IS IT PEACE ?

Press, Volume III, Issue 135, 6 April 1863, Page 1

IS IT PEACE ?

Never havo wo looked for any mail with half tho anxiety with which we shall expect the next news from Taranaki. Tho noxt mail will toll us whether wo aro once again to be plunged into a war of uncertain duration although or certain cost, or whether the policy which has been pursued by Sir Georgo Grey during tho past year lies told upon tho disposition of tho Natives, and right can be done without violence. Hardly, bitterly indeed, wo havo spoken of tho dilatory, do-nothing policy which has been pursued during tho past six months. Every word shall be cheerfully unsaid, tho amplest and most cordial retraction of all our criticisms shall bo joyfully made, if it shall appear that tho inaction of tho past was but prudent and far-seeing preparation for tho moment of action to come. Wo shall bo but too glad to acknowledge that we havo been wrong. Wo cannot indeed understand why so long timo should have elapsed in a caso where timo was cverytliing; but that shall not prevent our judging the policy of tho Governor and his Ministers by its results as a wholo, and bearing tho warmest testimony to its success. Mr. Fox's Government certainly did right not to precipitate the Taranaki question. Sir Georgo Grey was undoubtedly right to master tho whole position thoroughly before acting; and the approaching sossion of tho Goneral Assembly was" a sufficient reason for delay* -Had Fox mot'tho Assembly with a distinct policy on the Taranaki question ; had he not fenced with tho question of the liability of the colony to conduct Native affairs; hod ho boldly accepted tho wholo responsibility for their management, and laid before tho Assembly a hopeful plan of operations for tho future, ho would, in our opinion, probably bo in office at this moment. But ho did not do so : ho took a middle course, and failed to impress tho House with confidence in tho rosult. Tho Houso wore willing enough to admit that " the Institutions " wore likely to do some good; but they woro not willing to believe that the solution of the Native difficulty lay in such fanciful schemes. Fox did good and great service up to tho meeting of the Assembly, for tho Natives wero certainly in a more friendly and malleable disposition then than they had been for some time before or have been since. As an administrator of government Mr. Fox stood higher in public estimation than he had ever stood bofore. But tho break down of the Fox Government was inevitable after tho night when Major. Richardson brought forward the question of what was to bo done about the Tataraimaka Block, and when tho Government were virtually silent. Still we assert that Fox's was tho only wise and right policy up to t?ie meeting of the Assembly ; wo mean right so far as not precipitating action until .the Assembly had mot and spokon. But after the Assembly had met, what excuso was there for continued inaction ? Tho forcible occupation of tho Queen's and the Bottler's lands could not go on forever, and every day that tho Natives continued in possession, their titlo to hold seemed to acquire a sort of fictitious legality. This is why we havo fallen foul of the Government for its apparent inertness and inactivity. But there is more to be said. We havo refrained from attacking Sir George Grey's policy so far as

possible, and as long as possible. Wo havo waited, hoping that if no actual result was achieved, at least tho mysterious silence which hung around his steps might bo broken, and wo might have somo definite promise of tho policy to bo pursued. Tho interview between tho settlors and tho Governor at Taranaki has broken tho spell of silence, and calls upon tho colony to speak out' Wo now learn, and that with a sort of shock to tho feelings which is not very pleasant, that tho profound sagacity which was supposed to lio hidden under silence was simple ignorance. Sir G. Grey says "In this instance he teas quite in ignorance oft?ie state of things here, and wished io be made acquainted with ._«;»." i Considering that the condition of Taranaki has been the one question which Sir G. Groy was sent to inform himself about, the abovo is tho most startling confession which perhaps ever issued from tho lips of " a great Pro-consul." And we aro not surprised at reading a little further down tho fino irony of tho deputation, when they remarked that " Had the settlers supposed tliat his officers were so remiss in informing His Ezcellencg of what had occurred, iJiey would certainly have made Jiim acquainted with it." What a dignified position for Messrs. Bell and Domott! How very pleasant to sit by and listen .to such complimentary insinuations. Wo aro not at all surprised at tho sort of irritablo imprudonco with which Mr. Bell. shortly after disclosed a possible difference of opinion betwoon the Govornor and his Executive Council, and tendered his advice, with manly publicity, that tho Assembly should be callod together In good truth tho wholo result of this meeting of tho Governor with the Taranaki settlers isthoroughly disheartening. Tho policy disclosed by tho Governor, and for which we must hold the Ministers responsible—however they may hold themselves—that policy seems to us both senseless and alarming. Tho Governor clings to the idea that all tho wrongs whioh have hoen done in tho lato war aro to bo settled by tho ordinary courtsof law. Can anything bo more practically absurd ?

No one has so constantly urged on the colony as we havo, tho principlo that in the enforcement of tho law lies the wholo solution of what is. commonly called the Native difficulty. But wo cannot conceive a more unfortunate idea, than that tho proper modo of introducing the ordinary operation of tho law, is by applying it to such extra-ordinary cases as those which arise out of a de facto state of war. The natives have stolen cattle during the war. Sir George Grey says if they are caught let them be tried by law. How can a man say this who has openly declared tliat it was tho Governor who unjustly made war on tho Natives? Tho inconsistency of thi* position is ono which the Natives with their keen sagacity will penetrate and tear into rags j infect they did so at the Waikato j when Sir George Grey admits they " shut him up" at once by asking if Commodore Seymour and Colonel Gold were to be tried for taking their horses. If Governor Browne was right, we must £p_ it out —tho sooner the better. If he \raa wrong, and if we—as a colony—are going to say he was^

wrong, or to act as if lie were wrong, there is but one bold, honest, straightforward course, and that is to declare absolute immunity for the past. The most despotic governments have had to do tliis again and again, when policy demanded that the mind of the people should be quieted and confidence restored. Thoro were in our opinion but two honest and safe courses open to the Government; one to soy "givo up the spoil or we will make you ;" tho other to say, "" let byc-gones bo bye-gones; no man shall be punished for the past—and now for tho future." Sir George Grey's policy, so far as we gather it from his public statements, is tending to keep up a stato of irritablo and dangerous insecurity. He virtually tells tho Natives that tho unknown terrors of the law aro lianging over their heads, and will do so in perpetuity; and so he keeps

them with arms in their hands and mistrust in their hearts. We say, ten times bettor fight it out at once and havo done with it. We havo opposed Governor Gore Browne's policy, and that of his Ministers, consistently throughout; but wo have given them credit for honest, straightforward wrong-heudedncss. Wo knew tho consequences of opposing that policy, and were prepared to accept them. But wo do not understand or admiro a policy wliich condemns tho late Governor and yet shrinks from the only hononvblo course which that condemnation involves. It is _ mean and base policy to say to the Natives, '• our Governor waa wrong, he mode war on you unjustly, and now the same conse-

quenccs shall attach to you as though you had resisted a just attempt to enforce the law." We can understand, and the natives will understand, a courso which says, wo are right, and we will fight for itj they will respect that. We can understand, and the Natives would understand, a policy which said, we were wrong j and being wrong we pro'clnh-i absolute immunity for tho consequences of the past. That might have been said so that the Natives would havo bolieved it. But we do not understand, and tho Natives will despise, a policy which is keeping up a feeling of insecurity in the whole Native mind; which sneers at tho blunders of that gallant and true-hearted gentleman who is gono, but has not the courage to a_copt the consequences of declaring those acts to havo been blunders.

Mr. Bell is anxious to meet the Assembly, but we fear that Issachar of politicians, " couching down between two burdens," will havo some difficulty in persuading the House that a Government which has failed to win tho confidence of the Natives, and has brought down on the colony the contempt of the mother country, is one wliich it is desirable should continuo in power.