LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1093, 19 October 1869, Page 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by correspondents. But oue that lies three-thirds and uses a known truth, to pass a thousand nothings with, should be once heard and thrice beaten. All's Well tliatEnds Well. Sir, — Judging from the mendacious "leader" that appeared in the Times of Thursday last, Munchausen must be on his travels in these parts, and intent upon amusing us with tales not less truthful than that of the severed horse, a story of which I am reminded, because, on examination, those fictions are found to fall through as easily as the water descended from the fore half of the baron's steed. A slight review of the article in question will illustrate my meaning. Referring to Macdonnell's late victory, the writer says — " The news was hailed here with a sense of relief ; everybody had begun to dread some accident." This is pure invention, written for a political motive, as almost everybody felt confident we should hear good news as soon as it was ascertained Macdonnell was in command, and the result has justified our faith in Macdonnell. Further on, we are told " Men who risk their lives in our defence shall not, as far as we can prevent it, be treated as under far more critical circumstances they were last year, that was the shame of the Colony." Here we have the "political touter" bidding for popularity amongst that force which was lately starved into mutiny by the Stafford Government and its instruments; and observe how, Munchausenlike, the writer utters what he knows to be false. Does not every one know that the shameful treatment to which the Constabulary were subject was the fault of the late administration, and by no means the " shame of the Colony." With respect to the Waikaremoana expedition, we have it on the authority of Mr. Dillon Bell (-vide Mansard 14, Sept. 2nd) that Colonel Whitmore disapproved of that expedition to Mr. Dillon Bell and other members of the Assembly. • On the same day, Mr,. Richmond stated he sent a memorandum to Colonel Whitmore, stating his views respecting the expedition, upon which memorandum Colonel Whitmore inscribed "I . entirely agree with every word of the memorandttm." Thus, by his own showing, the late Commanding Officer at one and the same time held conflicting views with respect to the Waikaremoana bubble. Thank God we no longer suffer from his feeble inconsistency. We are asked — " Has the attainment of peace been at all expedited by these Taupo proceedings ?" and the writer asserts "we wish we could think it had." If he had added "not" we might have believed him ; but the whole tenor of the article belies his assertion. I venture to say the verdict of the Colony will declare that "these Taupo proceedings" have in fact very much expedited the attainment of peace, and will gratefully acknowledge the eminent services of the brave man who is restoring our vanished prestige, and more especially as that brave officer is unlikely (judging from the past) to receive those marks of Imperial favour, Orders of St. Michael, &c, which have hitherto, as far as New Zealand is concerned, been reserved for those who have least deserved them. Here is a specimen of the way men who have bled in our cause are alluded to — " Had thero been fewer of these ' wretched friendlies,' he (Te Kooti) would have been followed. Presently it appears they are not so wretched after all, for we learn — " When Kemp came up with his troop, these natives, accustomed to discipline under Colonel Whitmore, no- sooner saw the enemy than they dashed into the redoubt." These, be it borne in mind, are " wretched friendlies ;" but then you see they had been " accustomed to discipline under Colonel Whitmore." On one occasion Colonel Whitmore was perched on the summit of. Ngatapa, whilst the "wretched friendlies" left him, and plunged into a wilderness of bush after Te Kooti, whom they chased for a week, killing and capturing many of his murderous band. It strikes me the writer has " thrown a sprat " to Kemp in order that Whitmore may " catch a mackeral." The nonsense about ten men capturing powder escorts on the Runanga line, is unworthy of notice, still, one may ask why (if the line is so dangerous) Colonel Whitmore strained evory nerve to complete the telegraph line to Runanga, knowing that line must be maintained. Let any one who has travelled the road, say if there is serious risk, whilst we commenced the line with three capital redoubts. The remarks respecting want of confidence are rot, written for. simpletons and people at a distance, who know no better. The absurd flattery heaped upon Lieut.Colonel Herrick, at the expense of his superior officer, is in excessively bad taste, and will be taken for exactly what it is worth. It may be true, or not, the former officer " will no longer serve under the Fox-M'Lean regime" but the colony will have no reason to reproach itself with ingratitude if he has elected to retire, as his rapid promotion proves, though it may

i regret that an officer who is respecte » and liked for qualities not possessed b . some who have preceded him, should i , any way be connected,- even by nam< . with a writer who, in seeking to resuscitat i. a broken and defeated party, calumniate better men than himself, would have v 1 ignore the improved state of affairs, am . is ready to sacrifice the colony to restor his idols. — I am, &c, Scrutator. October 18, 1869. , Sir, — It would seem that your contem porary was inclined to be funny in hi leading article of the 14th inst. ; but after reading it through, the though comes across one's mind that another per son was the author of it. It tastes strongly of a military critic, who is fond of usin£ the personal pronoun " I," and running down the Government and McDonnell We can quite understand where this scur rilous abuse comes from; the author is annoyed to think that McDonnell ha! been so successful, and he cannot under stand the new and rational mode of war fare which gives confidence to all anc ensures success. McDonnell, with his small Europear and native army, has done more in this one engagement, than Whitmore did ir all his botched ones; for he has strucl once, and decisively, a blow, which wil have a very good effect upon the minds of our enemies. Two more such victories would, no doubt, put an end to the rebellion, or go a great way to restore thai peace which is so much desired. That McDonnell is the right man in the righl place, no one can doubt. What did Whitmore do at Puketapu? Why, he went up there a full-blown colonial Colonel with aides-de-camp, and I don't knovt what ; when there, he was signally defeated, and it was wh,o could get out oi it first — in fact, a perfect stampede. There the wounded were left to their comrades, after being deserted by their commander; and it was at that ill-planned fight thai we lost poor Capt. Carr, a, gentleman whose loss is deeply to be lamented, for a province can ill afford to lose suoh a class of settlers. But it is needless to recapitulate here the sad and terrible mistakes made by Colonel Whitmore all through his campaign. I do not think it possible to find, in the annals of border or any other kind of warfare, movements more incomprehensible than those made by Whitmore at various times during the sad time he was playing at general commander-in-chief. It is greatly to be deplored that the Assembly did not meet sooner, so as to stop those unheard of extravagant ideas of his, for of all extravagant notions his staff idea was the most extravagant and preposterous. What with majors and brevet-majors, and staff depots, and snug little berths for friends, our. poor adopted country would soon have been completely ruined. To him may we look as the author of half our late trouble and expenses. Sir, in my opinion the Stafford Ministry did great injustice and injury to this North Island when they dispensed with the services of Macdonnell and put Whitmore in command. When a person is put in a high position of trust, you naturally come to the conclusion that he has shown some ability, or done something more than others to merit him for the position conferred. But, what on earth has Whitmore ever done for this Province? There has been a time in Hawke's Bay (when in her prosperity), and that not long ago, when there were some exceedingly high salaried appointments, such as Civil Commissioner, Officer Commanding District, Commandant of Colonial Dofence Force, &c. ; but singularly enough, these all got into one hand, and that at the same time, too. Who's was it, think you ? None but our modest friend, then Major Whitmore ; salary, emoluments, &c, only about £2000 per, annum of public money. Some impertinent person might ask how he could fulfil all these posts, and what he did for the large sums of money he took out of the pocket of the taxpayer. The answer would echo the same sentiments ; and this is he that censures us for not appreciating his endeavors to pull us out of difficulties he partly got us into. If ever man deserved less of his country he is the man. After having over twelve months of his own way, backed with unlimited means, and hordes of troops at his command, he managed in that time to spend all the money we had, besides leaving the army in a most dreadful and disgraceful state — yes, left them half clothed, half fed, not paid, and in a state of open mutiny ; but without accomplishing one single vtctory. It is hardly to be credited, but such is absolutely a fact. Knowing such, can we allow him to run down the present Government and troops, who are doing so much real and valuable service. Does he not know, or does he want to be told, the difficulties the present Government have labored and are laboring under ? — does he forget the mutiny he left the troops in had to be quelled, and order restored and the men paid ? — does he forget the limited means that the present Government have had at their command ?— or does he wonder (and naturally feel annoyed) at their accomplishing so much with so little, restoring order and confidence everywhere ? Is it, I say, for such to censure and criticise those few and brave men we have in the field, who have stood the brunt of many a hard-fought battle? With such we can think of those that are no more, who were so identified with us and were so successful — poor Biggs and Wilson. They never knew what it was to have a reverse ; victory after victory was ours ; and Mr. M'Lean (then having the control of affairs on the East Coast) had the pleasurable satisfaction of restoring peace once more to that troubled coast. The leader goes on to say " that things changed when Kemp came up with his troop of 75 men. These natives, accustomed to discipline under Colonel Whitmore, no sooner saw the enemy than they dashed into the Cariacature redoubt he had erected." So far so good, but how was it Colonel Whitmore could not accomplish the same with these men ? The above remark rather tells against him— in fact tells us undeniably that Macdonnell can handle natives well and properly too, and that Whitmore failed to do so. Sir, Colonel Whitmore has had every opportunity to distinguish himself, and his movements have been, from time to time, fairly, honorably, and impartially citicised, and these have shown us that he has failed in what he undertook — yes, miserably so. Now, instead of heaping abuse, it is for him to pray that our arms may be successful, and that an unhappy and heart-broken country may be restored to its former position of peace and prosperity. Settler. Sir, — I delayed writing you on the following subject till now, thinking that some person more acquainted with such matters than myself would have done so; but considering it important that any phenomenon should be noticed for the information of scientific men, I beg the insertion of the following : -At about ten minutes past 7 o'clock, on the 7th instant, the moon, then being at an altitude of about 15 deg. above the hills, as observed from Wairoa, appeared to have a burning circular mass, , the apparent right side of which out the

I apparent left side of the moon. Owing to t the. moon's age being only one day and i some few hours, her Bright limb was sepa- , rated by the whole width of her disc from j the fiery excresence, which appeared on i the opposite edge of the orb. This fiery i appendage blazed brightly for some few I seconds, and then disappeared.— l am, <&o»y H.H. Napier, October 18. Sir,— Will you, or any of yonr leaders, putatively scientific or otherwise, kindly inform me what has become of the summer P Have Saxby,. W. C, or, any. of their absurd predictions, turned the head of the clerk of the weather P If so, had not some of us ignoramuses (of which t your correspondent is a fair specimen)' better try to re-turn it P ' Thanking you for inserting this letter, I am, &c, A Gold Seekee.