NO HOLLOW PEACE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 181, 11 June 1864, Page 5

NO HOLLOW PEACE.

[Kiel.i tl»- "Sydney TUornin- Herald," May 21.] I In another column our Kn-li.-li readers will lind the ! details 1 lint- linvi! reached us respecting the progress i ~f the war in Nciv Z.iil.tii.l. They will share in the 1 r,-:< t li-lt by ;ill humane persons in tliis colony tlmt ■ such sacrifices ofv.ilu.il.ic life h:iv«- l.( en ..-xnrtrd, anil 1 tii.it tliu irturu uf [R-ari: is, lor the jircM-nt, m> inipioi L.il.lc-. \\V in-,. n(,t without. ii].i>ivlic-iisioji tliiit tins '. tidings to Kiifiliind will 1.-:»l f> uiisiifi; i-on-I i-iii.-imis. Tin;™ (in; ol>ji;rtions so ol.vious against i the war, and to traditiniis and >,Mliiuciits J m> it.-.ji,ct;,lil t! in thin'i.-rlvfs, that we should not bv i nun h ;if.l<.ni.-lii!.l ii' a sti-oiif,' parly >ii:inaiHlu.l ]ioacf , it iS ti'filf-lllt- tl> C>IIVI-V to tho.-l- With «-11,-)lll 111.j linal drtfiiuiiialioii liuisl iv.-t tin; real merits uf this : i-.nl!iil. ami tin: issue .-iispeiulrd upi.'ii ii. Tini tn-alni.-iit of th.- lias Im-,-ii >-" . .-Mi.-I i;i i.i.-.iiy t-oinili-ii-s, and the a-;:iv-sions 1 of colonists "so iiK-essaiit mill uiiM-nipiil"u> , I that, tin; white illliahitallts of New /.ealand ; i haw to sillier ;i .suspicion which llieV do not deserve, . I - |~rwe j.ivsiuuu that no ni»n »i' i-.-n.m"n mm will ! v.-ii.U-i-a .-oMn.uii.ity 1-,-, p-.n-iLK- tor tin- wild talk of ! some liiiir-lii-iiined ii>"l. We must also warn against " a kind of inlluciice which otteii would hi: ll UStwoltliV, j lhou-h net in this instiiiK e. It has hen tlie nuslort line olthe afioi-iirines ofxN'rw Zealand toheiMslni.t.d j fur years hy Tn.-iiiy of their teachers to reuard all luU'imn- ot" cloinsatiun :w attacks to bj lesihtwl. \

Tiicy have gone, probably, beyond these lessons. Ih< Ushop ot New Zealand has unhappily unconsciously sown broadcast the seeds of war, doubtless Willi motives as pm-o as his views hiive b«n mistaken. \\ iut certainly is vviy remarkable, is that tins nationality is entirely ol 'En-dish origin—that the men wl-.o have combim-d under those misguided lessons to resist the authority of the (.Town, nelong to wlnVh, d.iwn to a very late period, were in n.»iui-.:i ■■:if!iii- s wVo iiiiil their pi-rioiiicii campaigns ] f> rt-iliiL'o tln'ir in ■..-iiliiiM—< to .--jji-.-i :v, a;nl oiteii in ,i more terrible iiiid loathson,,, .a'.c. '' \ Our Kngli.di readers will probably be pl;i-d :V,-,in ] various quarters with particular statements, utterly nnintelli-ihle lo th.-i.i, l.ut as supporting conclusions iv,-illy a< cepledon the authority of those who eidorce them. AVe have long felt that it is impossible to convey to an English mind the details c>l a quarrel which has assmui-d so many ].liases, mixed up with I so many obscure, names a:':d localities, and which ! depends upon f ai .:ls which at every stop arc assoi tod wilh vehemence and with equal violeiiee denied, 'l'lio. dilliculty (if judging is aggravated from l| i<' loose manner in which persons wlio •■light, to be worthy of credibility have ifivon their evidence upon several point's— even those which are understood to decide the moral aspect of the quarrel so far as it is personal and local. We can only ivi terete, a .statement which we have made before, thai tin- colonists never had any power over native a Hairs hefore the war, and that no injury was ever done to the natives liy the 1 iritish (iov'eniiiicnt which would justify dismissing a constable, and that the real object of the rebellion has taken forms so clear an.l delinite as siiow tlmt it resulted from a long cherished purpose, long formed plans and resources collected in view of a decisive blow to British colonization. If, however, the people of England, influenced by representations of colonial justice substantially untrue, should set their faces' against all military'support of the authority of the Crown, it will lie necessary for the statesmen of England to settle what is to be done hereafter. It is useless to shrink from a crisis wliich many have .seen to be inevitable for the last tifteen years, and which has been hastened we fear than retarded by the conciliation and concessions lavished by the representatives of the Crown on the native people. Is it possible, we ask, for the English settlements of New Zealand within reach of the natives to exist, unless by their submission r That is the true point at issue. It is seen now that thousands of armed men can be collected anil conducted with a skill and vigour which would render even less numbers formidable to a tradiny and pacific population, such as an English colony must lie. It would be however, a μ-rossiilundertosuiipose that colonists will submit to native domination, or that they will live in terror for their lives. I'robably they'are just as humane as their countrymen at large, and not more so. J'robably, what colonists have been in former times, allowing for the inllueiice of modern civilization, the colonists of the present moment will become —that is, they will not consent to hold their posses- | sions upon sutlerance, and it' afraid, they will he cruel. The English nation, therefore, must make up its mind either to prosecute the war till the Koyal conclusion by a peace which shall be insidious and | temporary, and thus to resign the task of resisting the natives to the colonists themselves, and, we fear, to methods of subjugation which wiil bo fatal lo the natives. "We should loo k forward lo these alternative's with the deope.-t alarm, but with the most iirm conviction that in the qut stion of peace or war is included the reputation of tin. , British Government and the luture condition of the aboriginal race ; but that the colony itself will not submit to be destroyed. By I'.ritish military power, but vith the aid of "the colonists, and largely at their e.\) eiise, the war may he so terminated that ascendancy shall not lie again a quc.-tion between the two races. Once thoroughly convinced that the Jirilisb power is 100 strong lo defeat probably the aborigines will yield with considerable intelligence aii(! steadiness ; lint il lias been their great misfortune to entertain the idea that the liritisli soldier is inferior to themselves;—that England is against the colonist?, llial ihe rebels arc deemed right ill qncslion at is.-ue, anil hate in their favour a parly hv mlii.li their rebellion, if not successful, will be saved from the risk of cosily expiation. Such are their opinions professed in ei'ery form— expressed in every speech, and, doubtless, ci.nlirmtd by some oi the accidents oT war. Jt is impossible, then, to live Willi them side by side, but upon condition that this opinion, so lillle flattering to ourselves, so ensnaring to the natives, is linsillv al.andon.-d. Hefore -New Zealand is Mirrci.deivd liy the Uritish nation it may hev.oilli while l< r statcHiH U lo consider what she is worth ? Ihe .Vustra.asian colonies have never cost England a shilling, cxiept for her penal purposes. 'J he people p:iy « il bout him grudging lor ihe military who are actually employed in their local servi.e. l'i <an le.uiih be :di,lined that ihe naval prole, lion of Australian u'mmcnr is not at the same lime Ihe protection ol I'-iiyhsh capital and rumincree 100. The loloiuMs haw. llu-ii, h\ I heir own industry and out ol their own nsources, made Australia what she is. 'Ihe same would have been the ease at Sew /..-aland, but for ibe presence ol ihe -Maori inhabitants. England rightly placed over them her shield, but at the same time encouraged t lie settlement oilier iliilish subjects. The value of-New Zealand, lakingit all in all, is not to be estimated In ai-ilhinclii al ligures. There is a grand sliatcgelival posil.-n which may one liav or other auiil largely in the genoral defence. 'J here i< a "real highway ol commerce where Britiah „,„„!, „,-,., Hit l> increasing abundance and almost ex."u.siv.ly deposited or (iiTi.-iuiied. Every xciir will iniTca.-etlie \alue of that important eoiinlry. Were the ipii-siion simply the resignation of a lew thousand acres of land, or flic saci nice ol a point of honour lo iibjeelion; bul he must be stoue-blmd wb'o docs not see I hut Kew Zealand is a part of the Uril.-li Knipire inniiiiivirri v moiv valuable than niaiiv others ihe con.piesi ami prescrvat ion of which have cost. Eiighiiiu\ in lornier times millions of money ami thousands ol lives. It is our linn hclieflhat Immunity and economy -ihe interests of the natives and of the colonists—all point lo Ihe importance of ellecling the final submission of Ihe aborigines anil converting them into friends h here they would be otherwise Iho confederates of enemies. ' And this should be done by the forces of the Empire at large and the responsiile servants of the Crown who can only have power lo bring the war to a close, and independence sullicient when it shall terminate to secure the execution of justice in mercy.