Polynesian., 1860-09-29
Ghe polpnesian,
The Story Of New Zealand.

Il true colony-We 90 not mean n conquered pro-
| vince, but settlements very like second-rate
English town, with some addition in energy and
some deduction in morality; and its literature
| smacks very much of Il county ' Mercury" The
returned cOonist from the southern seas who seeks
to enlighten the English public on the 81 Young
Empire to which Mr.. Disraeli looks for succour
| against France, seldom has the breadth of know
ledge requisite for his task and is too much stepped
in local politics and preudces to give it if he had.
Ii is rare piece of good fortune when the duty is
undertaken by writer whose position at once
| gives him thorough familiarity with the events
and facts he is describing, and frees him from the
PASSIONS by which the actors in them blinded.
No situation could be more favorable for this pur-
| pose than that of q military surgeon. Er offci0
he is bound to be impartial in political disputes
while his profession gives him both inquiring
habit of mind and also that extensive personal in
| tercnurse from which alone contemporary history
can be constructed. Dr. Thompson has not been
wanting to his opportunities. He has worked up
his subject with righteousness and accuracy which
| a German might envy. while he steers ii straight
| impartial course through the midst of the many
| angry controversies which have agtated the mi
| mite and vivaciOus communities whom he describes
Indeed In respect to one of the controversies 1t is
! only from medical man that fair narrative can
| be expected. In the questions that have arisen
between the white and the Maori, neither
missionary settler can be taken as an unbiased
/
the Niger" whose absurd rights of property
cramp his enterprise while the missionary men
tally curses the settler for the introduction of
busy, worldly activity which tainted his once sim
pie followers and substituted agriculture for church
going. The surgeons art gives him friends and
interests among the Maories while the innate an
| tagonlsm between doctor and clergyman mbues
him with certain sympathy for the settlers griev
ances.
Ten or fifteen years ago, New Zealand occupied
a very prominent place in the public mind, and
was bone of contention both to religious and po-
lltcal parties, though the successive war Of the
Crimea, India and China have Of late caused it to
be almost entirely forgotten. Perhaps it did not
deserve the exaggerated attention it used to receive
from politicians in the days of the New Zealand
Company but in an historical point of view its
colonization must always be very full of interest.
1t marks stage not only in the civilization of the
MaOries, but of own. There is no sounder
test of high and true civilization than its deal
ings with race of helpless savages. Its Office is
to rub off preiudices, and there is no prejudice so
catlike in its vitality the prejudice of race.
While 1t stimulates commerce, it is true civili-
cation If 1T does not curb the greediness of trade :;
and the weakness of savages presents temptation
to rapacity which liberal politicians and deep
y religious men have not been always able to with
stand. We do not mean to say that the conduct
of Englishmen to New Zeaanders has been always
unimpeachable, but it marks great advance. The
progress has been slow and has taken two centu-
| ries to learn. We were never quite so bad as the
Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch settlers, who en-
shaved the natives whose lands they seized. The
Pilgrim Fathers content with seizing the
lands and massacreing their former owners whenev-
er they stood in their way. When Australian
colonization began, we had advanced little fur
ther. We took the natives lands. but we protect
ed their lives and although settler would Occa-
siOnally disembarrass himself of incOnyenient
neighbors by inviting them to feast of poisoned
damper, still these were Inischanees for which the
Government not to blame. In New Zealand
we have reached the unheard of liberality of not
only sparing the natives lives, but of purchasing
all the land that we occupied. Whether the Wal
rau massacre did not stimulate our consciences in
this respect it would perhaps be invidious to in
quire but, at all events, precedent is establish
ed which will we trust be law for future cases
The English Government seems to have had o
presentiment of the difficulty which, in this age OF
humanity, the occupation of aboriginal property
would present. They struggled calamity to escape
the fatal acquisition hut their destiny was too
strong for them The folly of burdening our little
island with such vast and distant possessions has
been favorite theme for the lamentations of one
school of politicians. But New Zealand is only
the last proof out of many that the 6rmest convic-
tons and steadiest resolutions the part OF rulers
are unavailing to prevent the growing Of an en-
pire whose law is growth. Except In the case OF
convict colonies, the English Government has
scarcely taken the initiative in colonization.
Either traders missionaries, settlers occupy
the country; and then choice is left to a Min
lister but to accept the colony to abandon to an
archy community of British subjects. So it
in New Zealand. First it was visited by whalers,
even by missionaries, then by runaway sailors or
by Sydney spectators, until at last there was
| considerable number of Europeans in the colony.
| The days of William the Fourth were days OF
| economy, and the Government did their best to
stave off the recognition of the colony as long as
they could. First, they sent British consul to
the Bay of Islands to keep the Europeans in order
Then some patterns of flags were sent for the
chiefs to choose from; and the chiefs inspired by
a Yankee whaler chose close resemblance to the
| stars and stripes The Colonial Secretary gravely
| sanctioned their choice. and orders were issued
| from the Admiralty to recognise the New Zealand
| flag. Then the consul assembled a number of
chiefs and formed them into nominal republic,
represented by Parliament, under the title of the
| United Tribes Of New Zealand But these were
| mere postponements of the evil day. As soon
| the New Zealand Company had begun TO colonize
in earnest and had sent out their first shp-load of
emigrants, the Ministers of the day felt that to
remain any longer inactive would be to ensure
war of races Perhaps the news that Louis Phil
| lpe had taken shares in French colonizing COM
pany directed to the same islands quickened their
measures. But their mode of proceeding was, for
the credit Of their humanity, a novel one. Instead
of taking possession in the Queens name, as Cap
tain Cook had done, their emissary, Captain Hob
son, assembled the chiefs, and by guaranteeing to
them their lands, obtained a cessOn of the soye-
reignty at the treaty of Waitangi. This guaran-
tee of land was destined to sustain many rude
shock from many different assailants; but it has.
in spite OF all efforts. been nobly maintained.
The attempts of the Europeans to eyade it lay at
the bottom of all the troubles by which the infan-
cy of the colony was beset.
First came the missionaries and the land-sharks.
Adventures from Sydney, which was not at that
time the residence of a very elevated population,
had early n zen the nnnnrtunitV of nractising on