The Star. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1881. THE NATIVE MINISTER AND HIS CRITIC.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 155, 5 October 1881, Page 2

The Star. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1881. THE NATIVE MINISTER AND HIS CRITIC.

The Taranaki Herald has managed to cram into about a column and a half more false statements, suppressions of fact, and incorrect inferences than we remember to have seen in any newspaper for a long time past. Want of space prevents us answering them ut any length, but it may be mentioned that the article commences with a singularly lame defence of the Herald's propensity for publishing canards, and concludes with a savage attack upon Mr. Rolleston, based on the circumstance that he was Under-Secretary for Native Affairs at the time of the " Titokowaru outbreak !" Now we are not going to be Mr. Rolleston's apologist yet, at any rate. We do not know enough oi him for tiiab; but we should have thought that a sense of the " eternal fitness of things " would prevent a journal attacking him at present, especially upon such a ground. The only logical sequence to attacking Mr. Rolleston for what he did when lie was a civil servant acting under a responsible Minister would be to write down Mr. Lewis, the present Under-Secretary for Native Affairs, of whose existence half the natives have no knowledge, and whose influence upon matters of policy is probably nil. No doubt people in this part of the district are chafing under the present delay, they are anxious for such decided action as will for ever wipe off this coast the native difficulty that at present is paralysing business and delaying settlement; but at the same time they are animated by the common sense of rational beings. They have no sympathy with the stupid impertinence and doubtful patriotism that publicly demands from a Minister information as to his intentions even before he has had time to make himself acquainted with the difficulties he has to deal with; and they have a profound contempt for the hysteri^S. ravings of a journal which is evidently ignorant of passing eventß. We confess to not being altogether satisfied with the action of the Government. Greater confidence would be felt did we hear of more active preparations for enforcing its will; but the Government cannot but be alive to their responsibility, and we are quite willing to give them a reasonable time in which te work out their plans. So soon as that reasonable time expires, the demand will be Action! Until then, let Ministers meet with generous sympathy, support, and confidence on all hands.