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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 10

Sir, As, owing to its unique, unparelled [sic] features

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Sir,

As, owing to its unique, unparelled, features, the Question of the Imperial Parliament succouring New Zealand, (a National Property) in War and Disasters, brought on partly by Imperial Parliament Servants at the Colonial Office, may, yet, have to be discussed this Session—and as, indisputably, it would be a Question touching national honour and justice, I venture to hope that you may see fit to glance at some of its "facts and truths" stated in the accompanying Letter to the Times.

Certain late "Successes" over the Rebels may be distorted into Victories, heralding Solid Peace—but it is notorious, that, in the intermittent, savage War which for years has paralysed or desolated the finest Provinces of New Zealand, such "successes" have often been achieved before:—only to result, on our side, in idle trumpeting and the dropping of arms—but on the Rebels', in fresh plots and combinations, enabling them to make a more effective re-appearance in the field.

I would also, ask you to observe, as shown in the Letter, that "Maori Wars" are not so much struggles between New Zealand and the Enemy, as between the weaker half, the North Island, of New Zealand and the Enemy; and that in fighting power and resources the North Island may prove weaker than the Enemy—for it must be remembered that the scenes of the last six months, which have already so taxed the defensive powers of the Colonists, have been the work of only a few bands of Desperadoes—that the powerful "Maori King" tribes have, ostensibly, taken no part therein—and that long experience of the wily Maori character warrants the belief that they are standing aloof, watching the end of the present outbreak, only to make sure that the great Queen, over the ocean has abandoned page 2 her rights and duties in New Zealand, and that her "Red Coats" will never daunt them more—when, more safely and successfully, they might plot a general combination and rising of all Rebels from North to South, and test the truth of their boast of being able to drive the "Pakeha" into the sea.

I would further beg your attention to that inhuman practice of "hiring Savages to destroy Savages," which the Crown's refusal to aid the Colony compels the Colony to adopt—one which Admiral Sartorious, at page 16 of the Letter, so justly denounces—one which, for the reasons there given, must weaken the chance of civilization being able to save even a remnant of the Race—and one of which, as seen at page 27, our Maori Allies will make the most.

Two New Zealand Public Men, Mr. Weld and Mr. Weld and Fitzgerald—who, as leaders in Lord Racon's "Heroic Work" of Colonization, merit every Colonist's respect—have lately published their defence of that crude and premature policy of "Self Reliance" which, in evil hour, they were deluded into helping the Colonial Office to saddle on the Young Colony. But their exculpations utterly ignore three pregnant facts of the case:—the one, that we who differ from them love "Self Reliance" quite as much as themselves, but contend that in New Zealand, it comes too soon—the second, that, even if it had not come too soon, it would still have been the Young Colony's duty to herself not tamely to submit to its being "forced" on her by the Colonial Office, and to seeing that peccant Institution shuffling, scathless, out of disasters which it, mainly, had brought on—and the third, that though the present costly "Self Reliant" effort of the Colony to, suppress the present partial Outbreak may be, successful, it would, still, leave that great "root Difficulty" of the Native Question, described in the Letter at page 8, and on, utterly untouched.

That, for economical and mother considerations, the British Crown may justly decline to aid a British

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Colony in a domestic War, is one thing, and may be true-but that the British Crown, after having done much to bring a" Savage War" on a Young Colony, may justly stand aloof and give the young Colony no aid therein, is altogether an other thing, and utterly false—as indeed the most reckless of Economists must admit, and as Mr. Gladstone's words, quoted in the Letter, show that, when out of power himself, thought.

But, even if the Imperial Parliament should refuse aid, either of men or money, in suppressing Wars and Troubles desolating the National Property in New Zealand, I trust, Sir, that it would, still, regard it as a duty to Christianty and Philanthropy to help in the work alluded to at page 10 of the Letter—namely that of energetically labouring to civilize and "save" the Savage after he has been, "tamed."

I am, Sir,

Very respectfully yours,

Charles Flinders Hursthouse.

Great Yarmouth, Marine Terrace