Wellington Independent WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 1871.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3249, 12 July 1871, Page 2

Wellington Independent WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 1871.

If any one wishes to see the Wellington Independent heartily abused, let him purchase the " Nelson Examiner" of the Bth inst., which contains six leading articles specially written for that purpose. The paper may be described as a sort of literary six-barrelled revolver fired off at our devoted head. The noise is terrific ; and we ought to be alarmed : but, really, the shooting is so wide that we have more occasion to laugh atsomuch literary ammunition being wasted than to bewail any result. It is sad to think of so much misdirected energy. The laborious conning of the Biglow papers forcibly reminds us of the orator who so ridiculously lugged his vade-mecum copy of the same work out of his pocket in the Odd Fellows' Hall here, not long ago, at one of those " everlasting public meetings that are," according to the " Examiner," " the curse of places like Wellington," and tried to demolish there from the facts advanced in that evermemorable speech of the Hon. John Johnston ! The writer of the article headed "Wellington on the High Horse," has a dreadful aversion to our city, and rates our good citizens soundly, but •• that's not much" — he actually demonstrates that the Hon. J. 0. Richmond, whose success as a Native Minister is extolled on the same page, did in Wellington (and by the aid of the same Biglow papers), attempt to gull our good citizens in a most shameless manner. We were told by Mr Richmond, in a very neat exordium to his great speech, that he would take no merely local view of any question — that, although as a member of the Ministry which had made Wellington the seat of Government, he might lay claim to their support; yet, he had only acted in that matter, as he had always acted, with a regard to the good of the whole colony, and considered Wellington the natural place for the seat of Government, and terminus of the San Francisco service, &c." Now, we learn from the " Examiner," Mr Richmond's ardent defender and reputed mouthpiece, that all this was pure and unmitigated humbug — that Mr Richmond was only speaking " according to the trick," and that as it is no longer necessary to play a part, the truth must now come out, that " by a huge stroke of good luck, not unaided by unlimited puffing, which for once stood her in good stead, Wellington contrived to get herself chosen as the seat of Government at a time when the affairs of the province were in a state of collapse !" If Mr Richmond tried, by insinuating that he had in any way helped her, to gain a few votes at the election, it must be remembered that he was hard driven at the time by the " brutal" Independent, which day after day exposed his failures, his inconsistencies, and, above all, his unveracities ! "The good citizens of Wellington, whose energyhashitherto beenchiefly expended on tall talk," as the " Examiner" tells them, are bound by ties of gratitude to the writer of " Wellington on the High Horse" for this masterly exposition of Mr Richmond's rather shady electioneering practices, and will not fail to act whenever occasion serves, so as to show they are not unworthy of this kind attention on the part of the " Examiner." Although Wellington " has attempted but little and has failed even in that — witness for instance her Steam Navigation Company and preposterous patent slip," we can assure our contemporary she will not fail to " better the instruction" now given her, and send back with scorn the next " transpontine" candidate who woos her suffrages with such proved insincerity as was lately at tempted here by the student of the Biglow Papers. As Wellington contrived to get herself chosen as the seat of government, so she will contrive herself to get all the advantages of her central position, which is happily beyond the power of faction to take from her ; and no better earnest of her future can be conceived than the steps now taken to erect this very " preposterous patent slip," and the measures passed by her Superintendent and Provincial Council in support of the policy of a Government which, in spite of the BigJow Papers and the " Examiner," has already done more for the peace and progress of the North Island than was ever attempted by the Stafford-Richmond Administration. Our contemporary must not " lay the flatter id g unction to his soul" that the Wellington Independent alone requires his attention. We beg to remind him of the existence of such papers as the " Taranaki News," and " Hawkes Bay Telegraph," which, being published nearer the disaffected districts, must be presumed to be better informed than we profess to be, and which cannot certainly bo suspected of " sounding the praises of the present Government." We' would ask the writer of the article of " The Praise of Chaos " (a favorite expression, by-the-way, with the Hon. J. C. Richmond for describing the state of New Zealand without a Richmond in the Cabinet) to read the following extract from a contemporary : — "The Hawke's Bay ' Telegraph' was recently complimented by the Independent as being a paper of considerable ability. The ' Telegraph,' in return, admits the ability of the Independent, but adds, 'It has, for years, held the position of obedient slave to the Fox party, &c. We hope we shall never lay ourselves open to such an accusation as the

übove.' " Surely the " -Examiner " will admit that a journal which declares the Independent to be " a disgrace to the fourth estate ;" and " no longer worthy of respect," is not likely to describe the success of the Fox administration in too flattering terms. This hostile witness will be found to give most damning evidence against the late Ministry, and in favor of the present native administration, and we earnestly recommend this writer, .who talks so confidently of the " costly failures of Mr M'Lean, and the folly and inconsistency of the administration which he shares wiih Mr Fox," to read the following picture, drawn by this fierce opponent of the Wellington Independent : —

Within a few days two years will hare elapsed since the present Ministry supplanted that of Mr Stafford, and nothing could be more widely separated than the policy pursued by each of these parties. The one pursues the " sugar and blanket policy," the other endeavored to control the natives by means of force; and it was in the Government of the Maoris that the main difference lay between the ministries of Meßsrs Stafford and Fox. When the Imperial troops occupied the seaport towns, besides holding positions in the interior of the country, and taking an active part in the war between the Government and the natives, the policy of killing the Maoris to save ouraelveß the trouble of teaching them to become peaceable subjects of the Queen, was, perhaps, not altogether unwise. There were, at all events, many precedents for that course of action, and many Englishmen in this colony are still to be found who are laboring under the impression that the manliest and wisest policy to pursue in all dealings with people less civilised than themselves is to shoot them down, on a difference of opinion arising, and trust to chance whether a satisfactory explanation can afterwards be made. Mr Stafford was the representative of this onlightened party, and to Colonels Haultain and Whitmore were entrusted the carrying out of their views. In every possible way that a policy can fail, Mr Stafford's failed. Our forces, in the main, were defeated in the field, the faireßt districts ruined, murder and rapine reigned supreme, and the whole colony was driven to distraction and sunk in debt. The settlers in the North Island were in such extremity, that at one time it was, if not seriously contemplated at least proposed, that the Island should be abandoned to the people, whom wo, by miegovernment, had converted into as savage a race as we had at firßt found them. If ever a policy were given a fair trial, that of the late Ministry received it, and the consequent was ruin to one half of New Zealand, while discontent and taxation was the result to the other. The cemeteries bear a record as painful as truthful of the frightful effects of bad government, and many years will elapse before tho memory of that dark page in tho history of this colony can bo obliterated.

On the 25th June, 1869, in consequence of a vote of want of confidence having been carried the previous night in the House of Assembly, Mr Stafford resigned, and Mr Fox being called to the head of tho Government, a brighter era dawned on New Zealand. The war was concluded, or perhaps it -would be move correct to say, allowed to die out, and every moanß were adopted to bring about a feeling of confidence and friendship between the two races. Nor have the efforts thus made been unsuccessful, while the actual security of the settlers against any future attack that the Maoris may make is infinitely greater than that which we enjoyed when ten thousand Imperial troops, supported by a considerably larger colonial force than we possess now, wore endeavoring to protect us. At the present time not only are several tribes willing to put down any disorder that may arise, but many chiefs are now taking active measures to secure an undisturbed peace for tho future. If to bring about our relations with the natives to such a satisfactory state had cost as much, or more, ns a war would have done, it would have boon cheap, but no comparison can b<s made between the benefit both races derive in the one case, and the undisturbed possession of the island, we should have secured by the destruction of the Maoris in the other.

This state of things has been brought about by the adoption of what is derisively called tho " sugar and blanket" policy, and now, after only a two year's trial, bo much has been effected in every way beneficial to both racos, there can, we imagine, be but few who do not see that prosperity is only to bo brought about by peaceful means. Several years of war, even had our arms met with uninterrupted success, and wo had destroyed every Maori in tho Island, could never havo repaid its cost, while, with a comparatively small outlay, and with a continuance of good government, in a short period, we may hope for as undisturbed a peace as if no savage ever existed in New New Zealand.

As we have become " a disgrace to the fourth estate" in the eyes of the " Hawkes Bay Telegraph," by our consistent defence of the Fox Ministry, we must suppose the foregoing to be a very moderate estimate of the success of their administration, alike creditable to the journal that makes it, and worthy of tbe confidence of the colony, as emanating from a critic so very scrupulous and discriminating. The " Examiner" is at perfect liberty to choose between our " paean of the 21st," and this comparison of the two Administrations the day after by this eclectic reviewer. We should not be suprised if the manybarrelled revolver should next be aimed at our Hawke's Bay contemporary, but we greatly over-estimate his spirit and intelligence if he is not much more amused than terrified at the prospect !