THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, AUGUST1, 1881.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6148, 1 August 1881, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, AUGUSTI, 1881.

T.~jf another- column we print a letter from ilr. Firth on the visit of Tawhiao i to "WaikatOj a subject on which he is entitled t&' speak, from his knowledge of the natives generally, and from his uaving had communications with the chiefs of the Kingites during almost the whole period of their isolation since the, close of the war in 1864. There has been very little discussion respecting the visit of Tawhiao to the European settlements, what has caused him to do a thing which was quite unexpected, and what the results may be to the colony. . Some two years ago, when Sir George Grey ms.de certain proposals to Tawhiao and his people, the subject was fully dwelt upon throughout New Zealand, but now there is a marked absence of interest shown in the event. To some extent -this may be due to reaction. The

public were then so thoroughly disgusted at Tawhiao's somewhat discourteous rejection of the offer made to him, respecting which expectation had run so high, that they gave up the whole problem as insoluble by the pakeha mind. The Government have taken up a somewhat similar attitude. No doubt Min-

isters are watching keenly what is taking place in "Waikato, but they have abstained from any interference. Major Mair, the Government officer in the district, accompanies the King, but from what has been said and done, it is evident that he acts more as a friend of Tawhiao's and the chiefs who are immediately around him than as an officer of the Government. Ministers did not even inform the House upon the subject till they were interrogated by a member, and they have never alluded to it since morely stating the fact. They have not exulted over it, nor have they claimed the slightest credit for bringing it about. They have given neither food nor lodging, and have in no way communicated with the Kingites since they crossed their aukati line. They have simply awaited the result. Probably it is best thus. The Hauhaus are suspicious of the Government, and fear their gifts as much as anyone in ancient times did the gifts of the Greeks. But they have cordially accepted the hospitality of the settlers, although those men are living an the lands of their ancestors, by the title of a confiscation which they have never hitherto acknowledged by word or deed. The fact that the Government have not asked Tawhiao to visit "Waikato, and have held out no bribe or inducement for him to come, leaves the Government entirely free in the future to do as they see meet.

It is needless to speculate on -what may be in the minds of Tawhiao and his counsellors in this visit to Waikato. The Maori mind seems to be radically different from that of a European in many respects. Experts, who might be expected to know all about it, invariably differ when they attempt to explain its mode of action. "What might be powerful motives for a European have no effect upon a Maori, and vice versa. It is consequently not easy to say with any certainty what has brought about the present visit, but we think of one thing we may be tolerably sure, namely, that it would not have taken place but for the way in which Rewi was dealt witli by Mr. Sheehan when he was Native Minister. Tawhiao himself, in the brief addresses he has spoken in Waikato, has thrown no light at all on the subject. He has, however, repeatedly said that he had corae because of his own desire. He has abstained from making any allusion to the position of the land, even in jSTgaruawahia, where the Maori King was first set up, where the great Kingite meetings were held, and which was regarded as the ' capital of Maoridom. - He has displayed no feeling of irritation at seeing his land occupied by strangers. "We- do not look upon this visit of ■ Tawhiao as indicative that the Kingites intend to abandon the isolation they have- hitherto maintained. They have done nothing to encourage that idea. But they mean peace and friendship, and these are no small boons. The colonists of Auckland have not thought much of the native difficulty, of late years, but it has been effective enough to our detriment for all that. It has undoubtedly prevented our receiving settlers and capital from the South, and the present event, cooperating with many other causes, will tend greatly to the increase of our prosperity. The native spectre has also had a frightening effect in England. It has deterred many of the best class of emigrants from the colony altogether, and many of those who did select New Zealand determined in favour of the South from knowing that Auckland had been, the chief theatre of war in the past, and was most exposed to any disturbance of the peace in the future. The greater confidence given in "Waikato, the lessening of the expenditure on Armed Constabulary, are valuable re-

suits gained without the expenditure of I anything on our part, or the sacrifice of any principle vre-have "been maintain; ing. For the first'time, the Hauhau? have practically acknowledged the confiscation of their land.