TARANAKI.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1324, 29 November 1864, Page 5

TARANAKI.

By the Chrishna we have received papers to the 19tli instant. We make the following extracts :—

Movements of the Natives.—lnformation from private sources, confirmed by a paragraph which we copy from the Wang ami Chronicle, states that Rewi, with a mob whose numbers are variously stated up to 400, have started from the South for Waitara, to prevent the military taking possession of it, or if too late to do so, then to attack and drive them from it. Nothing is to be more desired than that they should dare gome such attempt, the result of which would assuredly be the destruction and scattering of the most malignant and bloodthirsty of the tribes which have given us neither peace nor rest for the last four years. The bush at Manutahi is now being cleared —and this once accomplished, they will attack at great disadvantage. News of this intention on the part of the natives have reached the native authorities, but we believe it is doubted that they will attempt to carry their threat into execution at present. Some excitement has occurred here from a report that a number of the Taranakis had made some overtures for coming in under the Governor's proclamation, but nothing has yet, we hear, been settled between them and the native officer. It is true that Mr. Parris, with a few attendants, went down the coast to have an interview with them, and met an emissary of the rebels on the eoast line, who, after some discussion, not of the most pleasing or pacific character, led them some miles inland to a place or pah called Kopua, where some forty or so bad assembled, and amongst them was the notorious Minirapa, the leader of the Omata massacre. Here ensued a korero, which does not appear to have resulted in any immediate determination ; but at parting, the whole, excepting Minirapa and one other, shook hands in seeming amity, and a few days may possibly give some information of what they decide on.—Taranaki News, Nov. 17. The Taranaki Natives. — Active negotiations have been going on with the Taranaki natives during the past ten days, and at least one embassage has has been sent to William King, but the results have not yet become apparent—except that the Ngamahanga section of the Taranaki tribe have sent up three articles as tokens of their willingness to treat —a topuni or dogskin mat, a greenstone ear-drop, and a mako taniioha or shark's tooth. Ahout 70 of this hapu assembled at Te Kopua towards the end of last week, and there met Mr. Parris and four friendly natives, three of whom belong to the Taranaki tribe, and the fourth is perhaps the shrewdest of our native assessors. The case of the proclamation therefore was well represented, its object explained, and no doubt its seeming asperities reduced to their real meaning. How was it, then, it produced no effect? These particular natives are certainly desirous of seeing the war ended. War with the Maoris is as much a recreation as any thing else; almost the only amusement indeed which they have that is not absolutely childish. But even an amusement becomes tiresome when continued too long, especially when it is as costly as this war has been in various ways to them. We are convinced their desire for what they call peace is perfectly sincere, and their terms are even simpler in expression than those of Sir George Grey, though meaning the same thing. They merely ask for a cessation of hostilities, nothing more, a cessation of hostilities, and a return to the status quo ante bellutn. They do not ask for our arms, and will not give up their own; when asked for land they very naturally wish to know whether they are to be paid for it, and as to the " murders," they get over that difficulty by denying that they were murders. Their avowed reason for keeping their arms is worth noting as it shows what hope there is of settling the difficulty by the present system of alternate force and cajolery. They say they are afraid to give up their arms " kei nukarautia ete Kawana,' "lest they be deceived (i.e., treacherously dealt with afterwards) by the Governor." They too must have their " substantial guarantee " for our future good behaviour. Certainly his Excellency seems to have inspired as little confidence in his enemies as in his friends, for though " the Governor" in this passage must be taken to include the colonists generally, it is Sir George Grey that has been our representative to them for the last three years. William King's attitude is different, but not more friendly : he simply refuses to treat at all. When the proclamation was taken to him he read it, but would not discuss the terms ; he merely said he would not agree to them, giving precisely the same reason as the Taranakis gave, " kei nukarautia au e te Kawana, adding in explanation " lest I be treated as the Waikatos were at Rangiriri." our village Hampden's native information must be very defective, or he would surely have learnt before now that the Rangiriri prisoners had pretty completely turned the tables on the Governor; had, in short, administered poetical justice and 4 deceived' him quite as thoroughly as he had ever ' deceived' them. However, we recommend this answer of his to the attention of Mr. Fitzgerald if he should ever have occasion to give an oratorical version of the fable of Ph<»bus and iEolus. In the meantime we hear from Wanganui that Rewi (who at first was supposed to be here) has just left that neighbourhood with his Waikato brigade to assist King in recapturing Mataitawa and the other places lately lost. The proclamation, therefore, as regards this place may be called a failure, or something worse. Its vague unmeaning threats are thought to be realities, and its promises are looked upon as the bait which conceals the hook; and it is inevitable that it should be so under such a Government as we now have. We shall have to convince them by what we do that we are sincere in what we say, and this will never happen under the present rule. When the Assembly takes sole charge of affairs it should tell the. natives as precisely as possible what it means to do—which they will not believe any more than they believe Sir George Grey and then proceed to do it; after a while tell them again, and so on, and when at last they have learnt by experience that unbelief means the same as misfortune, they will have learned a lesson that has not yet been taught them, and which it is for the good of us all that , they should soon know.—Taranaki Herald, Nov. 19.