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Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1885, 23 June 1863, Page 2

It is not an easy matter to forsee how long the war in Taranaki may be confined to its present limits, or how soon we may be involved in a deadlier struggle with the most powerful tribe iv New Zealand. The last mail from the north brought news of a mixed complexion relative to the Waikatos. It. showed that the most unruly section of that tribe, the Ngatitnaniapotos,wereaccused of having instigated the Ngatiruanuis to the commission of the late murders, as well as being generally determined to support the other tribes engaged in the war . but on the other bond it represented William 1 hompson, Wat a Kukutai, and other influential chiefs as expressing the strongest condemnation of the foul deed, and endeavoring to prevent assistance being rendered to its perpetrators. There was evidently a split amongst the pavtizaus of the King movement. Rewi and his mob having cleared off " the broken bottles" or disaffected white men in their own district of the " Upper Wai pa" were determined on ultra opposition to British rule, the Upper Waikato. was generally hostile, but in the Lower District -the state of feeling was apparently favorable to peace. Matters appeared to be trembling in the balance, the bellicose were trying to iuflueuce the more moderate, and though some of the latter were adhering to the Queen's side, it was a matter for time to i show how the rest would act. Such wus the aspect of affairs then, and* the intelligence we publish to-day from Napier, does not bode very favorably for peace. Information is said to hare -ieae&«W\fr McLean of an intended or threatened raid by the Waikatos into that district* and although the Herald, habitually cautious on such subjects, states that undue importance shonfd not be attached to it, yet it has; been considered necessary as a precautionary measure to organise a nightly patrol of the .troops.. There are other preparations also being made |for self-protection, a mounted constabulary iforoe of 100 men is being formed, under the command of Major Whitraore, and th'e fJ settlers in that Province appear to be perfectly alive to the importance of being prepared to face a possibly iinminent|j|aDgeri .■'

This rumour of impending Waikato invasion, ; again forces into prominence the fact that it is With this tribe that the question of supremacy must be ultimately settled.- "Waikato is the strength and backbone of the disaffection," and it is the Waikatos who, whether personally engaged in tbe contest or not, support the Southern tribes in their rebellion. Every man who has been called to the administration of Native affairs has recognised this truth.. Governor Browne, placed it on record in his despatches to the Secretary of State ; Governor Grey affirmed the same thing 1 , when he wrote the Duke of Newcastle that he did not intend to carry out the publicly expressed determinaof his predecessor, to compel the Waikatos to submit to certain terms, because an attempted enforcement of them, would lead to a general 1 war ; and General Cameron has stated in a letter to Governor Browne, " that a descent on the Ngatiruauui coast would not be productive of any decisive result, that the Native insurrection had been chiefly fomented and supported by the Waikato tribe, and it was with them that the impoitant question of tbe Queen's supremacy had to be settled." We have carefully looked through the various opinions which experienced men expressed two years ago, on tbe practicability of an invasion of tbe Wai" kato, and we find that all were conscious of the great danger which would attend such an undertaking. Mr DonaM McLean at the request of Governor Browse in April 1861, gave tbe following replies to the queries .which had been submitted to him.

Q— ls an invasion of the Waikato practicable ? A— Yes. Q — What number of men might be expected to be met in Waikato ?

A —The force to be at first met there would probably not exceed from 3,000 to 4,000 fighting men ; but about double that number would be foiu|i to sympathise with them throughout the country. These would be either ready to join them, or to act in concert with them, in any plan they might conceive for attacking the English settlements.

Q — Whether the Waikato country is such as will admit of an expedition there in winter with a reasonable chance Of success ; if not, what are the difficulties ?

A — lt is considered, from the difficulty of communication an 4 bad roads, thnt an invasion of the Waikato in the winter would be attended with great inconvenience and loss, especially with a small forco. From the present unsettled state of the Natives throughout the Country, 1 do not see that it would be possible, with the force at present at your Excellency's disposal, to do more during the winter months than to defend the scattered and isolated English settlemeuts in the Northern Island.

We might quote the views expressed by various other authorities on this subject, but what Mr McLean says, is probably the most valuable opinion we could have, so far as it goes. Since that time too, however, actual .circumstances of the case are considerably altered. A road has been made from Auckland to the Waikato, along which troops can readily be moved. Tbe system of warfare too, has been almost revolutionised under the auspices of General Cameron, and the idea of moving into an enemy's conntry in force, with all the para> phernalia of heavy baggage, and commissariat encumbrances is exploded. We were told two years ago, that it was a species of guerilla warfare, that would require to

| be adopted in Waikato, but it is precisely ~that~wliicb our troops, since the resumption of hostilities, have been employed in. The idea then, of invading the Waikato does uot lopkHbyt any means so hopeless as before, and we should' not be at all surprised if General Cameron is left unfettered, that it will be carried into effect. But if this is to be the line of actiou, it will be absolutely necessary to place all the other settlements in a position of defence. Napier is already adtfpt ing the necessary precautions, but in Wanganui and the West Coast the outsettlers are still to some extent, unprotected. We do not think there- is any immediate danger, but, where even a possibility exists of such, it is well to be prepared.