Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1881.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIII, Issue 9345, 25 February 1881, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1881.

[ The attempt to sell Government land in the immediate neighbourhood of Parihaka has failed, and half-a-dozen reasons have been advanced to account for a fact which some people regard in a very serious light. We are not amongst that number. To push on settlement close up to Te Whiti's stronghold would, of course, be a very satisfactory step in advance, and the Government are "quite righji. in offering the public facilities for taking up land in that quarter. But on the other hand there is no good reason for entertaining gloomy forebodings because the advertised sections were not snapped up at once. We regard the occupation of the whole of the confiscated lands by European settlers as an event which. is absolutely certain to take place at no distant date, and, therefore, we are not much distressed Because last week's sale, or attempted sale, came to nothing. Amongst the reasons assigned for the absence of buyers

I are that the deferred payment sections were too few and too small, and that the proximity of Parihaka -was undesirable because a considerable number of its inhabitants are reputed to be past-masters in the art of thieving. Our own idea about the matter is simply this, that although the public believe that Te Whiti has thoroughly peaceful intentions, and that a rising of the Natives, unless they are first attacked, is quite out of the question, there might be isolated cases of outrage without the prophet's connivance, supposing settlement to be pushed close up to Parihaka. There is no denying the fact that amongst the miscellaneous crowd continually coming and going to and from Parihaka, there is a large admixture of the worst scoundrels to be found amongst the Maoris. Some of these appear to have taken up their permanent residence there, and are leading a life even more aimless and useless than they would if located in their own districts and amongst their own people. Te Whiti's authority and the knowledge that open warfare would mean the destruction of the rebels and the forfeiture of the reserves, are quite sufficient to prevent a Maori outbreak, but not necessarily to stay the hands of assassins and plunderers. The danger of such occurrences may be overestimated, but it cannot be absent from the calculations of intending settlers. Nor can the latter be charged with a want of pluck in not facing the situation. Danger from any source does not generally deter British colonists from going on, provided that the gain is worth the risk, but few will willingly incur it, either for themselves or those dependent on them, if equal advantages offer themselves in localities where no such drawbacks exist. So long, then, as there is other land on the Plains of equally good quality which may be offered for sale, and on which settlers will not be so much exposed to molestation by rascals of the Maori race, we cannot expect sections close up to Parihaka to be eagerly sought after — that is, whilst Parihaka exists as it is at present. It seems to be the generally received opinion that Te Whiti ought not to be interfered with for a while longer. He will cer- j tainly not use his influence to bring I about a state of warfare, and both he and his people, as we have frequently urged, must assuredly, sooner or later, be quietly acted on by what is happening around them. The dreary well-worn monthly sermon that the j land is all to come back to the Maori, and that the Pakeha will disappear, will assuredly loee its effect, as proofs every day multiply that the prophesy is false and the prophet either mad or a deceiver. Great as the faith of the Maoris unquestionably is in Te Whiti, it is not strong enough to last for ever without a sign of the man's power or of the accomplishment of his words. The prophet can give neither. He can only say — " Wait patiently," and as delay is continued so must hope of fulfilment wane, and finally die. Parihaka will cease to be a place of importance, and the number of its residents and visitors will dwindle down to insignificance. Meanwhile, settlement will gradually extend itself and take a firm and lasting hold on the Plains, and the land for which last week there was not a solitary offer will all be disposed of and brought under cultivation. If Te Whiti can give no sign of power or of fulfilment, such is not the case with the New Zealand Government, for every day makes it clearer that they are the masters and that their work must succeed. We, therefore, attach very little importance to the fact that the Parihaka sale was not successful. We do not j say that the offer was a blunder, though the people did not respond. The Government have lost nothing, and have only to wait a while longer. To give the land away, or to endeavour to force settlement by hasty concessions, would be a mistake. Of course we shall be reminded of the necessity of doing away with the force of Aimed Constabulary now on the Plains. But we say that, under all | the circumstances, there is a necessity | for its existence, and the colony will have to bear the burden until that necessity has passed away. And we go further and say that if those who have clamoured so much about the Constabulary and their expense were in power to-morrow, they would be compelled to follow in the footsteps of the present Ministry. They would not dare to remove the Constabulary for some time to come. They might endeavour to establish some military settlers on the Plains, but even that would not be done in a day, and by the time all the arrangements had been made the necessity for either military settlers or Constabulary might have passed away. In our opinion the course which has hitherto been pursued should be persevered in. No attempt should be made to force the sale or disposal of the Parihaka land. It should simply be kept back for a few months, and then offered at the upset price, or submitted to auction a second time. In due course it will be certainly taken up and cultivated.