The New Zealand Herald. AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, MAY 8, 1869.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VI, Issue 1704, 8 May 1869, Page 4

The New Zealand Herald.

AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, MAY 8, 1869.

SI'IX'TH.MUK AGENDU. • Give every man tliino ear, but few thy voice Take each man's censure, but reserve thy jmUjicent Tliis above all,—To thino own tell be true And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then bo false to any man."

If there be one time more than another when we nned to be diffident as to our prowess in dealing vrith the Maori it is when we enter upon diplomatic arrangements with him. In all such cases, hitherto, he has been more than a match for us, and it will be well if at the present time we act cautiously. There has been much talk of peace at the late meeting at Hangatiki, but, beyond mere talk, nothing has been done. Tho action of the king, indeed, and those with him, is open to more than one construction. In the first place, as regards the professions of peace, these go no further than the determination that war shall not be carried into the "Waikato. Those who desire a little more fighting are simply told that they must not carry it on in Waikato, that they must, take themselves off to tho Bast or \Vest Coasts. If this is what the Maori king understands as a national peace, we confess to holding a contrary opinion. It looks to us very much like a declaration of peace between two powers, tho one continuing to issue letters of marque to its subjects to destroy the commerce of the other. If the king means peace, he must speak, not merely for those of his people residing around Jvawhia and Tokangamutu, but for*every tribo and liapu acknowledging his sovereignty throughout the island. Unless he does this, he lays himself open to tiie suspicion that he is but temporising to preserve the much-valued lands aroir.id ICawhia and the lakes; and it would really seem that some such motive is at work. The movements of Col. 'Whitmorc, and the known intention of the Government to concentrate a force in the neighbourhood of Taupo, have carried consternation into the Maori camp, and must be met by u counteracting move on their part. Such a movement is the 1 empty cry of peace and peaeel'il intentions of the 'King and his party. Iu may cause the Government to abandon what cannot but be a cost!}' position. It may cause I he Assembly, lulled into a false state ofsecurirv, to refuse the moans for carrying out. p.neh ft plan ; or, if such plan be carried out by Government and Assembly, it may exempt the lands of the King party around Kawhia from confwcation, and their owners from the consequence of open rebellion, while all the iima the colony is being harrassod on the "Hast Coast, or at Wanganui, with hostile forces and funds supplied by those who profess such friendly intentions towards us JJut there; is another and somewhat curious phase in ihe present proceedings of the King party, and that is the dosh'e to open up communications with the loyal or friendly • natives, professedly for the purpose of estab-

listing a basis of peace for the whole island ; but really, as was the ease at the late-meet-ing—when 3sewi told the Kupapas that they were all floating at sea, and recommended them to come to dry land at Tokangamutu — to draw them over to , the King movement. .Nor is this proselytism confined to the Waikato friendlies only as its object; the Arawas are to be consulted, and emissaries of the King, as is well known, have been busy among the Northern natives. There js already a desire amongst these 1 latter to confer with the King party, and a J request has been forwarded to the Government at "Wellington, by leading chiefs of the Ngapuhi and Earawa tribes, asking for permission for some 400 of their men to visit the King, and at, we believe, the Government expense. The King, we also learn from other sources, intends to summon all the natives of Hauraki to sec what their opinion is in reference to peace or war—messengers, we arc informed, having started for this purpose since the breaking up of the great meeting of the 26th ult. There is also a determination, we believe, to resist the survey of the land at Aroli a, which has lately been passed through the Native Lands Court, should such survey be attempted. All these matters considerably qualify the very pacific professions made —as far as words go—at the late meeting at Hangitiki. So far, then, from being in a position to sit down with folded arms, believing that peace is already, or about to be at once secured, we have need of more than extra caution and wariness. The Maoris are keenly alive to the value and meaning of any piece of strategy, and can, doubtless, plainly see the drift and result of our occupying a central position in force. It is clearly their intention not to give up the king movement, or, otherwise, the first and most ostensible guarantee that they could have given of the reality of their friendlv professions would have been their renunciation of kingism. There has been no movement or intention expressed bhat it was resolved to give up the murderers, one of the most barbarous of whom, Kereopa, on whose head as the murderer of Mr. Volkner and others, the Government has long set a price, was actually present and taking a leading part in the late meeting. While kingism remains a Maori institution, and so long as the murderers of our settlers and their families are. harboured and protected from the sword of justice, any understanding that may be arrived at can mean nothing but a hollow truce. Any peace which we may make on such terms can be but the prelude to a more general and sanguinary struggle. And the present is just the time when we might naturally expect a change in the enemy's tactics. There is a lull in the warlike proceedings on either coast, the Government is giving evidence of making a sure aud decisive move, and the Assembly is on the point of meeting. Now, if ever, is the time when to lull us into a false state of security would be the height of diplomatic ability on the part of the Maori, while secretly the friendlies were being canvassed for a final effort to be made, when, under the disadvantage of a peace footing and unprepared for the blow, we should, become an easier prey. Mr. Stafford, says the Cross, has written to Tawhiao to come down to Ngaruawahia and meet the Duke of Edinburgh. We are curious to know whether, if such message really has been sent—and, considering the authority, we give little credence to the statement — Mr. Stafford has invited Tawhiao as a subject of Queen Victoria, or as a king, setting up hi 3 authority against hers. Whichever it be, either Tawhiao or the Duke will be placed iti a false position. We should like it to be distinctly understood which is to be so placed.