The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3406, 16 June 1868, Page 2

The Daily Southern Cross.

LUOEO, NON URO. ; If I h»T« b»«n tztlncaishad, y«t tb*r« tin A. thotuand btaoona from kh* np»rk 1 bor*.

TUESDAY, JUNE 16.

The Whanganui and Taranaki country has long been the most unsatisfactory in New Zealand. While fighting has been a widespread evil in this island, fighting there has been exceptionally unsatisfactory arid disagreeable in its incidents. Ambushes and murders have been known elsewhere, but their headquarters have never shifted from the Whanganui and Taranaki country. Even now, when' ! the embers of war have all but died out in other ' parts of the colony — when even the savage CTrewera country has ceased to supply tales of > horror, except as rare and exceptional things — the Patea country is true to its old reputation. On the East Coast we have had murders within the last two years, but these have been incidents of war j but at thti Patea we seem still to have the murders, while no war exists. Again and again that country has been pronounced pacified. At one time one chief, at another other chiefs of the disaffected tribes have declared themselves faithful subjects of her Majesty ; bub the results do not materially change. Whether as enemies or as subjects the Whanganui natives contrive to get up an occasional ambush, and to shoot more than an occasional settler. It is scarcely possible for such, a state of things to exist without a reason, and it can hardly be otherwise than useful to form some idea of what that reason is. Under the circumstances we are reduced to the conclusion either that Whanganui natives are much worse than other natives, or that they have been even worse managed than others. Now we see no reason for arriving at the first of these conclusions. It is true we have heard a great deal about the inherent badness bf these Maoris, but we have never had more than, vague generalities. Clearly a tendency to murder people is a bad tendency, and ought to be controlled ; but it is a tendency manifested in turn by every one of the native tribes which have .gone to war with us. There is nothing really exceptional about their conduct, except; that there is too much of it. In other districts we have had fighting quite as severe, ambushes quite as well planned and successful, and murders quite as terrible and revolting; but these things have gone by, and we have no more of them. When *the fighting is over, ihe natives at least cease from murders. It was so in the North, in the Waikato, at Tauranga— everywhere in short except at Taranaki and Whanganui. There we have had no regular fighting for a long time. When we hear of anything it is usually either an account of a chief giving in his allegiance,, or of some settler being shot at or actually killed. We believe the cause of the whole thing is very simple, and lies in a nutshell. The course puraued at Whanganui has not been even so good as that pursued elsewhere. The outrage of which we have just heard affords an example. Three Europeans, engaged in a peaceable employment, have been set upon by ten armed natives and barbarously murdered. The bodies have been mutilated frightfully, and the natives have' gone back rejoicing in the success of their diabolical scheme. There is no reason to suppose that anything personal was intended by this outrage. These three men were chosen, not on their own account, but on oui's. They were unfortunate enough to be within reach, and even the victims of the faults of other people. The story does not, however, begin with this murder. Early in May an expedition was sent out, 'under Colonel McDonnell, for the apprehension of leading natives belonging to the Ngaruahine tribe — the tribe of the present murderers. The object of the expedition was the recovery of some stolen horses, and the' apprehension of the thieves. By a forced march the village was surprised by the constabulary force, but no resistance was made. , The men werejyrell received, in spite of the appearance of violence evident in the apparition of a large force suddenly amongst them. So far, all was well. It was no doubt the duty of a Resident Magistrate to issue his warrant for the recovery of the stolen goods; it was* doubtless »the duty of the constabulary to execute v< the warrant. Had the horses been found at the village and taken away, or had the depredators been seized and arrested, the question would have worn a very different aspect-from that which it now presents. The horsel«do not appear to have been found at 'all.' 1 f The men who "were accused of stealing them.jdo not seem to have been at the village when the expedition got there. But the expedition was not to be frustrated so easily. , The offenders were not there^'but others, who might have been offenders, and arght become so another time, were there. The demand for hostages was at once made — first by the commander of the force* and then by the Eesitent Magistrate.' These utterly lawless demands were complied with,"' except by one of the ', chosen hostages ' who sirefuSed to come, and who is' ' characterised as a "brawny old savage/ apparently for>'his obstinacy. The chronicler observes, with a charming simplicity, that, "as he was 1 not one "of the actual thieves, it was considered best "to leave 'him."' What! became ..of the four hostages doea not appear. Sc far gp we know, the ''actual, thieves" have n^t come in, nor the 1 horses actually thieved* i What has occurred is the murder of three unoffending Europeans by the natives of th'.p very village 1 which witnessed M^-ilesiderftJ {Magistrate Booth's new reading of the duties oi[fhis office. -. . , -j It is not unreasonable to ask the question, What e^se, wo^uld we hav ( e? ,Jf our constabulafy are, to .make^vicafioud examples 01 some Maoris' for the sins of others, why should aoV W*M&ri^ do 4ik^ri& & &V 7 U we

may imprison men who are not the "actual "thieves," why may not the friends of the imprisoned shoot Europeans who are not the actual violators of law and justice? The whole thing looks very much like our own fault, and is only one more result of the foolish and weak course which has so long been followed in native matters. There are but two courses open to our Government with Such districts as that of Whanganui. They may declare that the Queen's writ shall run throughout the district ; and they may, if they can, enforce it. If they do, it must be according to law. There must be no making one man responsible for his neighbours' sins, of which he is guiltless ; no seizing of men not " the actual thieves." If the Queen's writ is to ruu in Maori districts, it must be as it runs in European districts. But if it is not to run, then let us understand the matter. Let the settlers know that they are on the border of an enemy's country, and that they must defend their horses and themselves against these enemies. Thus warned, and with sufficient inducements, no doubt they coulcl" and would do it. There would then be no absurd parade of warrants and Resident Magistrates, confounding law with force; but when an expeditien did go it would know what it went for, and would get it.