THE Wellington Independent. Friday, February 22, 1861. THE NEWS FROM TARANAKI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1499, 22 February 1861, Page 2

THE Wellington Independent. Friday, February 22, 1861. THE NEWS FROM TARANAKI.

The news received from Taranaki by the Wonga, of which the substance was given in our Extra of Wednesday morning and the details in our issue of today, is by no means encouraging. The skirmish whichhad taken place, although resulting in the advance of our forces towards Pukerangiora by a more expeditious method than the tedious "sap," cost us 3 lives and 11 wounded ; while on the side of the natives although it was at one time' reported that there were 17 casualties, the number has been since reduced to 4 or 6 at the most. The General has again commenced sapping and in about ten days would reach Hapurona's pa at Te Arei, a distance of 400 yards. This pa is not now fortified, but there are numerous rifle pits in the neighbourhood, and the object of proceeding thither by a sap instead of a rush, is to avoid an engagement and consequent further loss of life. The stronghold of Wi Kingi at Mataitawa is supposed to be about a mile and-a-half beyond Te Arei (Pukerangiora), and towards it the General's movements appear to be eventually directed. Were the General a Garibaldi carrying on the war in Italy, and gradually taking Neapolitan position after position, gradually drawing near to the King's last refuge at Capua or Gaeta, the tactics would be such as would commend themselves to every one ; but those at the seat of war who are capable of forming an opinion, consider these European tactics totally inapplicable to a maori foe, and it is self-evident that the natives care very little about | such movements, as they betake ; themselves to fresh positions as often as they are obliged to abandon their old ones. If the advance of our troops drove the natives further back and kept them there, the war might be said to be progressing favourably ; but such is not the 1 case. The rear of the General's operations, — -the few miles between the town and theWaitara,is overrun by the enemy, and communication between the two is only maintained by sea, and by signal ! via the Bell blockhouse. Even the neighbourhood of the town is prowled over by the southern natives, who are seen in broad daylight driving off stock, destroying the few farm houses left standing, and shooting down all who venture beyond the protection of the garrison's guns. The Waireka hill is being again fortified ; and the largest body of natives yet collected together in one place make it their head quarters, and harrass the inhabitants of New Plymouth by keep- | ing them in constant dread of a night attack. A more insiduous enemy than these is also at work. The disregard of all sanitary regulations has produced the invariable consequence ; and the deaths from low fever are most sad. In the four years 1856-7-8 and 9, the deaths were respectively 14, 23, 15, and 12; last year with only half the population the number was 68, and during the present year it has largely increased. The disregard of sanitary regulations is all the more fatal from the predisposition to disease engendered by the moral atmosphere. As tho Herald justly remarks, " the influence of the war on the mind " should not be overlooked. The brutal " assassinations of our people, and un- " checked devastation around — the sense ", of personal insecurity that meets us at " every turn — the bitter feeling that such " things can be, all these harass and " dispirit, and predispose to illness and "decline." These are everywhere the sad consequences of war even under the most favourable circumstances — they would result in Wellington just as they have resulted in Taranaki ; and yet there are those who talk glibly of a war of races, — a war which would inevitably involve every province in similar distress for years!

There are various rumours relative to peace. . They are at the best but rumours and deserve little notice. .As we stated a week since,' it is beyond dispute that Mr. Bell's services had been retained at Auckland, in connection with some propositions that had been made to or by the Governor. The negotiations were to take place between the Governor and some -of the "Waikato tribes : but as the latter cannot guarantee the submission to any terms by other tribes,, we look upon whatever negotiations may have been proposed, either by the Waikatos or any one else — Native or European, as sure to end in nothing. A wise, honorable, and therefore permanent peace cannot possibly take place under present circumstances, even if the natives engaged desired it, which they do not, being more defiant than ever they were. "In truth," as the Herald well puts it, " little has been done as yet to show the New Zealanders that the British are their masters in war, and we can hardly blame them for refusing to be their subjects in peace. The clumsy process by which, with enormous expenditure of time, labour, and ammunition^ the positions of the enemy have been taken one after Another, does not impress the Maories after the first

example. They are either peculiarly cod f or peculiarly unimaginative, or peculiarly logical ; perhaps all these qualities com-' bine to make them dread a danger very little for its noise and show. Once" leU them measure the actual risk to their bodies, and ascertain it to be small, and the rushing flame, th'e s roaring canonade, and the bursting shell, have lost their horrors for them. The attack on redoubts will not be repeated ; but^if General Pratt,, either here or elsewhere, occupies himself with earthworks, or playing at clip and ball with shell and rifle pits, it will exactly answer the purpose of the enemy. A war of destruction — the natives burning our horses, and driving away our cattle — we destroying pas and rifle pits, and at rare intervals getting hold of a potatoe-field, is one that will be pfainful to the Maori, but infinitely more so to ourselves."

General Pratt is said to be tired of the? war and desirous of peace. The authority quoted for this, is the last sentence, in his despatch of the 23rd January, reporting the night attack on No. o redoubt.

"I trust that the losse3 this manly and highspirited race are so continually receiving will teach them how unavailing are their ■ efforts against Her Majesty's supremacy, and will sooa lead to a termination of this unhappy interne* cine war."

As the hope contained in this sentence is one which every one of us ought heartily to endorse, we presume that the writer of the following remarks in the Herald of the 9th inst, must be in possession of local knowledge which enables him to see more than meets the casual eye in the sentence above quoted.

"General Pratt however would seem to Lave some strong hopes of a peaceful issue at no distant date. His dispatch on the repulse of Jan. 23rd states as much. He is resting on his oars at Huirangi. His "sap" has progressed into the famous peach groves, and there it is at a blind end, like a caterpillar on the end of a twig, the very immage of bewilderment and iadecision. Whilst this is the peaceful condition of the great Waitara force- while the adventurous ride unscathed half a mile beyond the protection of the " sap" — the Southern force sends out its little predatory bands, and they work at clearing away the straggling remains of our herds, and amuse themselves with firing the scattered houses that had escaped their former wanonness. They took a leaf out of General Pratt's book, and under cover of a furious lire remove the horses from beneath the very nose of ..the garrison at Omata Stockade. Waikato may want peace ; but can Wuikato reduce the lower members of the race, and can Waikato give sureties for their future good conduct ? " . " Can it be, as it has been surmised, that scruples of conscience clog the movements of General Pratt ; that he has entered the army andattaiuedafisrt-rate rank in it without having reflected on the position of a soldier as regards his moral responsibilities in his professional caree?. The ground oh which a Christian man enters the army is that his Government is entitled to confidence and support; that it supports order and law against violence and lawlessness. Pie can not stand to discuss the particular merits of each case ; general confidence must be his basis. Else the profession is impossible. If a general may sheathe the sword on a dv)ubt, the private may load with a blank cartridge on a doubt. But what then, is a conscientious man to do in a doubtful cause? The logical proceeding is plain enough; the door is open — let. him leave the army. But to remain in a command, and on grounds of private conscience not to act, is to be a traitor to his country, and not true to himself either. It is probably not thus with General Pratt, but the last paragraph of the despatch already alluded to steps beyond the proper function oi the soldier. It is not for him to deal with senti' mentsof the kind here expressed, except so far as to give to the worthy foe all the consideration that a foe is ever entitled to. If he go furthsr, he is likely to be misled into a sickly sympathy which ruins its own object even more surely than determined hostility. The more "manly and high spirited "• the Maori the more needful that our war should show these high qualities in ourselves. The vigorous conductof our men at Kairau last week was 'worth 50 miles of sap and 1000 tons of shells, as every one who has any knowledge of Maori nature, or of human nature must be aware. When we have proved our manhood we may hope for loyalty from the the natives, and not till then. The fire roay be smothered for the time, but buly to burst out more destructively hereafter, unless the mode of warfare is altered to one where man and; man come in contact, and which shall shew the race, that the objects we aim at are such that we are ready to make every sacrifice for their attainment. A civilian in Taranaki may write thus, for the majority of the civilians of this district hare already shown this willingness. It yet reuiaius for the leader to prove that a like self-devotion animates him and those whom he represents, and then he may earn the right to indulge^the hopes he somewhat permaturely expresses at the close of ihe despatch of Jan. 22. But the piesent system, if preserved in", will ripen seed of a bitter future for New Zealand to crop up year after year, like the indestructible thistle-down on our plains."

The thorough state of dejection and dissatisfaction prevailing at Taranaki, may perhaps be best gathored from the following memorial to the Governor, which is being openly signed in New Plymouth, where, in consequence ef martial law, much that is thought is generally considered to be better left unspoken.

MEMORIAL TO THE GOVERNOR. To His Excellency Colonel Thomas Gore Browne, Governor and Oommander-in-Ohief in and over the Islands of New Zealand, and Vhe-Adniiral of the same. - , ' . . ' The memorial of the undersigned Battlers of Taranaki shewefch : — -■-.'-• That the position of this settlement is vory critical, and the results of tho present system of carrying on the war most unsatisfactory. That notwithstanding the presence of a very considerable military force in this province, it is . yet unsafe for any peraon to venture, beyond the out-posts, in consequence of the country being continually overrun by Binall bands of marauding na- . tives within rifle shot of the barracks. . ; „ : . • , That within the last fortnight a large huinb^r of valuable housos belonging to the settterajbavia^ I been burned, and groat numbers of Uor^s attcl 'c^rtr" ; ! tie have been carried off by such mat&tideiij^n^

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They had been for supplies to Ngatiruanui and Taranaki. They seemed to think the reverses they had suffered were indications of God's displeasure for some particular misconduct which they wished to correct, but their ideas on the war generally were appaiently as far from submission as ever.

Yesterday Mr. Govett and Mr. Whiteley went as appointed to Huirangi and thence back towards Pukerangiora. The natives saw them in the distance, and about 50 of them came out half a mile in front of their pa. They were not those whom Mr. W. had seen on Sundaj, but on learning their business said their friends had not returned, but that their writing was without the knowledge of the taua who had nothing to do with the arrangement. They seem dejected but as determined as ever on fighting. On heariugofTe Pakaru's proposal to come and make peace they said— "That is an arrangement by the chiefs, but we slaves shall not submit to it. It was an arrangement by the chiefs at Maboetahi and again at Huirangi, and they made a mess of it. We, the slaves, are going to try next. The only way for peace is by the Governor taking away his soldiers and giving up Waitara, then we shall all go home." They complained that the troops had not kept to the land in dispute but had taken Fuketakauere, Matarikoriko, Kairau, and Huirangi, and were now reaching out to take Pukerangiora adding "only let them do that and we shall leave it and settle in like manner on land of the Pakeha." They were reminded that this they had already done at Waireka, and so had set the example ; and told that if they continued to fipht they would be continually pursued. Mr. Whiteley supposes that the men he saw at Waireka found him a " tangata pakeki"(a hard man), not disposed to encourage their expectations, and perhaps intentionally broke their appointment yesterday. The above will show how very little truth there is in the rumour that peace had been sued for by Waikato, aud is likely to be soon concluded.

We have been requested to publish the following Memorial from th« settlers of Taranaki to his Excellency the Governor for general information.