The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1620 The Other Side of the Earth

London, England.

John Russell and his Whig Party failed to meet the expectations of the people and the government, and unsurprisingly lost the election.

John Russell always suspected that many things were related to Palmerston, and although he had no concrete evidence, he could still use his power to send a less-than-successful diplomat to the other side of the world.

Palmerston was also frustrated. He didn't know where he had offended the Prime Minister. Even though he had gotten close to Prince Albert, he could only act as a scapegoat.

At this time, Palmerston was exiled to New Zealand by John Russell.
New Zealand was not a good place in the eyes of the British. Although it was a colony, the indigenous people in other regions did not have the habit of cannibalism, but the indigenous people of New Zealand were known for their love of cannibalism.

But it was precisely because of this barbaric behavior of the New Zealand Aboriginals that they did not suffer the same fate of extinction as the Aboriginals of neighboring Australia.

At this time, New Zealand was incredibly boring, with only a group of farmers enthusiastically cultivating the land and flocks of sheep bleating.

Palmerston disliked this respectable life of exile, and bored out of his mind, he could only buy some rabbits for occasional hunting leisure.

However, this period did not last long. At that time, there were 60,000 British and 100,000 Maori in New Zealand, but the British had acquired 80% of the land on the island through continuous exploitation and various land agreements.

It was only then that the Maori people belatedly realized that the land was not unlimited, and feeling cheated, they wanted to reclaim their land.

The root of it all lies in the Treaty of Waitangi of 1840:
1. The Maori chiefs relinquished their territorial sovereignty, and all those born on the islands were subject to British law.

2. Guarantee that the lands, forests, fishing grounds and other property of the chiefs of the tribes of New Zealand are not violated; if land is to be sold, it shall be offered to the Queen of England first.

3. It promised the Maori the protection of the Queen of England and that they would enjoy "all the rights and privileges enjoyed by British citizens".

This is nothing to the British; they have signed many similar treaties.

Later immigrants to Britain also followed tradition by buying or seizing land. For example, one missionary once bought 105 million hectares of land for £2500.

Although it sounds even more outrageous than outright robbery, the British considered the treaty, signed on a voluntary basis, to be valid.

However, in Maori tradition, land is not considered property, but rather an inheritance, a gift that cannot be traded.

What the British called sovereignty, the Maori viewed merely as the right to govern. Coupled with cultural and economic conflicts, the Maori generally felt they had been deceived.

Palmerston snorted after reading the briefing. He knew without a doubt that the Maori were living in dire straits, even marginalized, and that the local governor had initially turned a blind eye to them, only to be helpless when the Maori were pushed to the brink.

"What utter nonsense about deception. It's just a bunch of unhappy guys trying to gain benefits for themselves through violence."

In fact, much as Palmerston had estimated, the marginalized Maori people were resentful, and since they were an unconquered people, they naturally wouldn't accept their fate passively.

Of course, the local governor, George Gray, did underestimate the Maori. In George Gray's view, the Maori were just a people living in a tribal era, with hundreds of tribes on the island, and their voices could not be unified at all.

Even if a powerful newcomer appeared, the Maori would still have to fight amongst themselves before they could unify. The British colonists could use this opportunity to eliminate the Maori just as they had eliminated the Tasmanians.

(The Tasmanian population once numbered nearly 70, far exceeding the Māori population.)
However, to George Gray's surprise, the Maori man who had suddenly appeared was not only big and burly, but also a master of verbal sparring.

This tough guy persuaded most of the chiefs with his words. When he encountered a few chiefs who were unwilling to resist the British, he would lie down at their doorsteps, eat and live with them, and get them to accept his opinions.

This seemingly random and even absurd man used this somewhat shameless and nonsensical method to bring the Maori people together.

The main problem is that the British are inhumane. It is true that the Maori have a tradition of independent governance, but the British have indiscriminately infringed on the interests of all of them, so it is not surprising that they would unite.

It is clear that George Gray's experience in Africa is not applicable elsewhere.

However, the Maori did not want to drive out the British; in fact, they wanted to elect a Maori king and have both systems coexist.

Governor George Gray was already at his wits' end, but Palmerston knew his chance had come. Palmerston picked up his rifle and knocked on his neighbor's door.

The neighbors were clearly frightened when they saw Palmerston fully armed.

"Sir, the money from selling the wool hasn't been mailed back yet."

"Pick up your weapons, sir, we're going to war!"

Palmerston ignored his neighbor, who was disheveled in the wind, and rode off to the next house.

Palmerston nodded, the London parliamentary debates flashing through his mind. "So, they've started organizing a rebellion?"

In less than half a day, several hundred people had gathered in Palmerston.

"Sir, what do we need to do?"

Finally, someone couldn't help but ask.

Palmerston answered, a cigar dangling from his lips and his head tilted to the side.

"Go negotiate."

"Go to negotiate?"

Everyone was completely bewildered. They all thought they were going to war. Some of the young people immediately lost their spirits, while the older people breathed a sigh of relief. They didn't want to become cannibals' dinner.

A middle-aged gentleman asked.

“Mr. Palmerston, do we look like we’re going to negotiate with so many men and so many guns?”

Palmerston flicked his cigar and said with a smile.

"That's how we show our sincerity. What are we talking about if we don't have the capability? Delivery service?"

Palmerston's words immediately amused everyone, and the atmosphere eased instantly.

“But we haven’t received Lord Grey’s permission yet.”

The middle-aged gentleman was the local militia commander, and he hesitated whether to listen to the high-ranking official in front of him.

"He is the governor, and I am the diplomat! We must tell those natives that Britain is not an enemy, but a trustworthy friend."

We will provide them with protection and progress, but if they are unwilling to become civilized, then we can only offer them assistance.

The middle-aged gentleman spoke again.

“I know you, and I know your reputation. But this is not Qing, nor is it Africa. The Maori are natural warriors, and they are not afraid of your cannons.”

Palmerston burst into hearty laughter.

"Wouldn't that be even better? We need a worthy adversary to demonstrate the superiority of Britain, its people, and its institutions!"

Palmerston appeared calm on the surface, but he actually knew things wouldn't be as easy as he made them out to be; otherwise, he wouldn't be the one to handle all of this.

But Palmerston knew very well that he had to do this if he wanted to make a comeback, otherwise he would most likely just grow old and die next to the sheepfold.

The part about the strong man who fell from the sky is taken from a legend, not from a formal history book.