Answers to Correspondents.

Auckland Examiner, Volume IV, Issue 274, 20 June 1860, Page 2

Answers to Correspondents.

P.— must surely forget that Red Cat cannot make a slip of either tongue or pen; that all his expressions are “carefully guarded;" and that “the credit of making no mistakes" is for himself claimed by himself. Falliable politicians are prone to blunder in thought, blunder in phrase, blunder in deed; but Red Cat is not self-ranked among these. When Forsaith, the eloquent M.H.R. and extra judicial J. P-., said— I am too great a donkey to be a party man, he made obvious slip of the tongue whatever may have been exact condition of his mind. All who heard him laughed; but the laugh of his “ particular” friends was not hearty, and it was clear that they thought the frank avowal — I am too great a donkey to be a party man— was rather absurd avowal for our political fat boy to make. It did, in truth, mortify and astonish them. Nor can any sage thinker doubt that the constituents of Major Empty Chest were astonished and mortified when he assured, them that if unable to do them any harm, he would take care not to do them any good! The stout Major erred in phrase simply. What he said was exact reverse of what he meant. Like Orator Forsaith he is fallible, and like Orator Forsaith he blundered. But Red Cat cannot plead fallibility. What appears in the journal of which he is chief and able editor, must have been welt considered. Red Cat never writes slap dash, as we do. All his periods are rounded with skill; all his counters weighed with care. We may then take it for granted that Cross leaders by Red Cat express neither much more nor much less than he meant them to express. Now, in the Cross of Friday last there appeared a leader which demands serious notice. Willingly would we believe that Red Cat wrote it in a hurry, or without adequate consideration. No one expects Red Cat to release himself from Church Missionary influence. No one feels surprise that he should view native affairs from Church Missionary stand point. All Cross readers look to its columns for Church Missionary version of native character and political fact. They know that the once formidable progress journal has ceased to be progressive; that Church Missionaries have it fast; that it is their organ; and that Red Cat dare not offend them. When, therefore, he does wordy battle for Bishop Selwyn, or calls the silly epistle of Mr. Fox a “sensible letter," or throws out occasional hint about our being saddled with expenses of the present peaceful war, few complain and fewer are surprised. But the leader noted above is too bad. It makes quite a hero of Kingi; talks with an if of his degrading himself; refuses to suppose that hypocritical ruffian a party to the attempted assassination of Mr. Richard Browne, and expresses “sincere hope" that he will “repudiate the act and all connected with it." In another part of Same “carefully guarded" effusion Kingi is given to understand that if he will please to deal with us chivalrously—“in the spirit of chivalry, which a native knows so well how to assume"—why then, yes, then “the government could exercise towards him—although in fact a rebel—such forbearance as has become the usage of modern warfare, —to meet him as a generous foe?’ Ranker or fouler stuff than this ive never saw in print. Because, forsooth, certain Church Missionaries would open a way for government reconciliation with Kingi, that turbulent rebel, who caused the rebellion, and should be held responsible for all its evil consequences, is told that a little chivalrousness on his part, such as sending back to us “ all alive and kicking" a stray horse or frisky ass, will secure for him such treatment as generous foe to generous joe awards. lie dissent. In our eyes Kingi is simply a mean-spirited rebel, who dare not avow himself privy to, and responsible for, the acts of the brutal mob who call him their leader. For all blood shed in this contest he should be called to answer. Red Cat would have us believe this “ chivalrous" savage is shocked at the attempted assassination of Mr. Brown. As usual with our cautious contemporary, when all known evidence runs dead against the conclusion he wishes to arrive at, he wants “more precise information” than has yet appeared. Who knows that the attempted assassination is not “an ordinary incident of thewar,” andmere “case o/utu,” to be “ extenuated" on native lex talionis —tit for tat —principle ? But latest news from the South seems conclusive with regard to guilt of Kingi, and Red Cal attempt to morally whitewash him. From a Journal of Events, published in the Taranaki Herald of'2nd inst., and republished in the Cross of Friday last, we take paragraph following :— A statement is made that -• the Waikatos are very indignant at the attack on Mr. Brown, and that W. Kingi repudiates the act and all connected with it.” As we have no communication with Kingi, wc are ata loss to discover how this could be known. We know that it was Kingi's party who deliberately laid in wait for Mr. Brown, and as deliberately shot him. We have no hesitation in saying that the party of natives were out to waylay and murder travellers, and that W. Kingi was privy to the proceeding. We have only to mention that it was Kingi’s native Erueti who conspired to take Mr. Parris s life on bis late visit to meet the Ngatiruanui and Taranaki deputation. Regarding the alleged Waikato indignation at the attack on Mr. Brown, we may mention the decision arrived at at Waikato, that the [“ the men who committed the murders at Omala "" should not be surrendered.”

Red Cat opposes to this evidence—evidence furnished by people on the spot where Mr. Brown was waylaid— a few phrases expressive of doubt that “ chivalrous" Kingi would lend himself to assassination, dexterously interwoven with same half dozen may be’s. It may be “ that two militia men, out pighunting, fired upon some natives of Kingi's parly," and thus provoked the attack upon Mr. Brown. Il may be that Kingi pleads the rumored case of pig-hunting militia men “in extenuation.” It may be that Kingi knew nothing of the projected assassination. It may be that Mr. Brown was shot because he rode into “what the natives are pleased to call their lines" notwithstanding the intimation of Kingi “that Europeans would not be injured by his people provided they did not come within a given distance from his position.” Verily, friend Red Cat, thou art most cattish, and least English, of special pleaders. Thy clerical patrons must needs consider thee a jewel far above ordinary price. You do their work well, like one who has a mind to it; but we are mistaken if such work, however skilfully performed, will secure for you either the affections or the votes offree-minded, assassination-lo.athing colonists. These will resent your attempt to make them forget that Kingi is a savage rebel in arms against a. civilized government ; that Kingi originated actual rebellion, and should be held responsible for all atrocities committed by his followers ; that Kingi has no claim whatever to be treated with as an equal, or “generous foe," or “chivalrous" patriot, or as ought but what he is—an ignorant, tyrannical, grasping, double-faced traitor —who, for end's thorouhgly selfish, lit up the flames of civil war.

Bang.— The newspaper press men are called grievance-mongers, and grievance-mongers they are, but then it should be remembered that they are also the most potent of grievance rectifiers. Benjamin Franklin asked Thomas Paine this question—lf men are so bad with religion, what would they be without it? And deferentially we ask Bang whether he thinks that rulers, who are often doltish as well as corrupt with a free newspaper press, would not be far worse without it? Upon honest men publicity is good guard. Upon rogues or fools, or rogues and fools, publicity is good check. They all alike dread exposure. Besides, the governed should know how they are governed, and exact character, as well as distinctive principles, of men who rule. In what better way than through a grievancepublishing press they can get such knowledge, we are unable to conceive. Case il-lustrative-presents itself. Governor Wait-a-bit, assisted by the responsible ministry, determined to make proper provision for the landing of cattle in Auckland port and harbor. Result of their grave deliberation’was a proclamation, or announcement, dated Government House, at Auckland, the Qlh day of June, 1860, and subscribed F. G. Steward, Clerk to Executive Council, that—

Whereas by the Harbor Regulations Ordinance, No 15 of Session 11., it is er.acted that it shall be lawful for the Governor in Council from time, to time to make all such Regulations respecting Pilots and Pilotage, Quarantine and Harbors, as in the said Ordinance provided : And whereas by an Order in Council, made on the Twenty-third day of February last, the Governor in Council did make certain Regulations for the Port and Harbor of Auckland, and it is expedient to amend the same in manner hereinafter mentioned.

Now, therefore, Ilis Excellency the Governor in Council doth hereby make the following additional Regulation for the said Port and Harbor.

Any person landing Cattle from any vessel or boat in the Suburbs of Auckland between the hours of eight (8) in the morning and eight (8) in the evening, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding Twenty ponnds for every such offence. No such regulations as these can be enforced. Already they have been broken, and we are bound to declarethat regulations ■more absurd —more significant of ruling ignorance—never before were proclaimed, no, not even by the ministers of Queeen Whim. They demonstrate with how little wisdom a “ Governor in Council” may be ‘ endowed. Had his Excellency, or the ministers of his Excellency, known anything about cattle landing their cattle regulations would have been spared us. Now, here is a grievance, fairly chargeable upon “Governor in Council” disgraceful ignorance of what the “ Governor in Council” should perfectly well know. It is fair to add that our attention was drawn to this specimen grievance by Mr. Gassy, whose excellent letter upon the', subject will be found elsewhere.