THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1873.

New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 2906, 22 May 1873, Page 2

THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1873.

Que advices from Waikato all point in the one direction: The women and children arc coming into Cambridge from Mr. Firth's run. at Matamata; and the men employed in drainage works by Mr. Cox, have also come in. Recruiting for the .cavalry is going on, and many of the settlers have joined. Mr. Mackay has left Alexandra with a party to select a site for a redoubt on the frontier line, between Alexandra and Kihikihi, and it is supposed that a position at Pukekura will be selected. Arms and ammunition are being forwarded to the front by the Government. On the other hand, the Kingites have not been idle. Arms and am munition are in course of collection by them, supplies of which are said to be obtained from the Thames by way of I the Piako. They are reported also to be engaged fortifying positions for defence purposes ; and from their skill in constructing field-works and pas, we have no doubt that in a very short time they will present a formidable front to any advancing force.

Our "Wellington telegram is more important than any that comes from Waikato. "We have Mr. Mackay's interpretation of Eewi's letter, the substance of which wo published and commented upon yesterday. It will be seen that our view of Eewi's letter was correct. The letter was intended as the answer of tho King to Mr. Mackay's demands, and did not represent Kewi's ideas. The complicity of the King in the proceedings of Purukutu is, therefore, clearly proved. He is an accessory after the fact both in rcspect of this murder, the butchery of Todd, and the "White Cliffs massacre, and should ho ever fall into the hands of the civil power, he must be held to answer for his conduct.

Kewi's opinions are stated by Mr. Jlaclcay to be at variance with those of the King and Manuhiri. lie advised the surrender of the murderers, and stated that ho would nut fight in a quarrel arisiug out of murder ; that he would withdraw to Kopua and plant wheat, leaving the King to maintain the struggle alone. And in pursuance of this resolution, we are informed that he has sent eighty of his people to Kopua, to prepare for cultivation, and is to follow himself in a day or two. Eewi has also written to the Native Minister disclaiming all complicity in the murder, at the same time intimating his intention of remaining quiet.

These facts are too important to be passed without a word of comment. Eewi is anxious to save himself and his people during the impending struggle; and in this he is simplypursuing the hereditary policy of Ngatimaniapoto. His sincerity we do not doubt; but we may fairly question the wisdom of taking him at his own word If Eewi would go a step farther, and come within our lines with his people, and remain on such lands as might be assigned to him until the trouble is at an end, subject to police supervision, we should have a material guarantee of his sincerity; but no such guarantee exists so long as he remains outside our lines and maintains communication with the Kingites. The Kopua settlement may, therefore, serve two purposes. It will be pointed to by Eewi and his people as evidence of their neutrality ; while it will serve as a camp of observation for Tawhiao and his followers, who may fight us on Ngatimaniapoto territory, should the affair bo pushed to that issue. This view of the case may be a hard one, but it is-*one that must suggest itself to anyone who considers the motives that influence Eewi, his surroundings, and his sympathies. At the same time, it is no slight matter to have Eewi openly expressing his dissent from the King and Manuhiri, and communicating direct with the Government, and we should be slow to cast a doubt upon his good faith. But " blood is thicker than water and that race-sympathy which ia expressed in this proverb may, under I

the pressure of circumstances, impel Eewi to cast in his lot with Tawhiao, as it led Commodore Browning and his American sailors to disregard his country's treaty with China, and open fire on the Peiho forts in support of Sir James Hope. Again, we say, we do not doubt Rewi's sincerity; but we doubt whether he can maintain a strict neutrality, domiciled at Kopua, while his fellow-countrymen are striking their last blow, on his tribal soil, for the independence and supremacy of his race.

That this aspect of the case is not over-strained will also be apparent from a portion of Mr. Mackay's explanation of Rewi's opinions, as expressed at the Kuiti meetiug. Rewi stated " distinctly and publicly that " he would take no part in any fight- " ing arising out of murder. If " Waikato had said, ' Let us fight "'for the land,' he would have " fought." Now, that is precisely what Waikato does say. Tawhiao has said it unmistakably ; Manuhiri has repeated it times aud again ; and the Kingites maintain that the murders of Todd within the confiscated block, aud of Sullivan beyond it, were simply incidents in the long "fight for the " land" which they have made. Indeed, the fact that Rewi's protest, and the demands of friendly chiefs who went to Te Kuiti, were unavailing, proves pretty conclusively that the settled policy of the bulk of the Kingites ia to make another effort to recover their possessions.

Iu conclusion, we are glad to state that, so far as we have any means of judging, the Government are doing everything thoy possibly can to meet the emergencies of the case. Ghreat latitude should be given to them. There is no room to doubt their intention and ability to repress Maori outrage, and establish the> supremacy of the law in New Zealand. It is for the people to lend them assistance iu this direction, postponing criticism until the facts are fully before the public.

We alluded, in a previous issue, to a telegram from Wellington, giving the substance of a leading article which appeared in the Independent, commenting on tho tone of Auckland opinion relative to the murder of Timothy Sullivan. The following is the article in question ; and our readers will perceive that it deservedly called forth the remarks we made regarding it: —

We bare noticed with great satisfaction that the Auckland papers, with one exception, have ' taken very properly a moderate toue in their discussions of the recent outrage in the Wai- i kato. But it appears from our telegrams that popular excitement is getting the better of sober reason, and that there is a disposition to precipitate another native war. The clamorous demand that the Government | should, at all risks, undertake the capture of Sullivan's murderers vi et armis, would, if complied with, inevitably plunge the colony into another war. We may sympathise with the frontier settlers who have been alarmed by the late outrage, and make allowances for their crying out for revenge; but there can be no consideration shown to these who, by exciting the public mind and making demonstrations suoh as that which has taken place at the Thames, would not hesitate to provoke a disastrous breach of the peace. Now, what does the braggadocio of the Thames orators mean ? It means simply this: that if tho Government was weak enough to giro way to such clamor and take the violent steps proposed for the arrest of Sullivan's murderers, within a very short time instead of one murder we should henr of scores. Every outsettler's family would bB at the mercy of the native banditti, who would at once pounco upon undefended outlying settlements. Is the colony prepared to run this undoubted risk ? Surely not, and it is nothing short of a crime to encourago tile fireeating agitation which is being got up in Auckland. It is absolutely untrue that Sullivan's murder wos either incited or approved of by the King party. Purukutu had a great personal grievance in his own opinion. He had an undoubted right to a share of the land which his countrymen had leased to Walker and. Douglas, although he by his own act shuL himself out from participating in its disposal. He siuiply refused to recognise the jurisdiction of the Native Lands Court, and, native-like, took the law into his own hands. Sullivan's murder is perfectly intelligible, and 110 doubt tho offenders should be punished ; but tho colony is not to bo plunged into war for tho purpose of securing them. Wo can well afford to wait the issue of events. Wo were a long time in avenging Volkner's murder, but it was avenged, and the murderer of Sullivan will meet his deserts sooner or later. It is not only childish in tho highest degreo, but absolutely damaging to the colony, that the murdor of a single man by natives should be raised to tho position of a casus belli. No ono knows better than tho demagogues at the Thames, that in attempting to capture Purukutu and his bund by force of arms wo should inovitubly drag other natives into tho matter. The ties of relationship would of themselves involve other natives, whilst there is also tho certainty that such action would bo seized upon as an opportunity by the worst disposed of tho tribes for plunder and bloodshed. The Government are as anxious and as desirous as anyono that the murderers of Sullivan should be captured, and every effort is being made for that purpose. In this instance diplomacy is far better than bluster, and wo hope that tho public of the colony will loudly denounce tho action taken at the Thames. No possible step mora likely to defeat tho purpose in view could have been taken than that pursued by the Thames people. But thev have another and, to them, much more powerful motive—and that is the opening of the Ohinemuri district, in the efforts to secure which they would long sgo have without any hesitation provoked another native war had the Government not interfered.

It is really deplorable to find that a newspaper published at the seat of Government, and possessing unusual facilities for ascertaining the exact facts, should publish such a tissue of mis-statements regarding Sullivan's murder. " It is absolutely untrue " (the Independent states) that Sulli- " van's murder was either incited or " approved by the King party." At first, this was supposed to be the case. It is now absolutely certain that Purukutu was acting under instructions from Tawhiao and his council, not to kill any particular person, but generally to " beat," i.e. kill, any pakeha he found working beyond the confiscated boundary. But the Independent appears to think that a Maori has only to refuse to recognise the jurisdiction of the Native Lands Court to justify him murdering any one he may find upon the laud which he may claim. After a Crown grant has issued to other claimants, who prove their title in the Court, and dispose of their land to Europeans, the contumacious native, it ap-

pears, is justified in tilling the first European lie meets on the land. This is a very dangerous doctrine, but we have it, in black and white, in the Independent. " Puru- " kutu had a great personal grievance, "in his own opinion. He had an un- " doubted right [this is a pure guess : " right not proved] to a share of the " land which his countrymen hadleased " to Walker and Douglas, although he, " by his own act, shut himself out from "participating in its disposal. He " simply refused to recognise the juris- " diction of the Native Lands Court; " and, native-like, took the law into his " own hands." What law P Really we must press the Independent for an explanation of this point. If Purukutu is simply carrying out the law, by shooting, decapitating, and disembowelling a man against whom he had no eaase of quarrel, simply " because, in his own opinion, he had a " great personalgrievauce "againsthis own Maori relations, then it is high time steps were taken to repeal the law and restrain its execution. If this should lead to war, well and good: better war than the legal system of private executions which the Wellington Independent views with so much complacency. But our mild protest appears to have been telegraphed to Wellington, aud the Independent comments upon the criticism of the Auckland and Thames paperß at some length. " These " telegrams, " quoth the Independent, " if they really represent the opinions " of the Auckland papers referred to, " fully justify the remarks we made." Our contemporary will have seen our remarks by this time, which speak for themselves ; meanwhile, there is nothing in the following telegram to justify our contemporary's article: —

The Herald strongly denounces the Independent's article respecting the Thames meeting. It says if ohe miners were not law-abiding people they might have rushed Ohinemuri loug ago, and the Government would have been powerless to prevent them.

We shall not vindicate anything except whatappeared in our own columns. Our contemporaries are well able to take care of themselves; but we totally dissent from the following, which the Independent publishes in reply to us :—

The Herald' 3 defence is most unfortunate. It has never been shown that the native owners o'<" tho Ohinemuri district have ever molested the miners in any way. They have simply declined to have their landß overrun by Europeans in the searoh for gold ; and yet the Hbbald plainly admits that the miners have been only restrained from " rushing" the private lands of their neighbours by their respect for the law ! The matter might be very well put thus : A has refrained from picking B's pocket, not on account of any respect for the rights of property, but because the law Bays he must not do it, and that it will punish him if he does. It is only quite recently that the Government Ager.t at Auckland, Dr. Pollen, had to threaten with severe consequences miners who should be found trespassing without authority upon the lands of the Ohinemuri natives, and but for the action of the Government a collision would long ago have occurred, that might have led to far worse consequences than the solitary murder which has occasioned so much ferment.

It is unnecessary to say that the construction put upon our words is unfair. The Independent attacked " the Thames people," in these words : " But they have another, " and to them much more powerful " motive, [than the capture of Suili- " van's murderers,] and that is the " opening of the Ohinemuri district, " ill the efforts to secure which they " would long ago have, without hesita- " tion, provoked another native icar had " the Government not interfered.'" In reply to that vile calumny upon a whole community, we stated that if the Thames people had desired to rush Ohinemuri district they could have done so long ago, and that the Government would have been powerless to prevent them. And we repeat our statement.

"We shall not follow our contemporary into the argument that respect for the law of the land and respect for tho rights of property, —that is, for the rights of others, —are essentially different. We had always supposed that they were identical. But we live and learn. "We quote the Independent's argument, however, as a comment upon his previous article. In the one case, the respectable European inhabitants of the Thames are held up to public execration, because they respect tho law, which says " Thou slialt " not steal; while Purukutu is paraded as a deserving type of Maori, " because he simply took " the law into his own hands," and disembowelled a white man, on account of some imaginary grievance with his tribe, in contravention of another ancient statute, which says: " thou shalt do no murder.

It is a pity the Independent is supposed to bo the mouthpiece of the Government, because we are satisfied the articles we reprint do not represent the views of Ministers. At all events they are repugnant to public sentiment in this province; and our contemporary will take nothing by quoting the Lijttelton Times, whose antipathy to Auckland and the North Island is only too well known. The Lyttelton Times remarks : —

Tho telegram in another column, re native affairs, produces tho impression that certain people ia the North Island desire nothing so much as another Maori war. Those who re ad this telegram carefully will also ask themselves how it happens that Mr. Mackav iB in such close communication with men who, according to the tenor of his own message, were about to meot for the purpose of condemning the action of the Government. Tho suspicion that the Maoris are again being used for political purposes is strengthened. It is to bo hoped, for the credit; of the colony, that it will not be confirmed. A war, however congenial to some and unprofitable to others, would be disastrous alike to the North and South, but more especially to the latter, which would have to pay by far the larger share* of the bill, and at the same time incur great loss from its public works being retarded.

Tho Independent concludes in these words :—" There is, we hope, sufficient " good sense in Auckland to enable " the sober-minded portion of the " population to overcome the efforts " of an intemperate and reckless mob " to precipitate another native war." We may state, for his information, that " the reckless and intemperate mob " of which he,speaks, consists of every

man of judgment and character in this province.

We direct the attention of the ratepavers of Auckland to the report of the meeting of the Domain Board, which appears in another column. The question of water supply came up, and owing to the fact that the Superintendent and Mayor were at variance regarding material facts, the further consideration of the matter was postponed for a fortnight. It will be seen that we anticipated the recommendation of the Select Committee, Messrs. Kissling and Mitford, with regard to tbe terms on which they recommended a lease of the water supply to the Provincial G-o----vernment. Wo have once more to protest against granting a lease, as unfair to the ratepayers of Auckland and equally unfair to the Domain trust. We have already stated j our reasons for this opinion, and we have heard nothing which could cause ns to modify them. There is one point, however, to which we should refer, and that is the constitution of the Board. We have the Superintendent presiding at the Domain Board, with a deliberative and casting vote—in other words, voting with both bands in the interest of the Provincial Government; and the Mayor, with one vote, exercising it in the interest of the city ; while the remaining members of the Board present with one exception, have run so 1 long in official traces that it is next to impossible to get an independent expression of opinion from them. They are careful not to offend dignitaries ; and the Superintendent being the greatest potentate at the Board, overshadows their intellect, ana receives their homage. A little fresh blcod and ideas is very much required at the Domain Board. It is intensely respectable no doubt, but it is imbued with the spirit of old fogeyism to an absurd degree.