NATIVE DIFFICULTIES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 709, 3 June 1879, Page 2

NATIVE DIFFICULTIES.

" He who wrongs another is responsible not only for " the wrong he does, but for any perversion of " sentiment that may occur." [To tlia Editor of the Hbbald.] Sir, — I regreted to see in your leader of yesterday the following sentence : — " In the North Island the Maori mind has been demoralised by European Repudiationists, who, for mere lucre, seem to care not whether what they are doing will lead to bloodshed, disaster, and evilß innumerable. It would be well if Parliament could deal with these men as traitors to their country, &c, and whose punishment should be exile or j imprisonment." Had you not used the term " Repudiationisls," which I believe is the synonym for Mr. Rees and party (why I don't know, but I suppose it serves as a distinction), I should have said nothing ; for men who could act as your leader suggests would be certainly deserving of punishment and the blame resfs with you if they are not punished. As I believe, from subsequent paragraphs, that the portion quoted of your leader, is directed against Mr. Rees, you j will, perhaps, pardon my asking a little i space to reply. Firstly— Then I am not at all clear that the present Native trouble at Taranaki has anything to do with so-called Repudiation. On the contary, I believe it to be purely a Maori matter, emanating entirely from the Natives themselves in consequence of acts of the late Government. Secondly — As concerning any differences between the Europeans and Natives here, so far there is not a great deal for the Europeans to complain of. If anything not strickly legal lias been done, it remains to be shown that it was the result of competent advice ; and I am in a position to state, that where anything, (such as the occupation of Harrison's woolshed) has been unadvisedly done, Mr. Rees and those in his employment, have at once discountenanced the same. That the Natives here have a great deal to complain of must be obvious to anyone who understands, or is at all acquainted with the subject. Commence with the issuing of the Crown Grants, are they not idtra vires ? Did not the deed of cession promise to return their lands to those persons who should prove their claims ? And were those lands so returned ? I think no one will be hardy enough to say they were. How about joint tenancy — was such a tenure ever heard of amongst Maoris ? Is it just? The whole matter of the deed of cession, and the subsequent awards, the Crown Grants with their many errors, is one tissue of, to say the least of it, wrong by misadventure, with a complication of mistakes. It is the very common error of most people to suppose that a Crown Grant must be infallible ; not so. There are instances in the Bay, of grants appearing in error and being rescinded, and there are many remaining, having defects more or less glaring ; and having, in common with all, the great injustice of joint tenancy. After these wrongs came sales, mortgages, and leases,, with all their concomitant abuses, to which the Natives have been obliged patiently to submit, without hope of redress till the present. Seeing then, that they have been persistently injured, both by the Government, and by private persons, it is not at all to be wondered at that their patience should be somewhat exhausted ; but it would be utterly and wilfully false to say that there is the slightest danger to the peace of the Bay. Who those persons are, whom you say are "exciting to deeds of violence, " I am at a loss lo conjecture. I have never heard of any such persons, and do not believe they exist ; but if they do, I think you should put us on our guard against them, and either name them, or, for ever hold your peace. That such advice U given by those persons here whom you call Repudiationists is simply false, and I challenge you or any writer in your columns to give an instance. I perfectly agree with you, as to what Americans or Russians might do ; but I understand that violence and insecurity to life and property are not uncomman in some parts of America, and that the fountains of justice there are turbid, and I am informed that the Russians have been somewhat oppressive*' to the Poles, and othere ; and that persons who desire liberty, justice, or freedom, are usualy put out of the way. Its a playful little way they have, and doubtless done "pour eiicourager les autres,", but heaven forbid we should emulate any of these nations. Let us remain Englishmen — Englishmen, who espouse the cause of the weak, the wronged, the down-trodden. Englishmen who will endeavor to restore to the owner that which is wrongly come by. Englishmen, who will give justice and f airplay even at there own personal disadvantages. Not grasping Yankees who will do anything, and sell anything, for gain ; or intolerant Russians, who j destroy those who happen to disagree with them. Sir, as I have said, I regret that you should lead to the impression that the Natives are ill-disposed toward the whites here. It is not so ; they are much better-minded toward the Pakeha land purchasers that the latter are to them. So far as I* am aware, nothing has been done, or is counselled to be done, save those things which might be done, and frequently are done, by white men in the dispute of title to land. The Natives are advised by Mr. Rees to carefully restrict themselves to the four corners of the law, and I believe that they have done so, though I think I could name instances where Pakehas have allowed their tempers to overcome reason, and forbearance.

I would like to ask you, sir, whether there is no law, by which persons who incite to sedition, and conspire against the peace of the country, who, as you say, "are trators to their country, exciters to rebellion, enemies to the State, and foes to the land of their adoption, " can be got at and legally punished I—And1 — And if there be suoh law, why is it not put in force by information laid — 1 But these must be other, and very different, men from the socalled " Repudiationists," who are, for the most part, lawyers of ability and standing, and who are bold enough to speak out what they think, but who would not subject themselves to being struck off the Rolls. The conspirators, judging from what is now going on in Wellington, would appear to be composed of men of the other side entirely. These are the men who are responsible for any danger to the peace of the colony — they who wrong the Natives ; they who seek to obtain the Naboth's vineyard ; they who have put drink down the Natives' throats, and powder and guns in their hands, as a means to the desired end, never caring to what length drunkenness may carry them, or how those guns may be used. They who hunger and thirst after Native land, and whose motto in obtaining it is, "Recte si possint, si non, quscunque modo." How do you suppose the rebels at Waereuga-a-hika were found in ammunition 1 why, by a resident in the district, who sold them, the powder, and subsequently took a mortgage over their lands, or rather the lands of their relations, who honourably paid the same to the last farthing, to the tune of about £350 — the mortgage deed, for many reasons, not being worth the paper it was written on. I have it in my possession. How is it that Native sales and leases in the old days, conducted fairly between the parties, were never disputed by the Natives 1 There is no instance on record of Natives having broken faith on a Native lease, although it was perfectly illegal, and although other Pakehas incited them by offers of a higher rental to do so. Not at all ; as long as they were fairly dealt by, they kept faith ; but when fraud, and traffic on their vices, were used against them to deprive them of what they value as much as life, and what really was to them, their life, viz., their lands, it is but natural they should resent such treatment. I think, sir, we should remember thai this race is fast disappearing before us ; our vices, our steel and lead, our diseases, our very civilisation, all combine to remove them. We should remember their early hospitality ; the protection which our early settlers received against hostile tribes ; the bravery with which they have fought by our sides ; the indomitable courage and determination which they have exhibited against us, and remembering these things, mingled pity, gratitude, and admiration, should produce a more charitable state of mind towards a race whose extinction or disappearance as a race, is a men question of time. ' I must crave your pardon for having digressed from the subject, viz. Europeans counselling Natives to acti of violence and rebellion. I have said, I do not believe, such persons exist amongst so-called " Repudiationists. " All the hitter propose, or do, is to seel legal redress for certain wrongs which 3 know to exist. If there be other persons inciting the Maories to rebellion ; pro ceed against them, publish their names, and give particulars. But do noi suggest that persons who seek lega remedies shall be disabled by law ; oi treated after the American, or Russian, methods of suppresion, as (by inference] you do suggest. If the the Natives claims are bad, that badness will be amply apparent in a Court of law. Struggling to put them under disabilities will only make them more determind. Have the Natives not just as good i right to obtain professional assistance at the purchasers ; are not the Courts oi law equally open to them ? If they hav« wrongs to complain of, do not wish t< strike them dumb 1 I have no hesita tion in saying, that had the granteei been the same number of white men o: the same class, there would have beei fighting long ago. As a rule, th< Natives are very patient under wrongs and seldutn come to blows. I ha\e to crave your pardon foi taking so much of your space. I am &c, Interpreter.