The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-14 00:00:00

But we need

might offer to our flag.

not particularise or comment further.
commend the article itself to all our readers inte-
rested in tho subject; that is, we suppose, to nearly
all of them. We have not for some time seen so
much ealm good sense, and such just appreciation
and conduct-in anything from the other side of the
water. We trust it reflects-the influential mind of
the North.

We

Another " Little War" we are now well rid of:
namely, the .war in New Z.:Ai and. HAPIIRONA and
NGATIAAVA, the rebel chiefs, having refused to
give in even after the time allowed to them for
calm reflection, between the 13th and 15th of
Mai eh—hostilities appear to have once more,
but happily for the last time, recommenced.
A contest, it has been from first to last
of the most unequal kind a contest,
namely, between the half naked forces of barba-
rism and the disciplined trc•ops of a race foremost
in the ranks of modern civilisation. Our only
justification, in fact, at all, for taking part in this
conflict is the simple ani g'iaring truth that we,
at any rate, have not; been the aggressors.
The struggle was forced ppon the English Autll9,

led A

haul down the white flag from the Maori staff in
token of the truce having come to an end, and send
fluttering up to the staff-head the blood-red war flag.

"In a few minutes," we read in the accounts
just brought to us, "it (the blood-red war-flag) was
lowered, and one solitary shot from the natives
invited to the combat." JACKEY has by that time

donned his war-paint, and strides forth
to view no longer the peaceful JACKET, but

;ransformed, brandishing his war-spear, whooping

his war-whoop, the terrible, or if not exactly ter.

rible, the singularly picturesque KALINGAIIINGA

But—confronting him—there are those two eight

inch aud two ten-inch mortars, and, worst of all,
hose three deadly Armstrongs. " Our fire

was excellent"—we read with a shudder•

' and fearfully destructive." It continued
:hrough all Saturday and through the Sunday fol-

towing, up to five o'clock, the natives yielding then

at last for good and all, and sending up the white

flag once more in token of submission. Three

hundred out of 1,500 men are destroyed,
the Waikatos have retreated, WIREMU KINGI

has withdrawn, and the terms laid down

by his Excellency are finally accepted by HAPU•

RONA. And so terminates this last of our "little
wars"—woull that events might prove it to be, in
truth, the last of them, and that, by thus sedu-

lously guarding against their recurrence, we migh

apply the crowning tribute of the national grati
tude to the memory of the Great Duke of WEL.

LINGTON.

The wish expressed by Mr. ROEBUCK, in the
debate on the Affirmation Bill of Sir JOHN TRE-
LAWNY, was a perfectly fair one. "Ire should
like," he said, "to have the question, whether an

oath was any guarantee for speaking the truth,
fairly argued. Many a trustworthy man had
been put aside because he conscientiously refused to
take an oath; and one who took the oath, without
the least intention of adhering to it, was allowed
to give his evidence. That some modification of
the present system was required was evident."
Mr. ROEBUCK proceeded to argue some important
aspects of the question in a very convincing man-
ner; of coarse,
when a Home Seer
his-
torical evidence, better things argument could be of little avail
etary, of whom we might ex-
pect, from his acquaintance with the
the legal and Conservativengs'
they are; yet Mr. ROEBUCK wa
He put the case of the person Whao
preJudiee-u.footr
answered..
laws of
took the side of all
things
as
ff
, in spite of the
unpleasantness of facing public reprobation, yet
confessed to disbelief of a future state of rewards
and punishments—he might have added, who,
also, as in the recent caseat Rochdale, acknowledged
it to the failure of justice in her own case; and
compared it with that of the unbeliever whwoitchaoreudt
so little about truth as to profess belief
having it, in which case the judge would have no
alternative but to admit the evidence. The:truth-
speaker in this very likely case is rejected from
the witness-box—the liar admitted. " Your rule
of law," exclaimed Mr. ROEBUCK, " excludes the
trustworthy man, and accepts one who is not
trustworthy." This argument no one met, though
it was of course easy for routine lawyers and rou-
tine legislators to vote it bad.

But surely there must be some tolerably clear
principle which should be our clue to escape from
all the Windings and turnings of the legal laby-
rinth into which the' House was led on Wednesday.
One clue, if honourable members could but clear
their minds a little on the subject of religious liberty,
might be sufficient. If we fairly followed out the
principle that no man should suffer civil damage,
or privation of any civil privilege, on account of his
religious belief, this would conduct us to aright

cities out in New Zealand by the lawless audacity
o the native tribes or aborigines. And therefore,
in reality, it became obvious from the com-
mencement, even to the more humane, that the most
generous course that could by possibility
be pursued, wax the right onward course
leading us, in the most direct manner, to the
termination of the hostilities begun by the Maories
and the Waikatos.
A last attempt, however, was made,
it appears, by Governor BROWN at the
eleventh hour to bring the rebels, if possible, to
their senses, and to prevent the further effusion
of blood. " For twelve months," wrote his Excel-
lency, addressing himself to HAPURONA and
NGATIAWA, immediately prior to the close of the
armistice ending on the 15th of March, " you have
been carrying arms against her Majesty the
QUEEN and the authority of the law. You have
now laid down your arms, and expressed your
desire for peace. Believing you to be sin-
cere, I have come from Auckland for the purpose of
stating the terms upon which it will be granted,
and upon which her MAJESTY'S gracious pardon and
protection will be extended to you." General
BROWN then enumerates the conditions in the
manner following :—" 1. The investigation of
the title and the survey of the land at Waitara
to be continued and completed without inter-
ruption. 2. Every man to be permitted to
state his claims without interference, and my de-
cision, or the decision of such persons as I shall ap-
point, to be conclusive. 3. All the land in possession
of her MAJESTY'S forces belonging to those who
have borne arms against her MAJESTY to be disposed
of by me as I may think fit. 4. All guns belonging
to the Government to be returned. 5. All plunder
taken from the settlers to be forthwith restored. 6.
The Ngatiawa who have borne arms against the Go-
vernment must submit to the QUEEN and to the
authorities of the law, and not resort to force for the
redress of wrongs, real or imaginary. 7. As I did
not use force for the acquisition of land, but for the
vindication of the law and for the protection of her
MAJESTY'S native subjects in the exercise of their
just rights, I shall divide the land which I have
stated my intention to dispose of amongst its
former owners, but I shall reserve the sites of the
blockhouses and redoubts, and a small piece of land
round each, for the public use, and shall exercise
the right of making roads through the Waitara
district." And his Excellency adds pointedly—still
addressing himself to HAPURONA and NGATIAWA
—" On your submission to these terms you will
come under the protection of the law, and enjoy
your property, both lands and goods, without
molestation." All his pacific and conciliatory ad-
vances, however, prove ineffectual. The terms are
not accepted—the 15th of March arrives—
the stipulated period set apart for the time draws
to a conclusion, and hostilities are recommenced.
The result is exactly what alone could have
been anticipated. Our English soldiers to the
number of 370—men of the 57th and 65th
Regiments—advance to the front and are
there divided into working parties and
coverers. The sap is resumed—the principal sap
leading to Te-Arei. A branch sap from ore of the
redoubts (No. 8) is carried onward to sweep the
rifle pits excavated along the very verge of the
valley. Before the morning of the 15th has well
commenced, indeed it is only yet 7 a.m., there
arrives from Waitara Captain MERCER, of the
Royal Artillery, and sixty of his artillerymen,
bringing with them THREE ARMSTRONG GUNS and
two 8-inch and two 10-inch mortars! Unconscious
of the awful import of all this, the insensate savages