NEW PLYMOUTH, APRIL 15, 1865. THE WAR.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 663, 15 April 1865, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH, APRIL 15, 1865. THE WAR.

The news of the progress of the war at Wanganui seems to be comprised chiefly in the seizure and occupation of Pipiriki. This post — no less than seventy miles up the river Wanganui — is a very important one, as the roads from the interior to the coast — from Waikato, Taupo, and the East Cape converge here. Indeed the country at the back of Wanganui is so rough and broken that for a considerable distance the river itself is the only- road used by the natives, and the occupation.of Pipiriki makes it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, for any hostile party of them to come from the interior to Waitotara; Wanganui, or Rangitikei, or once there to get back again. Though claimed by Hori Kingi and others of the friendly natives Pipiriki has been throughout the war in possession of Pehi Turoa. When the latter was released by the friendly natives after being captured at Houlniitahi he took the oath of allegiance, but as his son Topia, Tahana, and the rest of tue tribe would not, the Government very properly determined to take a pledge for their good behaviour. When the expedition came to be organized a difficulty arose a 3 to men, but, fortunately, just at the right moment the Ahuriri came in with the Military Settlers and Bushrangers on board from this place, having been unable to land them at Patea : they were immediately diverted for this service by Major Atkinson, who accompanied the expedition. The credit of this important and timely step is due to Sir George Grey, and to the Ministry as represented by Major Atkinson. The force, which was under the command of Captain Brassey. T.M.S., went up the river in canoes, and reached its destination without being opposed on Monday, the 3rd instant. Through the instrumentality of Major Nixon of the Wanganui Militia, who very pluckily went up alone beyond Pipiriki among the Pai Maiires for the purpose, old Pehi was brought down to meet Major Atkinson, and though highly indignant at what he called the intrusion, and the doubt it showed of his power to keep the peace of the river, he finally acquiesced. The place is said to be worth nothing except as a military post, small patches only of the land being fit for cultivation, but as a post its value is very considerable. A friendly chief who accompanied the expedition and highly approved of its object said " What is the use if you are fighting of hitting at a man's feet ? — if you want to kill him you must go to work at his stomach. Going along the coast as the General is doing is merely hitting the feet, but Pipiriki is the stomach." The effect of the move was very soon evident in the submission of forty waverers of Pehi's tribe who came in and took the oath. Topia, of course, would not after his interview with the Governor, but Tahana apparently was making up his mind to do it at the time the last news left, which was only the day following the occupation. Another satisfactory sign of the salutary effect it had had was the fact that immediately afterwards two or more friendly natives whose connection with the enemy had not been known, asked leave to go to Weraroa (the enemy's pa at Waitotara) as they wanted to bring away their sons who were there.

But it is not only in its effects on the natives that the occupation of Pipiriki is important. If what we have reported is true — and we have no doubt of the fact — it is certainly significant that a step so important as a military measure should have been taken without the cognizance

of the General ; and we can only intei'pret it as meaning that the Government has dedided on acting independently of the Commander of tho Imperial forces. Whatever the Auckland tradesmen may think of it, people here, who have seen what may be called the 'wrong side' of the war, will feel that tho time for such a course has fully como. It was well enough to accept the temporary continuance of Imperial help when the financial affairs of the colony were fonnd to bo in so deplorable a state aa they were in after Mr. Whitakcr and his colleaguea had emptied the treasury. But when Imperial help is proved to mean Imporial obstruction, why then the less we have of it the better. We have been accustomed to look upon Sir George Grey aa the great obstructive, and there is no doubt he has done hi 9 fair share in this as in other respects towards the ruin of the country, but it is only justice to him to say that, since the accession of the present Ministry, he has done well, his place in this particular department having been taken by General Cameron. If any proof of the latter fact is wanted, look at the Wanganui campaign, at the progress which 3000 men have made in three months. The- advanced portion of the army has travelled pvor about sixty miles during that time, partly along the beach, partly a little way inland the country being flat, the road always passable in summer time, and the numbor of the enemy perhaps about a fourth that of the troops. Or take the Taranaki campaign during the same period. Colonel Warro has been ready to act ; there havo been here the larger portion of two regiments, the 43rd and 70th, besides a large number of Military Settlers and others — not lessthan 2000 in all — and what has been done ? We will not attempt to answer this question, as our readers can do it as well for the mselves. But what has been the reason of the inaction ? Have all these men been overawed by the presence of fifty 6r sixty natives with William King at Kaipikari on the one side, and the same number of Taranakis at Kekewa, or wherever else they may now be, on the other side — natives who are as inferior tj us in arms a3 they are in numbers ? We must find some other reason than this for the peaceful nature of our operations here, and we venture to assert that if General Cameron had really meant to cjnquer the natives we should have seen a very different state of things here as well as at Wangauui. We say then again, what we and others have often said before, that the colony should at last begin to help itself. The troops have done us good service so far as they have been allowed to act ; they came at a time of need and have won many important victories ; nor is it any fault of theirs that these victories were not improved as they might have been. They deserve, therefore, the thanks of the colony, but it would be clearly suicidal to retain them at the price of abandoning all attempts at subduing the natives, or all but such as are sufficient to keep up irritation and distrust in their minds.