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New Zealand Herald, Issue 6568, 5 December 1882, Page 4

The step to be taken by the Government —as announced by us in another column by the occupation of Kawhia and Mokac 13 the inevitable consequence o! Wahan ui's contemptuous treatment of Mr. Bryce s letter. In former years, when ) the Kingites saw fit to reject the overtures made to them, all thing 3 remained as they were, and both parties reverted quietly to the old position, the Kingites satisfied t hat at any time when the tide threatened to rise too high, they could say—-'Thus lurther shalt thou go, and no further," aud the Europeans waitiug for a mi>re convenient season. But the position of the colony, and the possibility of making wholesome and merciful arrangement , 1 or the native themselves, all combine to the only question now to be put ti- the natives, " How will you have it ]* The Government are bound to go straight forward, taking care to do no "• rongrul act, and in reality saving the native from the consequences of their own folly. Our impression is that the course propose,l to be adopted will be successful. We believe that the great majority of the Kingitos are anxious for the opening of the country, and will be glad to see it forced upon them. We doubt whether, with the exception of those who are conscious that they have offended against the law. thero are any who will regret measures being taken to free them from what has become a burdensome yoke. We believe that even the knot of leading chiefs will not bo grieved at being forced to accept the inevitable. They would rather save their consciences by yielding to what they cinnot help, than accept a bargain or proposal which they believe involves a loss of dignity m the acceptance of it. That is the nature of the iliori mind. According to the, strictest Maori ideas, wo have a perfect rijjht to deal with this piece of land at Xawhis, which ha 3 been European property for soma thirty or forty years. The channels of the Kawhia harbour will be buoyed, and thus we shall have at once, on the West Coast, a harbour o£ refugs.. We presume that the Native .Minister will not seek again to open up negotiations with the Kingite3, but will simply go on his course, leaving thein to take tha initiative in any proposals they may have to make. The desperadoes, such as Te Kooti, are tho most dangerous and diilicult persons to deal with. From no others have we any anticipation of resistance, and their power amounts to very little.