The Invercargill Times FRIDAY, JUNE 19,1863.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 65, 19 June 1863, Page 2

The Invercargill Times FRIDAY, JUNE 19,1863.

The news from Taranaki is sad — very sad — because it evidences the blood thirstiness and treachery of those whom the philanthropists of Exeter Ball call our "dark brethren," — because it evidences the futility of the policy of conciliation which has hitherto been pursued, and shows that the teaching of the missionary has had little practical efFect in taming the savage; and, above all, opens up a dark vista of trouble to the present generation, and will leave a very harrassing debt on the one to come. We will first inquire into rhe policy that is being pursued, next into the justice of that policv. The first element of the present policy is the philanthropic, advocated by the missionaries, with tliy Right Rev. Lord Bishop Selwyn at their head, whose doctrine is, "Am not I a man and a brother;" — who declare that the seed is sown in pood ground, and that any little peccadillo, such as stealing a bullock or tomahawking an European, should be looked upon as venial when committed by one whom they have had the honor and glory of receiving into their Hock. Lord Byrou declares Sir T. Malcolm stated that " the missionaries had only made six converts at Bombay in his time, and that even this black little flock farsook their shepherds when the rum was out.'' Rum, in Bombay ; blankets, in New Zealand. This seems a severe satire on the praiseworthy endeavors of those who seek to make proselytes in heathen lands, but lias not bitter experience proved its truth 1 What has the teaching of missionaries done in India? It has taught the Hindoo to eat beef and get drunk to scoff at the faith of his fathers — old gentlemen who, at any rate, did not get drunk on brandy, that being a spiritual consolation denied by their religion, such as it was. What have the missionaries taught the New Zealander ? To quote Scripture in extenuation of crime — to sully God's word by mouthing it in palliation of murder. Recent events hare shown the weak hold the missionary has, even ou those who were looked upon us the most civilised and

promising of converts. Even these have driven them away, charging theiP with being spies of the government, atfu* the missionary, though indignantly dePjin^ [ the fact, has not been believed bj his flock. The rum has run out. -We would not for one moment cast a slur e* ll the calling of the missionary. All honor, to the man who, leaving comfort and care behind, joyfully encounters peril and hardship, content if he can but gather one sheep to his roaster's fold. But let him not meddle in matters of temporal policy, not incite to insubordination and rebellion those he fancies be has christianized, and, instead of pharasaically seeking to stir up the troubled waters, let him rather, by faithfully pursuing his vocation, seek to pour oil on them. The policy of Sir George Grey lias been throughout what Exeter Hall would call philanthropic,— the philanthropy of sugar-plums. Bid the child cry, its mouth was stopped with plums— did it turn restive, it had sugar on its bread. Being a sensible chi'd and admiring the treatment, it took every advantage of it. Exeter Hall was delighted, and pointed exultingly to the model colony, — the model Governor I The Constitution Act came ii.to operation, and Sir George, wise man, foreseeing that the sugar-plum regime was over, retired on his laurels. Shortly afterwards the philanthropic policy began to bear fruit — discord is fanned by those whose mission it is to teach ' peace. The Rijrht Rev. Lord Bishop | Selwyn stands forth as the defender of the Christianised savage. True, a boy or two has been murdered, but it is only a momentary relapse into their aboriginal habits. A tiger cat, however well tamed, would forget iiseU when stroked the wrong way ; let the fault lie with those who di I not stroke it the right way. Let our white brethren be sacrificed, but by all means let us prot-ct and fondle our neophyte black brethren. Thus, Governor Hro-vn is blamed for the errors of his predecessor. Exeter Hall and philanthropy requires the recall of the mode! Governor. He comes, but the evils of the former policy have taken too deep root for even his skill. He tries back — the cat is stroked the right way. Oar white brother is insulted, abused, and his property stolen. He applies for redress, but gets none ; and is further informed that he must not seek to redress himself. A few soldiers are murdered — Waitara is given up ! It is suddenly discovered we have been doing an act of injustice, and immediately restitution is made. True, the settlers of Tarauaki have obtained no restitution for homts burnt, the labor of years destroyed, children killed, &c, but they are only our white brethren — Exeter Hall cares not for them — philanthropy shudders at their importunity. We would not in any way embarrass the Governor in the present crisis, but we cannot help being surprised that a man of such intellect as air George Grey — one so well acquainted with the Maori character — should not see the utter fallacy of t'.ie policy of conciliation. To the Maori mind such a course is indicative of weakness or fear. It elicits no spirk of gratis ude, for he proudly considers he has wrenched it from the pakeha through dreud of his peo.vess, not that it has beer, given to him through a sense of justice or feelings of humanitv. He is boiind by no oath — what would be the use of his cunning could he not at convenience slip through its trammels. His ever ready ingenuity and tacile conscience supplies him with arguments taken from his priestly u-acliLM-s, and he will, with equal ease, tomahawk a pakeha, and quote Scripture in deiencd of the acr. The mo->t intelligent, cunning, and sensiolc of all the savage tribes the European has come in contact with, the Maori, knows and ackn )wledges but one argument — force. Boat into him the conviction that the wh.te man is anil can be hi* master, and he will acknowledge it at once. lie is too sensible not to be aware of the advantages to be derive;! from association with the white race ; but let him ciearly understand that it is to the white man's generosity howes those advantages, not that ihe white in in is a settler on sufferance. This can only be done by convincing him of the white man's superiority, a course which will, in the end, prove the mo^t elective. Lord M.-.cau]ay says, in one of ilis essays, that it is undoubtedly more humane to exterminate one hundred thousand men, than it is to misgovern a people for years. We have no hesitation in saying' that the North Island lias been misgoverned for years. The policy of conciliation has been a disastrous one for the Maori as well as the European. The latter feels its effects now ; the former will feel it in the future. Let the European be once thoroughly aroused ; let him be incited to action by every tie man holds dear ; by the proud name of an Englishman, to prove that he is no coward ; by the love of z home which he has carved i out for himself with trouble and care, I and which he sees destroyed before his eyes ; by ihe love of wife and children murdered or carried away from him ; by the thirst of vengeance loug delayed ; and then there will be War to the knife— a grand death-struggle between the white man and the Maori. There can be little doubt which will conquer, and all the howlings of Exeter Hal], and the lamentations of liis lordship the Bishop, will not avail to stop those who, by the imbecility of their rulers, by the " blankets for land" policy of men who wear the garments of religion, have been driven to protect themselves. If we must have philanthropy, let U not be the philanthropy of sugar-pluins, but of grape. [The above article was in type previous to the receipt of the last news from, the North.]