The Star. THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 1868.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 36, 25 June 1868, Page 2

The Star. THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 1868.

Wiikn 1 iho Stuarts woro making oiYorts to rocovor tho throno whioh thoy had lout through thoir own imbecility and folly, il; wan no uncommon thing to find tho mombora of Scottish nnd ovon Engliah familiofl dividod in thoir nllogianco. 'X'ho boad of tho clan was poi'lmps in tlio Hold with Montroao, Dundee, Mar, or Princo Oharlio him» solf, while tho olrlost hou oithor romainod at homo proibflHing tho moat unbounded devotion to tho houso of Uanovoi'jor took' active servico undor tho roigning Sovoroign, Lord ICilmnr* nook's ciifio ia a no tablo instance of what wo moan. Ho took tho Hold, and, m most of our readers know, paid for hia loyalty to tho Stuarts by tho saorifloo or hia lifo on' tho Bonll'old. Km son romainod at homo, proteasing ft devotion whioh il; waa nattily possible ho could fool, Tho ob.jo.efc_ of this double dealing waa plain, and in keeping with tho caution which ia suppofloa to bo tho ohiof characteristic of Scotchmen, If tho Stuarts won tho day, woll ; if thoy woro dofoatod, Htill woll. Tho family ostatoH, and tho family titlos, if tho fbi'mor had not boon quito dissipated, woro pretty safo in oithor ovont. If wo aye to believe the statements in a North Island con torn porary, tho Maoris havo _ boon in tho habit of adopting Hi'inilar tactics, and with groat Buoooßfl, Tho Ngatiruanuis, to whomwoowo tho roconl. murdora at Patoa, aro not all in rovolt, it io said. A portion havo romainod at homo, and thoae claim to bo loyal subjects of Hoi' Miijosfcy, It is ullogod, with what truth wo know not, that thia in inoroly tho continuation of a syntom which has worked inniwingly woll for tho Maoris, but which, na wo hardly nood ob/iorvo, hnn boon ruinous to tho colonyX/Tlio cufitom has been, it is HtfttdflTto sond out pvory fighting man of a tribo, whilo tho womon, ohildron, nnd old mon romninod at' homo undor! tho elinrgo of some wovn-OUt chief, , pi»orflH«ing allegiance to .nnd olniining tho protection of tho (Oovornmont. Wlion tlio war was ovor, tho actiia! robols returned to tho bosom of thoir 1 family, thero to roeito, in porfoct i safety, thoir doods of valour, and to laugh at tho imbecility of a Qovornmont which pormittod such things, Nor jn this the worst, Tlio ablo- ! bodied mon haying boon ongngod in fighting, tho oultivationn of tlio tribo woro in tho moantimo negloctod, A, scarcity of food was tho result, and that scarcity, wo aro told, tho Govornmont turned into abuiulau-co at tho oxponao of tho taxpayers, And, in addition to nil this, many of theso socalled noutrnl tribes claimod compensation for losses sustained during tho war. Thoso claims havo been allowed on a liberal scale, and portions ovon of tho oonflocatod lands navo boon givon to tribes whoso fighting men swelled

tho rnnka of tho robols, -whito thoso unable to fight woro Bocuro in tho protection of tho Oovornmont. Wo wia.) it to b© clearly understood that wo do not vouch for the accuracy of tho abovo ctatomonts, or oxproaa a boliof in thoir truth. Wo merely quoto thorn ns tho dolibovuto assertions of a journal published not far from tho acono of tho murders wo havo again to doploro, again to avonge, and again to pay dourly for. Wo wilt add that tho statements wo havo quoted, having at least tho show of truth and reality, ought to bo strictly investigated by tho Government, tf thoy aro found to bo correct, thou it is clearly tho duty of thoso in power to put a stop to such prnoticos, nt onco and for ovor, by - lotting tho nutivos know that tho aoflenco of thoae in a tribo who aro manifestly unfit for fighting will not purohaso immunity for tho mon who ongago in rebellion, or protection for tho lands which belong to tho wholo tribo, If suoh things aro toloratod, wo can hardly wondor that tho natives should expross contompt for ua and our Govornmont.