The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 1879.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 1478, 17 June 1879, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 1879.

Native affairs, according to the latest accounts; are looking particularly bad. The disaffection which has openly shown itself at Parihaka evidently spreads much farther than was at first supposed, and if hostilities should break oat on the West Coast the settlers would need to be on their guard at every exposed point m the North Island. We ex_plained_in a former article that, whenever the spirit of fanaticism seizes any section of the Maoris, it rapidly com'inunicates itself to other sections, iflnd niay at any moment be -found to have

gained a footing among tribes previously believed to be perfectly well . disposed. This seems already to be the case as respects the belief m Te Whiti's supernatural powers. Not only the natives dwelling m the neighborhood of that cunning rascal, or connected with his people by the ties of relationship, but others living far away on the East Coast, are more or less under his influence. In fact, the whole Maori race are becoming very unsettled and restless, and it would not take much to fan the smouldering embers of rebellion into a flame which would soon rage far and near. The unwillingness of the Ngatiporou to serve against Te Whiti Lis a very significant and a very disconfcerting sign. Colonel Wbitmore counted confidently upon the eager cooperation of that warlike and hitherto loyal tribe, and anticipated no difficulty m 'obtaining a thousand of them for immediate transport to the West Coast. In that expectation, however, he has been most seriously disappointed. The Ngatiporou are not by any means enthusiastic about fighting Te Whiti. Some of them do not care to leave their own country just now, fearing that there may be trouble there before they return, and that their ancient enemies of their own race may take advantage of their absence to invade their settlements. Others are undoubtedly imbued with the prevailing feeling of uncertainty as to what is coming, and are much more inclined to aid m a national movement for the expulsion of the Europeans, than to lend their services towards nipping it m the bud. Others again are sullen and indifferent, and have little sympathy with either Te Whiti or the Government. Major Ropata, chief of Ngatiporou, and one of the best fighting men m the country, is among this last class. He, like many others of the best natives, is disgusted by the manner m which the Premier and the Native Minister have been toadying the disaffected Waikatos, and feting Rewi, who has always been opposed to us. We foresaw long ago, indeed, that the childish policy pursued by Sir George Grey and Mr Sheehan towards the Queen's enemies, would inevitably inflame the jealousy and arouse the contempt of the loyal natives. It must naturally be very galling to a brave fellow like Ropata, who has fought with us and for us for years, and who with his people, was one of the most valuable allies m the campaign against Te Kooti, to hear of the Ministers hanging about Kopua for weeks, exchanging compliments with Te Kooti himself, making extravagant offers of friendship to an ill-conditioned savage like Tawhiao.and finally carrying Rewi off m a special train, to make as much fuss about him m Auckland as if he were a sovereign prince. The only conclusion which the natives can draw from such proceedings as these is, not only that it pays far better to be turbulent than loyal, but that the Government think a great deal more about natives who give them trouble and defy their authority, than about those who keep quiet and obey the law. The loyal natives on the East Coast, for instance, find themselves despoiled of their lands, and rapidly approaching a condition of miserable dependence. At the same time they see the Government guaranteeing absolute possession of vast areas of fertile land to the Ngatimaniapotos, the most inveterate rebels m the country, and promising to put their chiefs m a position of wealth and influence- equal if not superior to that of the leading European settlers. Is it any wonder that they bum with anger at such a contrast, or that they begin to harbor the thought of breaking with the Europeans, m order that they too may share m the shower of favors -which is the premium of obstinate and resolute rebellion ? We honestly believe that Mr Sheehan has done more'harm m the direction of offending the loyal natives, by his absurd pampering of Rewi than he could possibly have done good, if he had really gained that chief over to the cause of law and order. It must |be borne m mind, though, that he has not gained him over by a long way. Before Rewi's friendship can be counted on, the terms of it will have to be arranged ; and then will come the difficulty. For our own part, we are convinced that Rewi will surrender nothing that he has ever asked before, but that on the contrary, he will interpret the crouching attitude of the Government towards him to mean that he is to have his own way m all respects. At the feast at Orakei the other day, he made use of a remarkable expression on that subject. Speaking to the natives of their relations to the Government, he said they had "gained a good deal when they recovered the confiscated land at Waitara, but there was more to be gained yet." What did that mean P It meant simply that Rewi's ideas are very similar to Te Whiti's, the only difference being that Rewi contemplates a general restoration of Maori occupation, while Te Whiti's aspirations are confined to the possession of a limited area on the West Coast. When Rewi spoke ' thus positively of having recovered the confiscated lands at Waitara, he referred to the meeting which he had there with Sir George Greyand Mr Sheehan last year, when he said "I am Rewi, Waitara is mine, and I will never leave it. Grey has put his hand on my head, and I have put my hand on his head. Henceforth the Maoris and Europeans are to be as one people, &c, &c, &c." We drew attention at the time to that speech of Rewi, and pointed out the danger and dishonesty of encouraging the natives m the hope that they would ever recover the confiscated lands. When Parliament met those words of Rewi were freely canvassed, and several Members well versed m Maori, manners declared that they meant that Rewi claimed the confiscated lands. Both the Premier and the Native Minister, however, assured the House that they meant nothing of the sort, that they were only used figuratively, and that what Rewi really meant to say was that there should he no further trouble about Waitara; Now it turns out that Rewi, though much given to figurative language, was only too literal on that occasion ; that -when he said Waitara was his, he meant that Waitara was his and no one else's ; and that he is now firmly convinced that at that Waitara meeting, he "recovered the confiscated lands." Sooner or later, of course, he will have to be undeceived; and then we shall see how much his newl^ formed friendship for the Europeansiis worth. In leading Rewi on to believe all kinds of impossible things,

I as they have done, the Ministers have nurely laid up a store of future troubles for themselves or their successors, and at the same time have aggravated the present difficulties by damping the loyalty of all the natives who deserved the best treatment at their hands.