THE NEW ZEALAND WAR.

To tlio EcUlor of Uic " Kveuing Mail." Sir,—The people of orear Britain are at. the present moment spending (heir money at the rale of at least u million ami a hall* per annum in carrying on "war v.'ith the natives of New Zealand, besides risking the lives of their soldiers and the national honour. \et it is 110 exaggeration to say tnat scarcely anybody knows what either the natives or the Colonial (Government are fighting for. Having been two years resident, in the Waikato countrv. and being personally acquainted with nearly all the now rebel chiefs, 1 think 1 am able to give a short statement- of the causes which have leu to what has become a war of races. The public will then know the nature of the contest into which the Imperial and Colonial Governments have jointly plunged, and can decide -whether the subject is one requiring further investigation. The causes of the war might be divided into two distinct clashes— ilrstly, the circumstances which led to the recent outbreak of hostility at Taranaki , and, secondly, those more obscure but far more important causes which made a local insurrection the signal (or a general rising; and forced the Government into a war of extermination and the natives into a desperate struggle for existence. The first set of causes can be easily disposed of. The present war is merely a continuance of that waned by Colonel Browne, the late Governor, and is taken up precisely at. the. point where he left it. I" the former war the natives were, in their own estimation, victorious. Jt suited them to leave oil'fighting and they did so. William Thompson, the great peace-making chief of Waikato, was brought down to give cclul to the proceedings, and to lead buck the Waikato contingent. This tickl mis thus clear for Governor Browne. llj arrived tit Taranaki, and commenced a negotiation billed oil a three-fold division of the insurgents into —1, the AYaikatos: 2, William King and his tribe, tho claimants of Wi'.itara ; and 3, the Ta.-anakis and Ngatiruanuis. To each of these he ottered different terms of peace. Thev nil with one consent refused the terms except a small section of Xo. -■ A treaty of pence was concluded with this minute subdivision of tho rebels, and is to be seen in the .Blue-books, signed b_v 20 men, about the same number of women, and a batch of babies. .But the submission of even these few was not genuine, for when an attempt fas made to survey certain pieces of land in accordance with tho treaty the olliccrs of (iovcrment wore plainly told that if I hey persisted there would be bloodshed, and they luui accordingly to give up the attempt. "When the natives censed "lighting each side was in possession of part- of their opponent's land. Kedoubls had been erected by us on Waitara. the deputed block, and on other places which were the unquestioned property of William King's tribe, and the natives on their part held Tatarainiaka, a detached block of Crown - land about miles fivm Xcw Plymouth.

Then came Sir George Grev. I [is oiler to submit the "NVaitara question to a court of arbitration was refused. The natives said such investigation should have preceded, not followed the war; the question now was whether they or Governor Browne were in the wrong, and they demanded that he should be put on his trial in person. They refused to give up Tataraiinaka while he held Waiiara, and declared that they would resist by torn; any attempt to take the former unless the latter -was given back to them.

Two years were consumed ill fruitless negotiation. Then Sir George ('rev paid his firM visit to Taranaki, with tin- design, as is now evident, of accepting the native*' terms, and exchanging W'aitara for Tataraimaka. The concession, however, was not to be made without an appearance of dignity. .Sir George Grey and General Cameron, with the colonial authorities and the Queen's troops, inarched upon Tatarair.iaka, occupied the land, and there built a redoubt. Maoris never do anything in a hurry. They did not at once atraet the redoubt, as everybody expected; they talked the matter ov-r, hesitated, sent letters to ask the advise of their friends, and quietly sat down to wait for a reply. There was plenty of liuio in the interval for Sir G. Grey to investigate the Yv'aitaru question privately, iind out that we had from the fir.st been all in the wrong, and issue a proclamation giving up the block. To his task he vigorously set himself, and would haw got out of the scrape in a manner highly dignified in our eyes, even at tlie, risk of a little mockery from the Maeries, but for an unfortunate hitch with the eoloiual Government as to who-should be responsible lor the policy pursued.

It appears that the delicate questions between the Europeans and the natives in New Zealand have been further complicated by a little .strife between the Colojii.il ollicers and the colonists-—in former days as to who should, and in latter days as to v/ho should not, be responsible for the government of the natives.

The delay which this little controversy caused on the present occasion was fatal. The messengers Sent out by the Taranaki natives got back while the Governor ami his Ministers were still debating the Waitara queMion ; ami before the proclamation was out surrendering the disputed land the natives had declared war by shooting down a military escort from Tataiaimaka. When W'aitara was given up, a few days later they disrespectfully declared that this had frightened the Governor into the surrender.

These are brictlv the circumstances under which the old Taranaki war was rekindled. But it is a much more important question how it came to pass that the first shot filed at Taranaki was the signal for the general outburst of hostility in AVaikato and throughout almost the whole Northern Islands. It was this universal disaffection of the native race that compelled Sir George Grey to change the seat of war, as Colonel Browne had intended to do two years be tore, from the desolate province of Tar.uiaki to the rich and untouched province of Auckland, even at- the risk of reducing the latter to the same state of ruin as the former.

The fact that the natives did not believe in any of our promises, and chose rather to {iltmge into a war which they themselves look upon as certain to end in their extermination, is alone conclusive proof that our treatment of them has been mistaken. A Government which in '20 years has raluccd its subjects to such a condition must have been angularly unfortunate. But, though every one admits that the Maories have been ill-managed, opinions differ as to the exact particulars in which mistakes have been made. The timidity shown by the Knglish officials in their treatment of Maori oll'euders, to which you alluded in a recent article on the New Zealand war, is not by any means the only mistake that has been made. This will account for the contempt, but hardly for the hatred and distrust with which our Government is universally regarded. Even the most intelligent of the natives can hardly analyze their own sentiments so exactly as to give a full account of what has made them so intensely dislike and despise Lheir British rulers, though of the existence < f such sentiments there is not the slightest doubt.

[ can, however, give a few facts —facts which can he supported by unimpeachable testimony— to account for a great deal of the existing disaffection. Other and more important causes may have contributed to the same results.

1. By the treaty of Waitaugi the Queen of Knglund undertook to govern the natives of New Zealand. Yet this duty was so absolutely neglected that in 1 K(>l Colonel Browne stated officially that " many of the most important native districts had never been visited by an officer of' the Government, and that the inhabitants of those districts hud never felt that they •veii; tj-.r ruhju-uls Hi' the Cl'Ae.pii «•? iiaglaml) yutl

littlo reason to think that the Govern ment of the colonv cared at nil about their welfare." 2 There has never been a properly organised native service in New Zealand, so that, to quote n<min Colonel Browne's opinion " tho Government is mid always has been unable to perform its duty _ for want of a sudicient number of trained and, qualified "=o n TI„. natives were endowed by tho treaty of AVa'itan"-; with an absolute right of property in their lain Is, with a proviso that they should only sell to the British Crown. A department of Government was thereupon the function of v»hieh wvs to persuade the natives t» sell their lands. This was for manv veins the onlv depaumentol native government which had anv life. Kverything gave way to land Inlying. Thus tin- natives onlv knew the Government as a troublesome customer tor that with which thev were uot.alwavs willing to part, a relation not likely 'to inspire them with either confidence or affection! Thu>u natives who sold bind, anil professed lovr.ltV to the Crown, were rewarded with ploughs,* horses, and mills, ami with considerable lean? ci money, wliieh thev were not pressed to repay. Tliose who would not sell their lauds or who made complaints did not share in this benevolence, but were slighted and ignored. 4. Tho new value acquired by land now Ihnt ifc could be exchanged fur money caused the revival of old dormant claims. Quarrels ensued among selves : then war and bloodshed. flic Government ! quietly l-joked on. The patriotic natives k»"tmo i concerned. Thompson said, 4t I love Xew Zealand. ; I want order and laws. A king could give them i better than I'm* Guvcnutr. Tho Governor I anything except when a fturopean is killed. "W care I allowed to tight and kill each other as we please. A kins? would end these evils." Other natives contrasI ted "the rapidity with which their l;_ind was jxomg ] from them with the slowness of the improvement in i their condition. Instead ot being lord."* and masters thev were becoming: inMgTLiiicant anil despised in the midst of a civilization in which they had no share. Pcsparing of help from us, they resolved to help themselves, and the only plan they could think of was to Sell no more land, and so cheek the growth ot j power which did them little good, hut might do much I harm.

.5. Tlio Government made no provision for the education of tho race lievond subscribing to the mission schools. Most of these schools wore extremely bad; the natives .justly ;i1 Ict^o.l against tlietii —firstly, tlmt tho children' wen: iiu-ullicuntly fed ; secondly, that thev cot vers' little and very irregular schooling; und thirdlv, th;it thev were kept too long at domestic and outdoor work for the benefit of their instructors.

<>. Tho only attempt made lor many years to give political instruction to the natives was the publication of a newspaper called the Miwri Mw-iigir, composed of such contemptible trash as alone can explain and justify tho conduct of the -Maoris in thinking themselves politically wiper th;ui their rulers. The natives called it " papapa"—i.e., " cliutl'." 7. The Europeans of the lower order settled in remote districts were as lawless as the natives themselves. They brought kegs of spirits up tho country, got, drunk themselves, and made their native neighbours drunk also. They dcbaucliod native women, and be-

gat half-caste children, to be afterwards cruelly abandoned. Their cuttle were constantly trespassing on native cultivations, and, instead of compensation, the_ natives often got abuse in language wliic'i by Maori custom should be punished by death. Complaints were made to Government, but were either unnoticed or ended in a series of memoranda and recommendations in the Government offices. No redress ever reached tiie natives.

.S. The Maoris were made to feel grievously their social inferiority to the Europeans. If an Englishman visited a liali ve he was received by the inhabitants with the bo<t hospitality in their power, sharing their own fond and shelter ; but if a chief of the verv highest rank visited Auckland he was refused admittance to almost all places, and ielt himselt a being ot an inferior order.

9. We Anglo-Saxons have a weakness for calling all men whore skins differ tiom our own "niggers." This epithet is freely applied to the natives of New Zealand bv colonists, and especially ■jy the officers ot our regiments. The colonial newspapers are also full of all routs to the natives, which are read ami duly remembered by them. It is easier for a savage to forgive a wrong than an insult. 10. A constitution was conferred on the colonists of New Zealand, framed, as we are told, by the UnderSecretary of State for the Colonies, " in forgetfulness of the large . native tribes within the dominions to which it was intended to apply. Under this constitution assemblies, from wnieh they were excluded, bewail to make laws atl'eeting tle-ir interests which they would be. expected to obey. The brown race in Xew Zealand will never consent to be subject to the white rare so long as if. rebiins power to resist subjugation. If til!.' Xew Zealand colonists are to govern the Maoris they must lirst conquer them single-hand-ed; tor should "tiie natives succumb to English troops and Australian diggers, the withdrawal of the victorious force will be the signal for the conquered to li>e and measure their strength with the colonists, tor whose warlike prowess the}' do not feel any high respect. 11. The Maoris have a Jirm perfusion, derived, 1 believe, from the lessons of mischievous and treacherous Europeans, that as soon as the white race is snliieiently powerful, their lands will be sei:;ed and they will be reduced to a condition of servitude, as other aboriginal races have been before. Tho fate of the Tasmania!! ai.d Australian Mack is well known to them. They say tliat as the English dog and rat have entirely exterminated the native dog and rat, so the Englishman will destroy them.

Vet tiarc determined not to fall ingioi ionsly or imaveiigol. Tii"V have ii singularly inacc?s.-ib'c CMuiitry n(. their back : uicy have exhibited >m ingenuitv 111 their deficiency in unus, :md a skill in engineering, which have won fhi' admiration ol our own generals, .'ind tliey are siilliriently civilized to sink their internal quan\ls and work in eoncert the eonnnon for. Tints the work of destroying the finest and noblest of the native races with which colonization litis brought us into contact promises to be lniur and bloodv.

The aliove are some of the grievances under wliii-H the Maoris suffer, or at least imagine they suffer. X'i permanent peace can ever be secured in Xew Zealand until one of two lliintr-' is done—either tho natives must be exterminated, ar those of their grievances which are veal must be redressed, and Uiose which are imaginary must be proved to be so to the satisfaction of the natives themselves. 1 am, &c., Dee. 17. J. 1!. Goest.