The Wellington Independent Tuesday, September 11, 1860. OUR MEMBERS, AND THE FUTURE CONDUCT OF THE WAR.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1453, 11 September 1860, Page 2

The Wellington Independent Tuesday, September 11, 1860. OUR MEMBERS, AND THE FUTURE CONDUCT OF THE WAR.

In the discussions which have taken place in the House of Representatives, unanimity appears to prevail upon at least one point. All the members agree that the prestige of the British Military Force has been grievously lost, and that no termination to the war can bo either expected or desired until that prestige has been regained. They not only unite in recognising the war as a fact; but equally so in admitting that it will have to be continued until the rebels are brought to sue for peace — how long it will be before that time arrives depends mainly on the Officer in command ; for all the while Colonel Gold commanded such a prospect only became more and more distant, and whether General Pratt will be able to close tho war this summer, whether he will merely hold his own, or whether the war will spread, no one can prognosticate.

What the opinions of the Wellington members are as to the future conduct of the war, may be readily inferred from the extract, we republished in our last, from one of Mr. Fox's speeches. We now support that inference by a reference to the speeches of other members, reprinted from the Neiv Zealandcr in our columns of to- tiny ; but as many of our readers may prefer a more royal road than that of wading through the whole of these speeches, we call their attention to the following extracts. Mr. Brandon said " he freely assented to the latter portion of the resolution (requiring a vigorous prosecution of the war). Whether the origin of the war were just or unjust, he deemed it necessary for the welfare cf both races that the war should be prosecuted to a successful termination — that peace could

not be made or a negotiation for a cessation of hostilities entertained, until William King laid down his arms — until it had been made manifest to the Natives that further fighting was useless and

that the pakehaa would be the conquerors."

Nothing can be plainer than this. It is evident that Mr. Brandon is not among those members who, as a co temporary would lead ua to believe, have " suggested that we should fall on our knees and beg William King's pardon." Mr. Fox's views are equally plain. We republished them in our Friday's loader, and need not do so here. Those of our readers who wish to refer to them again can do so by looking to the closing paragraphs of that gentleman's speech in to-day's is3uc. Mr. Fox, like Mr. Brandon, has certainly says nothing in common with those who are falsely reported as having " suggested that we should fall on our knees and beg William King's pardon."

Mr. Fitzherbert said " he again repeated, that there might be no misunderstanding in the matter, whilst he would hold no parley with men in arms, yet he would guard himself against being cajoled into the acknowledgment that it was an indispensable war. The hon. member for Wairau (Mr. Weld) could not comprehend how they could say the war was unjust and yet vote for its continuance. But they must recollect that they were at war with an uncivilised race, who would deem us cowards if we made the first stop. The Governor had driven us to that course necessarily either to go on or to be charged with cowardice, and be exposed to the imminent danger of [that would result from] such an opinion amongst an uncivilised race."

Thus Mr. Fitzherbert, equally with Mr. Brandon and Mr. Fox, is clearly not chargeable with having " suggested that we should fall on our knees and beg William King's pardon." Mr. Cauter said " We are I think all agreed that the war should be prosecuted vigorously — that William King has taken the law into his own hands — and we cannot treat with him till he has laid down his arm 3. In the province to which I belong there is a deep, a heartfelt sympathy for the Settlers at Taranaki. Wellington knows what a Maori War is on a small scale. The Hutt Settlei'3 have not forgotten the time when their homes were plundered and six of their fellow settlers murdered by Natives ; and while I thank the hon. member for Lyttelton (Mr, Ward) and the hon. member for Dunedin (Mr. Gillies) and other members of the middle island for their kind oifers of support, as regards the expenses of the war, I would ask them to excuse Wellington members for feeling more deeply, and speaking stronger than themselves on this war, living as we do on the confines of the Seat of War, and believing that if the war continues there is great probability of its extending first to Auckland and Wanganui, next to Wellington and then to Ahuriri. I may here mention that in the Wellington Provincial Council I voted for a resolution supporting his Excellency in the vigorous prosecution of the war, but I guarded myself against giving an opinion as to the justness of the war ; and while I rejoiced at the spirit of his Excellency in taking up arms, as he said in a just cause, I assumed three things, — First, that W. King had no right to interfere in the sale of the Waitara land, but from what I have heard in this house I have now my doubts about this ; Secondly, I concluded that the Government were prepared for a war — such was not the case, but ju?t the reverse ; Thirdly, I supposed the war would be prosecuted with judgment and energy, but instead of that it appears me to have been completely mismanaged : still after all this, I am willing to take it as I find it, and afford the Government support in bringing the war to a successful termination." Neither Mr. Brandon, Mr. Fox, Mr. Fitzlierbert, nor Mr. Carter can therefore be accused of expressing views calculated to induce a belief that they " would fall on their knees and beg William King's pardon."

Dr. Featiierston completes the list of Wellington members whose speeches have been received. While the Doctor ha 3 severely denounced the Governor's conduct in having brought what he considers to be, in its origin, an unjust and unholy war, he, like the rest of the Wellington members concurs in the necessity for prosecuting the war, now it has assumed another aspect. Mr. Weld, in alluding to the Doctor's views said, " he says the war is unholy let us lay down our arms," on which Dr. Featherston r0.30 and reminded him that "he had never advocated such a course." No one can accuse either Dr. Featherston, Mr. Brandon, Mr. Fox, Mr. Fitzherbcrt or Mr. Carter of holding opinions inimical to the prosecution of the war to a successful termination. If they do so, they must do it from an unworthy motive. It may serve a party purpose to accuse our members of having " suggested that we should fall on our knees and beg William Kings pardon "; but an

accusation so palpably contrary to the truth will be sure to defeat its own ends — any such party triumph, like all the triumphs of the Wakefield politicians, cannot anywhere be more than exceedingly temporary. The Wellington members' views, relative to the future conduct of the war, are now before our readers — Sir C. Clifford, Capt. Rhodes and Mr. Renall, although they have not yet spoken fully concur in those expressed by the other members before alluded to. We furnish these speeches from no private source, but from the reports of the debates as we find them in the New Zealander ; and with these declarations before it we contend that no journal is justified in so perverting the plain truth, as to attribute to our members sentiments directly opposite to those which they express. All our members declare themselves desirous of seeing the war prosecuted to a successful termination ; yet a coteinporary assures its readers that they have " suggested that we should fall on our knees and beg William King's pardon." Our members are, however, desirous of having the circumstances connected with the origin of the war enquired into. If it be admitted that the causes of the inactivity and vacillation which have characterised Colonel Gold's proeedings be a fit subject for enquiry ; why not also the causes which led to the war. One story is only good until the other is told. The Government has for the past six months been putting forth its version; but who can depend on exparte statements. "He that is first in his own cause seemeth just," says Solomon, " but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him." Nothing can be more reasonable than that the ill advised conduct of the Governor in precipitating a war, for which he not only was unprepared but thought lightly of, should be searched into — conduct which has in a few months led to the destruction of one province, now threatens to destroy others, and will entail an enormous burden of debt and taxation on the whole Colony. If such an enquiry should result in establishing that the Governor was nbt misled and that the war in its commencement was just, will not the Governor's reputation be cleared from the doubts that now cloud it ; and if it should unfortunately be proved that it was unjust — that all this ruin, past and prospective, has been brought about through the neglect or ignorance of those who advised the Governor, ought not a heavy punishment to fall where it i 3 found to be deserved ?

Facts have come to light which suggest the gravest doubts as to the correctness of the grounds on which His Excellency was advised to commence hostilities. These facts appear mainly in the "papers" called for, or laid upon the table of the Assembly. We will direct the attention of the public to some of these facts on Friday, and we feel persuaded that no unprejudiced reader will rise from their perusal without feeling that there is quite as much to show that the origin of the war cannot be supported, as there ia to the contrary. Why then should enquiry be burked ? Enquiry, as we have already shown, would not hinder the prosecution of the war ; why then should ministers stifle it by the simple force of their own votes ? In urging this enquiry" our members are consulting the best; interests of their constituents and the colony. In rejecting the enquiry ministers only create suspicion that they are aware that their ground is not tenable.