THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE THE NATIVE RACE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 146, 2 May 1864, Page 4

THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE THE NATIVE RACE.

[From tlie " Sydney Morutng Iti ralrt," April 21]. The attempt mw made in T-'ncland to prevent, the policy of the New Zealand govcrnn-ent from tiudini; favMiir was just what miVht have been expected. Not ou'tv it is impossible for the irnml people at heme to appreciate the exi.-tinp- cirenm-dances, but there are. doubtless, persons who, whatever their knowledge might be, would say, •' Perish the colonies," rather than a principle. We. however, a.-sunio that the British Government has distinctly accepted tin* soveroiirnty of New Zealand, that the property lawfully acquired must be defended by law, and, if need be, hv arms. "VVe a-sume, as pioved and indisputable that, the war between t.he natives and the colonists is the war of the natives ; n permit of an object too clearly defined and palpable to admit of any lunger dispute;—an object, incompatible with the existence of a colony, or with the maintenance of Kntrlish government at all. This purpose has shown itself in an armed array of thousands of natives \vho.-.e long preparation is now sufficiently indicated by the progress of the war. In view of these premises we as«me that it is the intention of the 'British Crown to maizitain the colonies of Now Zealand as a very important li/'itiah, not Australian, possession. AVe cannot at all assent to tliu idea that thoy are more important to the Australia than to England. Probably in tho courso of the next ten years the commerce'of New Zealand with England w ill he far greater than -with all tho Australian dependencies, and time as it advances, will vastly increase the proportion. English blood be it well understood, is therefore no shed for Ihe Australias ; but Australia has sent thousands of her vountr men to maintain the quarrel of England in New Zealand, and to promote the establishment of British authority there. I There are two courses open. The British may make penre, and fall back to their preiious limits. How small they are may be seen by those maps which show the present line of British occupation. The natives will, doubtless, accept, peace on those terms, and for some time at least the sullbrim', ami losses, and troubles of Hiir may discourage even them from any new agression. They will oiler an asvlum for all die marauders who may ravage our territoriiM outside their hounds; they will place under thraldom all the British who may happen to live within them ; and within this raii.ee in a time tliev nuiv eonllne their future hostilities. The next step would of course be the withdrawmcnt of the troops in New Zealand, and found not lo be too numerous. The Volunteers who have been in* iled by the New Zealand Government, disappointed of titi-ii- settlement so • solemnly promisi d. mm tn i'cinrn to tin ii- distant bores. •. ohws \v I d tle'll be as til were, e\ecie.l]ie licit tl'.ere w.m i,e snl! to acc.notl for i;ie hii'r'tvds oj vahial'e h\e.- '.ha' iei\e t>een rviei i!ieed eiiber hv war or l» murder, and ;iie ;£s of thousands spent by P.n<..da'it! am; the e.-loitas. I'ut win n etir ritrfalerl—wlicn oir f"h"iial voce: ;.re —the t:atives wid resume their If.ur.er ettitmb— fnr ntrr thtyl-ire, apain their tiin-at.- Will hi* hcaid ; (he muirnurs oi' a diMant. '•Mir ".'ill nijain iilaim the pcarei'ul sit tiers; aaain those of warlike til ot' T.ddeli i-nr bine hooks are now suiliciei.t, records will become iiisuflevibl". A•••■■!in there will be an outburst, and the British Minis!ei> v.ill be asked of course lo supply the n.e:i::s of cootr* llins: the warns well as prosecuting it. This perhap- will be declined. Then, in that, case, they must leave it to the resourceo of the colonists, whose sutleiiiig-s and

whose will point them to one path and that will 'in extermination. The rthnr rnnvf" proposed, acainft. which loud outcries are made in Km-hnid, is that out of the ennrmnns territory for the most, liart lvieg waste and useless, a rwrt «h:iU he t:il;eti from the anned and rehelheiis i'.ntives sutlii'ii nt for the purposes of rleti-uee Tiny/ill recpiire a military cnlonr/ntion. —:i line of pnsts str«">OLT to ]irevent the hiciiVKKMiS ot the natives and to protect the developeinent of the r.ritish power. Those who live within these lines, whether natives or Kut'lish, will have to submit to P.ritish law : if they commit crimes they will he punished Tf thev flv fi-em .instiee it may, perhaps. he a iln'v to pursue them into their tastliessess, and , punish thrill wherever they may he found, lint the only chance of making peace sure, anil of establishintl" vcjiulav authoritv, is for a sutlieient lervitorv tn he occupied to rrive pproei*i <, al prfpondenutoo to the <Cttlern, and fo ooahle them to act with hmnutlitv hec'ui-e without f'vir. Thi< plan hn* proposed hv flie f'olnnial Qovernmeut, acd it i« airnip.pt tliis j nrojeet that, loud outenes are raided, wt suspect, ot j y,nv Zealand oriirio. in pnsrlartd whero know not. the danircr nor the otlect ot that policy which thev ar«i so anxious fo support. Thev little know that,'should ihoy prevail, th'-v the !\Taori racr 1 t'~> inovitahlo destruction. '1 hey would subject the British populatien to the violence and encroachment of the natives for a time, to ho followed hv a tremendous recoil, fatal only to the native nice. \W heli.-ve that u very small number of colonists | comparatively, with the wo.'tp nn of modem warfun l , and wit}t the ini.°crmailous resolution of men who dehatc f'T life, would he soon fntal to u population ax little nvnvr'di? :is the >f?mri people. All shows thi*: nud nil colonisation provc> t lint if tlie Ouvci'mne't of the Kiv.pire at tempt to surrondej' the more powerful race to the capites 'be inferior, it musr ho ou 'he spot to/-heck the nutnrid n sejitnicnt awakened, and to prevent n dire rctnl atn>n which would disgrace at once Christianity and thu British name. "Werepcnt that, so far aaourohservation and enquiry have carried u*. and wc hnvc spared no ptiinj«, the Maori race has hitherto received no apeoj.hfrom Great Britain. The confipcation of their hind now proposed is not only the appropriate punL-hmenl of unprovoked rebellion, hut it is essential to colonial defence. "We can no more save the natives from the eonsciptenees of their own rashness and folly, than we can ourselves escape as individuals from those faults of policy and misfortunes of war, '-hnrireahle to our (rovernnient, and which have laid upon the livilli; trenerationK the burden of many past. The Maori has entered tlie family of nations: he has received its lind otfered to him itd richts; and he must submit to its law. Those who say lie haw been robbed or op}>rcssed or wronped «rive no examples, for they have none to give. Knplishmen cannot live with a "warlike, hosti'e people at their hacks—aMe to surprise them any moment, and to aid anv enemy who may assail them,when the nations of Europe are enframed in war.