THE SUBMISSION OP THE NORTHERN CHIEFS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XX, Issue 2218, 13 June 1865, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE SUBMISSION OP THE NORTHERN CHIEFS.

(Welt,ingtox Independent, June 3.) The lower the organisation of an animal the more difficult it is to kill it at oug blow. The body of a snake moves for hours after it has lost its head. So it may be with Kingism. It has lost its head but may still live, simply because no one part was necessarily dependent upon any other part. It was like one of those curious " jelly fishes" so often seen in this harbor — it preserved its form quite as much by pressure from without surrounding circumstances, as from any structure belonging to itself. Still it cannot be doubted, that its vitality will be considerably lessened by the defection of its leaders. A snake without its head is not a very lively animal after all. Every native who hears that Thompson, and the King have taken the oath of allegiance, will feel that he belongs to a falling cause, a cause too, which has been so treated by the Colony, as to prevent its adherents from fancying themselves martyrs. Men who know that they arc engaged in a struggle against high-handed wrong, will fight all the more desperately when they Know that only tremendous efforts can ensure the triumph of right ; but mere savage pride, half conscious of error, has a very strong sense of self-interest. A3 a general rule, tho native chiefs are men endued with a very large atnouut of political sagacity. Thompson in particular is, probably, a luuch moro ablo and fair-minded man, than an average member of the English Parliament. He canuot boast of having received a classical education, but he is not easily deluded by " shams," and probably knows more of human nature, and is less prejudiced, than either Mr Mills or Loid Robert Cecil. Thompson aud his colleagues are for all practical purposes, as well acquainted with the history of the administration of the Colonial Office in New Zealand as we are ourselves. They have in all probability formed a very fair estimate of the addition to our strength, which the withdrawal of an army of obstruction is sure to produce ; at least they are well aware that there will be no more vacillation in our policy, and that a war conducted by the Colony will not be made with " rose water." Onthe other hand, they must be equally aware that the colonists have every desire and every motive to treat them with justice. They judge the colonists by their acts, and not, like Mr Bnxton, by putting the worst interpretation upon a piece of exceptional colonial legislation, which was jealously watched, and never so used as to inflict the smallest injury upon the native race In short the more intelligent men amongst tho natives evidently begin to understand their true position in this Island. They begin to perceive not only that we are the dominant race, but that on the whole it is better to recognise the fact. There is little soreness on the side of the Maoris, and none at all on ours. A native's feelings are satisfied as soon as his reason is convinced. Those -who supposed that the Maoris would never rest until they had regained possession of the confiscated land, have proved to be wrong in their opinion. Kingism is dying, and it will be our own fault if it is not soon dead. The great difficulty is now tho Pai Marire fanaticism. Against religious excitement reason is powerless. No one has yet discovered any certain method of dealing with a dangerous maniac, except that of putting him under restraint. Men who imagine that being touched on the nose by one of their priests renders them bullet-proof, are incapable of being influenced by ordinary motives. The eye of faith will always see a way out of any little difficulty suggested by direct experiment. If a " Hau hau" 13 killed, after his conversion into a ball-proof cannibal, the sect attributes the accident to his want of faith, or to some little irregularity in the ceremonies used before the battle. Possibly in time a system of metaphysics will bo developed. A Pai Marire will be taught to consider himself bulleti proof only in a spiritual sense, and will be as careful to preserve a whole skin as his uuconverted neighbors. Still it is evident, tha)

this result can only be brought about, by an unsparing use of force, wherever tho safety of Europeans or loyal natives is endangered by the presence of fanatics. No one wishes to interfere with them so long as they confine themselves to dancing round a post and talking in unknown tongues ; but they must understand that they must refrain from injuring their neighbors, whether of their own race or of ours. Practises incompatible with the existence of civilized society must be put down with the strong hand. Apart from this, we may look upon Hau-hauism as a rude form of religious revival, and may even sympathise with the earnestness it displays. Possibly, too, the missionary party may perceive that secular knowledge is as important as religious instruction in the civilisation of savage tribes, and may turn their attention to teaching the natives the English language as well as the Christian religion. By this time all but the most narrow-minded have abandoned the policy of isolating the natives, for the thing is impossible. It never was more rational than it would be to attempt to light a room at night by putting up the shutters to keep out the dark. However, apart from the general question, as to the native difficulty, and apart from all speculations as to the future, there is one point of view from which the submission of the Northern chiefs, may be regarded with a satisfaction unqualified by any consideration such as those we have suggested. Peace may be very much nearer, or only a little nearer, than it was before Thompson signed the declaration of allegiance. His " bond" may be worth as little as the words of " the men of the broken parole," though we think it is valuable in itself, still for all this the fact will remain, that the submission was made notwithstanding the removal of the seat of government to Wellington. The event is j important on its own account, and it is even of greater importance as a practical refutaion of the argument, that the removal of he seat of Government to Wellington would mpede the settlement of the native question. This was the ono|striug upon which Auckland played a very long nnd dismal tune. People listened, but the ivst of the colony refused to follow the doleful music. Now that string has snapped Auckland will not be silent, but no one will listen to mere howling lamentations over departed " lollypops." It will be some time before Auckland understands that she is better without them, but in the meantime she may rest assured that they are gone for ever. The Colony cannot now doubt that the removal of the Seat of Government, which was of great importance as rendering the government of the European population easier, has not added a single ditliculty to the Government of the natives. We have always regarded the removal of the Seat of Government not as a provincial matter, but as a colonial. Had we thought that the change would prolong the war we should have opposed it. As it was, we believed that it would have the contrary effect, and we considered that the decided action taken by the Weld Ministry entitled them to the support not only of Wellington and the South, but of all those who were anxious that the war should not assume a merely provincial character. The natives had certainly began to consider the war as an Auckland war, and the Auckland people had come to consider that they had a vested interest in the commissariat expenditure. The result was an unwillingness on both sides to make any kind of compromise, which could not fail to have some influence upon the Government. It was a fortunate thing the Seat of Government was removed when just enough had been done to teach the natives a lesson, and not so much as to embitter them against us. Indirectly, this has had an effect upon the minds of the natives in all parts of tho island, and even if this is disputed, the fact remains that the removal of the Seat of Government has united all parts of the Colony, in support of tho self-reliant policy now accepted by the Imperial Government, and has not interfered with immediate executive action. With the Government at Wellington tho leaders of the rebellion have taken the oath of allegiance at Auckland, and with a war on the West Coast we have not weakened our influence in the North.