If they are not realised, the last resort, which ministers were unwilling to appeal to until its absolute necessity Avas proved, must be had recourse to ; and the fact of the delay made and the leniency shown, Avill not only save the Government from all possible reflections from Europeans ruined by the disturbance, but Avill give a great moral influence to our side, which Avill be felt by the friendly or neutral natives, and will he in our fa Amur directly as Avell as indirectly. There will then be no paltering and hesitancy as in the Taranaki affair.