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Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 4, 28 January 1867, Page 22

Dearth pp./William Thompson, A.ND its Probable Influence on the Native Race —The Nelson Examiner, of the Bth January, has the follow?|ng v article on above subject death ' of ' William Thompson, the famous . Waikato chief, is an even t possibly of great importance, and certainly of great interest to the colony at large. Thompson was a representative man amongst his people, and perhaps a better representative than any there is left. His career has been an eventful one, and it may be not un* interesting to trace its leading features briefly in this place, as it will enable us to. comprehend better the sort of man of whom we speak, and the kind of position which he occupied amongst bis people, and his relations with ourThomson was the son of one

of the most powerful, wily, and savage chiefs in the country, and, to the great influence which this man gained over

the natives of the centre of the Northern Island, the, position of his son may in some measure be attributed. Thompson himself was, as he repeatedly asserted in his various letters, a man of peace. The warlike exploits and barbarous triumphs of his father enabled him, during all the earlier part of his career, to maintain and extend bis influence without taking up arms at all ; and there is no good reason to doubt that an appeal to force was the last thing that Thompson turned to at any period of his life, For many years of his life he was principally

known as a great supporter of missionaries and schools, and a very energetic promoter of agriculture amongst his people, the effects of which could he seen by any one visiting the plain of Mata-Mata, at the head of the Thames, which might, some years ago, justly claim to be looked on as the garden of New Zealand. Like all his race, Thompson was a man with almost unlimited confidence in himself and his people. He acknowledged the superiority of his European neighbours, but he thought that, with a very few advantages, his own people could equal them. These advantages were wanting to them, because there was no power in the country to compel obedience to anything. Agriculture flourished in Thompson’s own district, but then drunkenness, vice, and lawlessness of every kind flourished also, pnd threatened to destroy the material prosperity which they accompanied. This is, in effect, with a very few emendations, Thompson’s own account of the origin of his support of the fapious King movement in New Zealand. Thompson was an educated native, and the representative of the better aspirations of young New Zealand ; but when he engaged in the King movement he became connected with men who were uneducated and savage, and who equally fairly represented old New Zealand. From that moment Thompson was in a false position. His instinct was to set up an authority which was to reform and strengthen the Maori people from within, so that they might grow into a civilised nation, equal, as he fondly, hoped, to their European neighbors; but the instinct of most of those with whom he worked was to form a nation which should perpetuate the reign of barbarism and lawlessness by shutting out their European neighbors from all near intercourse with themselves. This, we believe, will be found to be the key to Thompson’s

career since 1856. This will explain fnijch of the apparent jargon of his letters, which tallied so ill with the conduct of those professedly acting with him. He wanted one thing, and

he was working along with men who

wanted another. His objects were the level of his own people’s comprehension, and those of his associates were exactly on that level—hence he was invariably an unsuccessful man; and was dragged along in the wake of men far inferior to himself. Thompson’s own feeling latterly was, we believe, that his career had been a failure, pud it dawned upon him at last that he had over-rated the power off the-Maori race to raise itself to ci-

wilisatioq. The best pi oof that this was

qhe case is to be fouud in his efforts to introduce JEuropjean settlers and Euro-

pean influences into the native territory still in native hands; but in this he was again in advance of most of his people, -and was constantly obliged to keep up §l struggle against the hostile influence Maojri party. • : That he; took part in the war, and-what part he took Me t&lfigS we}! $9 everybody^

but the warlike events of‘his life were its accidents, and were totally foreign to his natural tendencies. In these, therefore, he did not shine. He was never heard of as a‘general be was never. clearly ascertained to have engaged as a fighting man ; in faot he was not in his element in fighting and probably never believed in its efficacy. That with all, these points of divergence from, his people, Thompson should yet have had the influence he possessed even to the last, shows plainly that he was in some way a representative man, ,so far as one part of the native character was concerned. This part was, we believe, rather its sentiments than its more practical objects and designs. The belief in tjhe possibility of a united Maori nation was a strong point, perhaps the strong point in Thompson’s character, and the mass of his people liked the notion whicli flattered their vanity, and only disliked it when it required them to sacrifice their lawlessness and vice to its attainment. Practically, Thompson effected little or nothing for his own objects, but it is easy to understand how he retained a strong hold on the imaginations of a people possessed of unbounded faith in what they could do, while they were perfectly content not to stir hand or foot to do it. Politically speaking; the death of Thompson is, we believe, of far less importance now than it would have been at any previous point in his career. Latterly, his influence has been for good, and it is possible that the withdrawal of that influence may even now be felt. We do not, however, think it will to any great extent. When events rendered it evident even to the meanest native capacity, that the dream of a Maori nation could never be accomplished, the main hold established over them by Thompson was gone. He could only, of late, appeal to a very different class of motives, and these required no such teacher as Thompson. He could point to the advantages of peace, but the evils of war were so self-evident on every side, that his people hardly required any one to point these out. He could speak of the benefits of having Europeans to lease their lands and pay them rents, but the state of utter misery aud destitution to which they were reduced must have been, and must still be, the most powerful preacher of such doctrines as these. Thus, it seems to us, Thompson had outlived his special influence with his people, and his death will not aftect our relations with them. Yet the event does give rise to some political reflections which might easily extend beyond the limit of a neawspaper article. Take him altogether the deceased chief was, no doubt, the greatest man of liis people; and at one time he seemed their only hope of consolidating into a nation, which might, perhaps, have resisted the, fate of colored races in contact with Civilisation. v That possibility had died out long before Thompson, no doubt; but this event naturally brings the fact home to the mind as it was not before brought. The race of which Thompson was a great leader is rapidly passing away, and in a few years it will be gone, taking with it native questions, native wars and native policies out of the country. All that we have done has not arrested the operation of what seems to be an inevitable law of nature, and we may be sure that all we can do will at the most only smooth the couch of a dying race. It will be well for our statesmen to keep this fact before them henceforth a little more than they have done, because it is of great practical importance to the colony in many ways. Native wars, we believe, are almost past ; native difficulties and native expenditure will soon follow these; and then the diver gent interests of the two islands will be seen to collapse with the termination of their divergent circumstances. In this way, we may be content to bear a little present inconvenience, in the hope, in our own case, by no means so . chimerical as that of William Thompson, of founding in New Zealand a great, and a united nation. The Weather during the past week,has been extremely dull and unpleasant. Large quantities of rain has fallen, which will, no doubt, do a great deal of good in thp country. ' Their Royal Highness? the Prince and Princess Christian qxg expected to take up their residence at the Froginorq Hope about January next,

The Otago Association. — The New Zealand Advertiser, of the 23rd inst., has the following remarks in re ference to the above body“ Our readers will remember that, not long ago, we announced the formation of an association in Otago, to be called the Otago Association par excellence, and having for its object the total subversion of matters political, with a new order of things, inwhichProvinces were to haveitheir rights, and Otago was to comeparticularly well out of the struggle, We foretold at the same time a very short career to this inflammable body—-something similar to the career of its prototype in Auckland, the Northern Association. Will it be believed chat already oar words are coming true, and the local journals of the Southern Province are demanding; “ What has become of the Otago Association ? ” Perhaps it is working in secret, as the Auckland body did, giving forth only now and then a mysterious hint that it was doing something that would in good time set all the rivers in the Colony on fire. Perhaps it is dying a natural death, as the Auckland body did, without making any sign, and that in the future its name will he heard no more. Let our readers judge.” The Panama Service. —Respecting the Panama mail service, the New Zealand Examiner has the following striking remarks, which shows that the New Zealand Government commit egregious folly in taxing papers a postage of 3d by this route, while by the more expensive one of Suez, but Id is thought necessary: —“From whichever point we look at the value of the two routes, that of Panama is pre-eminently the best—-it is the quickest, safest, most commodious, and really the cheapest. It is to be hoped that the New Zealand Government and the colonists will support to the utmost the efforts and the enterprise of the steam company which has so successfully bridged the ocean separating our finest colony from the mother country.” Direct Transit route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.— From the New Zealand Examiner of the 30th October we take the following:—An interesting meeting was held on the 24th October at the London Tavern, for the purpose of receiving from Captain Bedford Pim, R.N., a statement with reference to "his long projected undertaking for effecting a direct transit route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans—an object now of greater importance than ever from the recent opening of the Panama route to New Zealand and Australia. Admiral Young (Director of Royal Mail Company) was voted to the chair. The meeting was addressed by Captain Pim, Mr Hawksley, C.E., Captain Maury, L.L.D., Mr Gassiot, F.R.S., Captain Mangles (chairman of the Royal Mail Company,) and others. It was unanimously agreed that the realisation of such a project is an urgent requirement, and would be of the greatest value to the commerce and policy of Great Britain. Captain Maury observed that this is in every respect the best route that could possibly be carried out; and although he knew nothing of the engineering part of it, he could state that it is superior to Panama as regards climate and harbors, and that passengers between the countries on this side of the Isthmus and those in the Pacific would save 700 miles in distance, and thiee days in time. Mr Hawksley, C.E., explained at length the engineering part of the undertaking, and expressed his conviction that it is a most desir able object to attain. Upon the motion of Lieutenant-Colouel Money, seconded by Mr Gassiott, it was resolved that deputation shall wait upon the Prime Minister and the Frst Lord of the Admiralty, with the view of submitting the matter to Government

English Agency.— Mr Crosbie Ward has been appointed Agent for Canterbury in England, vice Mr Selfe. We believe this appointment will give general satisfaction, as Mr Crosbie Ward’s qualifications make him a fit man for the office. Rifle Match Extraordinary.— A rifle match has been shot at Dunedin, between twenry-twoi members of the Dunedin, Cricket Club, and eleven members of the Rifle Volunteers. The' Volunteers scarcely expected to win, seeing there were several good shots among ithe Cricketers, hut they did so by two point?, The ranges shot at

were, 200,400!, and 500 yards ; five shots at each range. The number scored,by the eleven was 522. The highest: score made by a Volunteer was 55, out of a possible 60. The shooting at the longest range was particularly , good, one of the men, : Gunner Muir making sconsecutive bull’s-eyes.

New Zealand. —The * Times,* in a long article on the several Australian colonies, refers toiour own colony as follows :-—The New Zealand eolonists, while pointing to the magnitude of their revenues aud the cheerfulness with which they are raised, lay claim to our sympathies as sufferers, in the matter of debt and liabilities,- from Imperial mismanagement. We freely acknowledge the spirit and energy which they have : shown in their difficulties, and heartily rejoice in . their prosperity; but, if-the question were worth reviving, it could‘hardly he proved either that we were responsible for New Zealand wars, or. that those wars were costly to the colony only. Only the contrary, we think the British taxpayer has had at least his fair share of the burden, but we should prefer to say no ! more about the matter beyond recommending the colonists to send home the .rest of the troops as soon as possible, and stop that source of expense for the fnture. With that refief, and with her rising trade, her enterprising population, and her manifold resources, New Zealand will quickly take the rank to which she aspires among the flourishing countries of the world. The Governor’s Visit to Canterbury.—“ After an interval of rather more than fifteen years,” says the Times of the 19th January, “ Canterbury, the youngest of the New Zealand provinces, has been visited by his Excellency Sir G. Grey. The welcome given to him on Monday from his landing at Lyttelton to his arrival in Christchurch was such as did honor alike to him why received, and those who offered it. At all the principal pointsalongthe route, triumphal arches were erected, and the road was lined on each side, from the Heathcote to Christchurch, with old and young, each alike anxious to catch a glimpse of Sir George Grey, who has been to most of them little more than a name, and to do honor to the representative of her Majesty.” The same paper, in another place, has the following:— “ Since his arrival, the Governor has been quietly making himself, acquainted with all that is remarkable, or that can testify to the wonderful progress made by the province during the last fifteen years. He has taken part in our amusements, and has in every way made himself accessible, winning golden opinions from all classes. After visiting the tunnel at both ends, his Excellency intends to make an overland trip to Hokitika, whence he will return to Christchurch.” Canterbury Tunnel.— -The Press states that the driving at both ends of the tunnel is, and has for some time been, through soft rock, allowing the work to be carried on with great rapidity. Only 170 yards remain to be driven, so that unless the hard rock is again met with, the tunnel will be open in April next. The shots at the Lyttelton side are now distinctly heard at the other, or Heathcote face. This proves that there are no cavities nor any quicksand, within the intervening space. Strathallan Anniversary.—Tomorrow the 17th instant, is the anniversary day of the arrival of the Strathallan in 1859, with the emigrants from England. From that day Timaru may. be said to date' its rise, and consequently it has always oeen marked as a holiday. We observe that a masqued ball is advertised to take place at ! the Royal Assembly Rooms in the evening.— Timaru Herald, 16th Jan. State Aid to Religion. —An attempt to appropriate a portion of the public revenue of Canterbury to the purposes of religion was made in Council on the 26th ultimo, by Mr Barff, one of the members for Westland, who moved the following resolutions :— ■“ That respectful address be presented to .his Honor, praying that the sum of £I,OOO be placed upon the Estimates for the erection of places Of worship in Westland; such sum to apportioned as follows i—To the Church of England, £250,; . Catholic ,Church, £250 ; Wesleyau Church'; £250; and Presbyterians, £so:”* This motion was wisely by 29 to 7*