The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 1871.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 760, 7 January 1871, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 1871.

Those wha regarded the recent murder of Mr Todd as the precursor of further and more extensive Outrages on the part of the Native population, would appear to have conjectured rightly. The atrocity eonld riot fail'to 'awaken a feeling of uneasiness throughout the whole of the North Island for the safety of the outlying settlements ; at the same time, a hopeful spiritfwas manifested that the many acts of conciliation of the Colonial Government, and the supposed confidence reposed by all classes of the Native population in the Hop.Mr M'Lean. would have sufficed to overcome" all desire for hostilities. If the telegrams to hand are'' reliable, and we 1 ( fear that their main features are substantially correct, the colony' has, indeed,' been rudely awakenefl from its dream of security. With the congratulations of the admirers and supporters of the present Ministry still ringing in our ears, lauding their skilful and beneficent Native policy, .the.,eountry is suddenly made aware that this delusive calm has but been the forerunner of renewed hostilities. It is now apparent that the only, security of the colony lies in proving to the Native mind a determination and ability to. avenge the slaughter of our country men. A friendly policy has been attempted . and has resulted only, it is,to be feared, in a wide-spread belief by the Maoris, that weakness and timidity induced the Government to propitiate the' Natives. On every side we hear of a large expenditure in securing the amity of various tribes. Chiefs of note and influence have been appeased by money payments, by offerings of stores, blankets and ammunition;, Native whims and prejudices have been treated with the most lenient .consideration, and no effort has been, left untried, after years of costly wars and dissensions with the aboriginal population, to assure a peaceful solution of the difficulty. At the saine time that by friendly offices the Government were endeavoring to remove every possible pretext for the manifestation of" revolt, their efforts were also directed to establishing' a military organization which might be relied upon a means of defence, in the event of outbreak. A still more powerful agent in permanently settling the native question, had time been permitted for the development of the scheme, would have been the completion of trunk roads throughout the disturbed districts, and the introduction of a large European population. Taking the native i policy of the Fox Ministry as a whole there is not, apart from the imputation of prodigality, much reason for condemnation. We may regret that so large an expenditure had been incurred in subsidising Natives, whose good will or neutrality wore doubtful, but at the same time it was a matter of paramount importance that good lines of communication should be established throughout the Island, and, in securing this essential advantage, the colony should not object to any reasonable expense.

The basis, however, upon-which the present Ministry obtained office, and succeeded in ousting Mr Stafford and bis colleagues; was. upon the more effective and economic management of native affairs. .Mr Stafford was charged : with plunging the country into inextricable debt in providing for its security, and the present Ministry undertook to confine themselves to an expenditure, for defence purposes, not exceeding 4150,000 per annum. This limit has already been greatly exceeded,/and some-estimates fix the sum, that will have been expended at the close of the ■financial .year,-as fully double that sum. .Regarded, therefore, from a monetary point of view we fail to see that the present Ministry have been successful ; they gained office solely on the solemn assurance that, not more than £150,000 a year should be spent in protection ;.and, viewed in this ligbt;; the outlay having so greatly exceeded, if not their ..expectations, at least the conditions upon which they assumed office, the conclusion is inevitable that their''policy has proved a failure, while, if the news is correct, success has aIBO been wanting in removing a spirit of disaffection. A telegram received yesterday, via Wellington, contradicts the report of the massacre in the Waikato. But whether this contradiction applies to the number of persons killea or refutes the entire details is not stated,,., Although probably exaggerated in;iis particulars, *we'fear that the report is; not without x'otEuoatipn., We'-have tie : melancholy faefr fully' confirmed'of ; the murder of Mr alnd the Colony was perhaps less'prepared for the perpetration of that cold blooded atrocity were for the intelligence . fuvtherMeeds of violence' had quiiefctyo foUowejl > upon the committal'of•the !, forp.er.outrage! L.et us hot)Q r .t'hjvt, r 96 a salutpry lesson .will be. impressed upon t\\o native" mind'. The Mjipri r not ;alone in his. deductions when he construes our acts of conciliation as evidence or timidity. We find all savage, and evtn more civilized races, interpret I

forbearance to mean pusillauitfijjy, and. to these the application oi'liuuianit-ii'ig and civilizing influences, unaided by the display of overwhelming physical superiority, have proved ineffective. We can look forward to no security for life aiuLpraperty wfttlements of the|Nqrt§ fsland . until the native'tnind is impressed with a wholesome'dread of our strength. Tie will assuredly persist in these occasional risings and slaughter of our fellow colonists, until thelcsson has been acquired that any outrage will be sternly and mercilessly revenged. When the punishment of offenders has become quick and certain, the Colony will be relieved from calamities similar to the one which there is every reason to apprehend has just occurred in the WaikatoT . rr *~t