THE ATTACK AT OAKURU.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1965, 3 October 1863, Page 3

THE ATTACK AT OAKURU.

The Times of July 17th, in commenting on this, says : —

Not the least surprising part of the story is tbat Sir G. Grey, while h« took everj military measure which the occasion required, and authorised the provincial superintendents to call out tbe Militia, if necessary, resolved to deal with ihe outrage itself as a mere murder. A Coroner's jury was duly summoned, and found a verdict " in accordance with the circumstances," but blaming the Government for their negligence in not protecting the road. The object of thus treating the perpetrators of this act as malefactors rather than rebels was, of course, to divest them of the prestige attaching to a successful rencontre with troops. This mar have bean politic, but we cannot help thinking that Sir (r. Grey's next step will neutralize its effect-. It has been determined to take possession of tbe district " upon which the late murders were committed, in order that a settlement may be placed thereon of persons able to protect themselves." In other words, a considerable extent of native land is sonfiscated, and has been offered, in lots of 50 acres, to "active young . nieu" who maybe willing to hold it "on a system of military teuare." Notices have been sent to Otago, where it is supposed that 30,000 able bodied men are now congregated, and it is believed tbat many old soldiers will accept grants on these terms. " Government will undertake to have a stockade or stockades built for them, and to find them arms, ammunition, and necessary rations." Here we have a bold scheme for .garrisoning the disturbed parts 'of New Zealand, as tbe Romans garrisoned their northern and eastern frontiers. We have no fault to find with it from a military point of view — iudeed, it seems an excellent plan for colonial self-defence — but it is scarcely consistent with attributing to the Maori onslaught on our convoy the character of a civil crime.

Thic is but one of the practical paradoxes that are always occurring in our government of New Zealaud, and are perhaps inseparable from the task which we have there undertaken. The Maories are a. strange people, and their present state of semi-civilization is without precedent. In theory they obey our law, acknowledge the restraints of religion, and are devoted to the Governor, and yet we are told that Sir G. Grey utterly failed in persuading the loyal Waikatoes to give up the " King movement," and the Christian native* of Tarauaki fall upon a party of Englishmen in time of peace, shoot them down, and barbarously mutilate their bodies. It is impossible to read without a smile that Mr Gorst, the Commissioner of the Waikato district, " had lately incurred some odium among the rebel natives by issuing a newspaper in the native tongue to counteract the journal published by the Maori King." This literary rivalry kindled a flame of disaffection which led not only to the demolition of the printing-office, but to the summary ejection of Mr Gorst, the missionaries, and even those Eurapeans who *had maiiied Maori wives, from the Waikato country. The tact needed to manage a population uniting so mauy European ideas with so many bavbarious habits must be very dj&erent from any political oy diplomatic skill cultivated in this part of the world. Sir G. Grey is supposed to possess it in a high degree, and we are assured that he has the confidence and support of all classes of colonists. We can only hope that he will so use his influence with both that the question of military expenditure in New Zealand may not be revived in an aggravated form.