Lyttclton Times.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1454, 27 October 1881, Page 3

Lyttelton Times.

Before accepting the alternative of war, the public of New Zealand must be satiafipd that the war is just. The responsibility for the shedding of blood is very great. It can only be incurred, it is scarcely necessary to say, for the gravest reasons. In our case, what arc the reasons which are sufficient to justify a war with tho FiU'ihaka natives? Ihey are the defence of peaceful settlers, the protection of the honour of women, the repelling, in a word, of bloody aggression upon our territory. But in the present case, none of these reasons are present to appeal to our patriotism. No hostile band threatens any of our fellow colonists, no scourge of invasion menaces helpless women and children, no towns are doomed to destruction, and no property is in danger of devastation. Patriotism has absolutely no excuse to ruffle its feathers and put on the crest of war. Why, then, are soldiers burning for the fray, bayonets getting ready to move into action, orators spouting of chastising the natives, and newspapers calling aloud for the ultima ratio ? The answer is obvious, and disgraceful to New Zealand as a nation. The reason for all the commotion of tongues and gathering of arms is eartirb unger. Mr Rolleston's interview with To Whiti is beginning to appear in its true light. If we may judge from what has appeared at last in the usual inspired newspapers, it is pretty clear that the Native Minister did not go to Parihaka to come to any terms with To Whiti. He simply went theie to present an ultimatum on behalf of the Government. He did not ask for any suggestion of grievance from the native side. He merely warned the nati\e chief that resistance would be followed by war, '' shoit, shaip, and decisive." Naturally tins peifonnance has been fol'OAved by increased preparation, for the forward movement. It is quite possible that in a few days the atmosphere of the Wai mate Plains will be charged with powder smoke, and the ground stiewn with corpses Should such be the case the lesponsibility we are aheady invited to consider will not bo with the Government for having made the foiwaid movement, but with Te Whiti for having lesi-ted it. ... The public is being appealed to in eveiy way to suppoit the Government in this most nef.uious and cruel proceeding. Hustings pLittouns are beginning to echo the noiiacn&e tli.it has been printed for seveial weeks past. One speaker told a ciowd of electois, the other night that, being a supenoi lace, we must tieat the Maons as children, giving them a taste of the rod now and then. Thcnewspapeis in thes>ervice&of the iiovemment applaud all this kind of thing, and oluntcer companies m seveial towns, misled by the glitter of a false patriotism, luve offered their sen ices to the Government. . . . Covcton-r.ess has f-pokon, and blood-uruiltines-j is to second the ciy. For our p irt we piole&t, as wo have always done, that iili the land is not worth :i single diop of Eiuopeim or Native blood. We aie dealing -with the weak and miseiable remnant of a flue race, the original posof tho kul. There ifc nothing to be jiioud of in the manner in which they have been made to retreat befoie tho advancing tide of civilisation .... In this eii-,is, the attitude ot the Chinches is to the man of lehirion lncompichensiblo. Politicians "-plrlom think deeply of truth or justice. Their part in the liisfoty th.it ii s^oinsr on is wh.it may be expected fiom men les* careful of Mich llnnys tlmn of tlm-,c other encum-tances of tho woild of politics on which political honour depends. But in a matter involving blood -guiltine.'-s, churchmen aio expected to have btiorig views, n unju&t v\ ;n viol ite-- the fiist maxjm of that Christianity which brought Peace on Farth. Against all uuchiistian things earnest, often eloquent voices are raised in the 'lnirt'h, the tabernacle, the conventicule, and the chapel, fiom one year's end to another. About matters political few men expect to hoar in such places. The i ulc is thde obser* ed that the things that ai c Ctesar's must be rendered unto Cresar. But the inle docs not apply in this case, for the simple leason tint a matter touching the national conscience is not among the things that are Ciwsar's. Yet no voice of bishop or elder, minister or priest, has been raised to prevent bloodshed prompted by earth hunger : no utterance has gone forth from synod or chapter in protection of a weak lemnant of a decaying race, the original pos&es&ors of the soil. The stiong man aimed is said to have his way in spite of the justice which is professed by a Clnistian people, and the generous foibearance that should be the leading characteristic of .1 superior race. And there is no authorised leader to remind him of his duty. Such is the conclusion to which we feel bound to come, from the absence of any published protests from the pulpits, ot Christianity. It is one of the most striking sij^ns of the times. If Heaven, as one of the politicians hoped in deiision the other day, ever helps the natives, it will not be at the piayer of its ministers. Tho gimo is, in addition to being flagrantly unjust, not worth tho candle. These fine phrases, the stock arguments of the old war party, have cost the country some six millions of money. From £230,000 to £300,000 a-yetir is the cost the colony annually pays for having seveial times listened to the promise that a war could only be " short, sharp, and decisive." On tho slightest provocation, we have always rushed into war " short, pharp, and decisive." On what is no provocation at all but a proper assertion of right, we are rushing into another. In addition to blighting our immigration prospects with human blood, Government is preparing another million to add to our debt. Aa it is as impossible as ever to believe in the pes<dbility of the " short, sharp, and decisive" nonsense, we may make up our minds for a protracted war, at a cost of a good round million. When the incidents of its campaigns are forgotten, and the injustice of its cause buried in oblivion, it will be known as something that has caused the Colony to pay £50,000 to the end of time. We are told that the high prices given for land by settlers in the Taranaki country are notorious. They will have to be high indeed if the State is ever to be recouped for its shameful war outlay. War is bocoming the cry of the Government supporters. The xjountry will, we hape, declare most unmistakably lhat unjust ruinously expensive contests for paltry parceln of land, are not to its mind and against its conHoience.

If it is intended to breed for the sale of young pips, full-grown bows should be bjught, and a good breeding 1 sow ought to be kept as long as she will havn good pigs, no matter how old she may be, for old sows invariably have large litters, and stronger and healthier offspring, than young sows. But such pows should be put to a young and vigorous boar. Mr Mechi's famous Tiptree Hall propprty, a cradle of high farming, was recently offered at auction, but not sold, the highest bid being less than £23 8 per acre, a truly miserable sum. "Is your daughter at home, Mr. Bruak?" "Yes, sir,, and so is her mother?' Callow said he'd " call another day," but toe ne?w did,