THE Wellington Independent "NOTHING EXTENUATE; NOR SET DOWN AUGHT IN MALICE." SATURDAY MORNING, 18th JUNE. SHAM PEACE PROPOSALS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 2076, 18 June 1864, Page 2

THE Wellington Independent "NOTHING EXTENUATE; NOR SET DOWN AUGHT IN MALICE." SATURDAY MORNING, 18th JUNE. SHAM PEACE PROPOSALS.

Somebody or other Temarked, lately, that Auckland Editors were the most confident of men. Only some weeks ago, the Herald anticipated that peace was at hand because a few friendly natives had gone to negotiate with the Waikatos, and two released prisoners to tell their countrymen of the good treatment they had received at hands' ; while more lately the New Zealander thinks the war will soon close if the Ministry ' will offer such terms to the rebels as a highly esteemed Colonist has placed at the disposal of that Journal for publication, and which are accordingly printed for the benefit of its readers. Perhaps, because we are so far removed from head-quarters ; because we are not inspired by Ministers, like the Serald, or in the confidence of " highly esteemed Colonists " like the New Zealander, we may be somewhat | sceptical of the speedy advent of peace — we may be even still more doubtful of its advisability. Judging from the comparatively little progress that has been made in the real work of subjugating the natives and having in view the recent declaration of policy contained in Mr Fox's Memorandum, we are certainly not prepared to advocate the proposal of such terms as the following which are strongly . recommended by the New Zealander, and which we reprint from a recent article in that Journal : — DECLABATION OF SUBMISSION. I. The undersigned, chiefs and people of Waikato, hereby declare that they desire to live at peace with the English settlers, in obedience to the law, and under the sovereignty of the Queen. v 11. Throughout New Zealand the Queen's name was heard by the Maoris, but the Queen's power was not visibly exercised; and instead of receiving the benefits promised them by the Queen's rule, they saw disorder still prevailing, crimes unpunished, their countrymen decreasing, and their power decaying. To remedy these evils, the people of Waikato set up their principal chief with the title of King. Seeing that their proceedings have been regarded as a ground of offence, and believing that the Queen will henceforward take means to secure the enjoyment of peace and good order, the undersigned chiefs and people of Waikato hereby declare, that they have withdrawn their allegiance from the Maori King, and have caused the King's flag to be hauled down. 111. As a pledge of their loyalty and good faith, the undersigned hereby cede to the Queen and her successors all right and claim which they possess to the several tracts of land particularly described m the accompanying Schedule. I. In consideration of their unconditional submission, the Queen hereby grants a full amnesty to the Chiefs and people of Waikato who have signed the aforesaid Declaration of Submission, always excepting the murderers of the persons particularly named and described in the accompanying Schedule. 11. In the exercise of her clemency, her Majesty will release all prisoners taken in arms, who shall join in the aforesaid Declaration of Submission. 111. By taking up arms in defiance of Her Majesty's sovereign authority, the Maories who did so have thereby withdrawn themselves from her protection, and have released Her Majesty from the obligation of maintain- | ing them in the possession of their property ; and their lands now in the power of Her Majesty's forces are, by the right of conquest, afc the mercy of the Crown. But the Queen of England established her authority in New Zealand, not to destroy the Native people, but to save them, to protect them in their just rights and property, and to secure to them the enjoymont of peace and good.order; and notwithstanding the rebellious proceedings of the Natives of Waikato, the Queen's troops have not been used to gain possession of their land. But to enable Her Majesty the more effectually to protect her English subjects, and to secure to the Natives themselves the enjoyment of peace and good order, Her Majesty accepts the several tracts of land ceded to her by these presents, to be used to form a frontier line of Military settle- 1 ments. IV. Her Majesty reserves to herself the right of making all such roads over the land now in possession of the troops, as may be required for the use of her Majesty, and for the convenience and advantage of both races of Her Majesty's subjects, V. With respect to all other land in the occupation of the troops, it may at once be taken possession of by its rightful owners, who will henceforward hold it under title from the Crown, and to whom deeds of grant will be issued, entitling them to dispose of it, or to keep it so long as they shall be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Crown. To close the war on the basis of such terms as these, would be the greatest misfortune which could befal the Colony. We have been fighting for the complete as sertion of the Queen's supermacy — for the final suppression of the rebellion, and it is as the penalty of that rebellion that those engaged in it have forfeited their lands. The 1 scheme of confiscation was deliberately adopted by the Assembly as warranted by the circumstances, and as affording the only possible securitj for the maintainance of peace in the future. It is now proposed to abandon it, and to accept the submission of the natives, simply on their ceding certain lands to the Crown, to be used in forming a frontier line of military settlements . On their doing this, it is proposed " that all the other land now held by the troops, shonld at once be taken possession of by it's rightful owners," the right to make roads through it being reserved to the Queen. We do not know what number of the colonists entertain the views expressed in this manifesto, but be they great or small, powerful or weak, the common Sense of the colony would refuse ever to sanction a settlement of the question on such terms. After entering on the present contest with certain objects, it is scarcely likely we will not only stay ; our hands^with these, objects ,unattaiiied,,bu^ with th^ia|ri|ie also, of whatever real adv4ntagqa;^a| Ka^o been, gpaedi o We>: -will scarcely; ■ ;<j^>i^i

spending something like a njilliqn -axuiMhallS > ; |_ of money in occupying tHis country, Whand it back to its rebel owners, and grant them a^'\ title from ?he Orpwn besides. That would \ be simply a return to the status, quo asfe;[ bellem, with the pleasant prospect of haying to fight the battle over agam, and incur a second loss in blood and treasure a few years hence. iWe are not particularly interestedhere in the further prosecution of the war in Auckland. If the territory already gained can be occupied by military and other settlers, and if simultaneously the frontiers of the centres of population in the south can be guarded, while military operations are prosecuted between Taranaki and Wanganui, then it is a matter of comparative indifference to us whether the Waikatos are to be. further chastised or not. ' But it is clear there cannot be any satisfactory peace, which does not only include their tv unconditional submission, but also' deprives them of the power to raise the standard of rebellion at. some future time. * The bastard peace treaty to which we have alluded will - secure more of these ends. It would leave the natives powerful as ever" to resist the authority of the law; it would leave the . colony weak and impoverished, and it would simply postpone a difficulty to another day, which, if boldly grappled with now miglrt be finally overcome. , It is therefore because such insiduous attempts at patching up peace on any terms, and at any price,, would, if successful, have the most, disastrous effect on the whole colony, that we protest against them. We have said that the common sense of the colonists would revolt against such propositions ; wemight say with equal confidence that the common sense of the Government would ensure their rejection. It should be remembered that the present Ministry have . been pledged by the Assembly to carry oh this war till certain objects have been attained, and they cannot, even if they would; violate that pledge. If peace is to be brought about on any other terms than those at present offered to the natives by the Ministry's proclamation, the Assembly will first require to be called together. And if this be done we have no fear of the result. But few either of the colonists or their representatives in the Assembly would consent to , stultify their past action, by closing the present war on such ruinous terms as those to whioh we ., have referred.