Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1885. Lionising Ex-Rebels.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1660, 14 January 1885, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1885. Lionising Ex-Rebels.

Tito Kowaru and several thousand natives have been visiting the European townships in the Patea country, ami feasts, processions, amicable demonstrations and speeches have been I lie order of the day. The Government and the Patea settlers are much to blame for giving countenance io this sort of tomfoolery. Won-, some sixteen rears ago, Tito l\.a and his followers were murilc"ln : settlers, burning their houses, am' lobbing right nud left, the Prtca and 'Wanganui settlers felt the strongest desire to exterminate them off the face of the ' earth. These clays have passed away, and the natives having long ago been f-ight with and beaten, the country is now at peace, and all danger of war has passed away. The natives have boon treated with the utmost justice and generosity in having tracts of the best land handed over to them, while in very way their rights have been car -fully respecte d. That is all that need be done on the part of the Government and the settlers. There is no need of all this palaver and meetings and feastings, and pretence that the greatest love and friendship exists between the two races. The settlers are willing to live on friendly terms with Tito Kowaru and his people, but in their hearts they have no liking for them. The settlers who have been living in tbe Patea district have not lost the memorial of the dai k, bloody, and bitter past, and in (heir t'earts they cannot feel kindly towards the robbers and murderers of those davs. It is true that there was then war between tbe two races, but rebel natives have always perpetrated foul crimes and murders, under the false pretence that such were “ acts of war ” The natives, on their side, do not love the settlers. If the natives had, sixteen years ago, been strong enough, tbey would have slaughtered every European between Wanganui! and the Waiugongoro river. As events turned out, the natives were Heaton into submission and will almost certainly continue peaceful; but this quiescence has been by force, and '(be conquered have no love for their conquerors. All the recent effusively friendly demonstrations at Patea are therefore a piece of rank humbug and hyprocrisy on both sides. Mr Ballance has no doubt 'icon following the strings and “ working the oracle ” to get up all this dancing, feasting, processionising and speechifying, on the part of the natives on one side and the settlers on the other, so that great kudos and honor mid glory may seen to surround his podiion as Native Minister. The whole thing is a hollow sham, a ridiculous farce, and a piece of unmitigated humbug. The best thing I hat can bo done is simply to leave the natives alone to work out their ...vn destiny. Of course the work of carrying railways through their country will make it necessary to s-o:nollines carry on negotiations with the natives, but such things can he rnigeii in a businesslike way, ami ihc-T-n is no necessity whatever for re ll -ling the process of lionising and >niii g much of ex-rebels, and bloodymi:- : savages, such as has recently he.- , 1 messed at Patea.