History Repeats Itself.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2817, 20 June 1900, Page 3

History Repeats Itself.

We have been shown a miniature reprint of the second number of the Wellington “Evening Post” of February 9th 1865, and our attention was drawn to the leading article, on the Maori war, with the remark that with change of names it might have served for the early stages of the war in South Africa. The article is as follows:

“ We lately read with mixed feelings of disgust and astonishment that a strong body of British troops had been attacked by a horde of badly armed barbarians, and cut down while standing to their arms. Why we were all so surprised is a mystery. The Maori warrior has never shown himself a contemptible foe. From the commencement of the Anglo-Maori war, when Held surprised and overcame the settlement Kororarika,; on how many occasions have they shown j th t they area war-like nation, their I warriors bold and active,and their chiefs full of cunning ; with the heart to dare, ! the head to plan, and .the hand to do the boldest achievements. Again, we had a another lesson, and should have learned to respect their prowess, when a force of 510 men of the 58th, 93th, and 99th Kegiments, an artillery officer, volunteers from the Auckland militia, armed with two 121 b howitzers,' two six-pounders, and a 32-pounder from H.M.S., Hazard, attempted to carry the Qhaiowai Pah, and miserably failed, as one of the officers present on the occasion himself said, “In ten minutes all was over”. One third of the FJnglish force had bitten the dust; the remainder recoiled baffled, from what they called the absolutely impregnable stockade! We might multiply instances—the well-known Gate Pah business, and many others, wherein we have failed, with all our military knowledge,and advantages either to conquer or defend ourselves from the desultory forays of undisciplined babarians. It seems incredible-but it is, alas! too true. How is it? biraply t ns: we are not a military nation. Our generals are too tied down and trammelled to run in a certain groove that they canI not move out oi; red-tapeism forb ds. I Our system acts Uncommonly well in civilised warfare, but no one will attempt Ito say the New Zealand campaign all through reflects any great credit, on the British army. We must not be misconstrued into accusing its members of showing the white feather;' nothing

can be more daring than the manner in which these gallant fellows have done their duty. Strip the red-tape, relax their discipline to the .degree that they will have better sense 1 than to stand like dummies under the. hatchets and m» res of their opponents because they have not received the order to move; give the officers power to move out of the beaten track, to use their own discretion a little, to be guided by circumstances, and they will soon be able to give a better account of their crafty foe."