The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1887. AFFAIRS IN TONGA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1481, 12 February 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1887. AFFAIRS IN TONGA.

It is a curious development of affair* which is now taking place m Tonga. The people of this island kingdom within the lifetime of the present generation were simple savages, but by missionary enterprise they have not only been converted to Christianity, buLhave now a regular settled form of Government with a King and Prime Minister, a postal department, customs department, police, and other signs and appurtenances of civilisation, not excepting, it would seem, a militia of some kind. The King is described as old and feeble, and the real Governor of the islands is the Rev Shirley Baker, formerly a Wesleyan Missionary, but who has set up a church of his own m Tonga, between whom and which and the adherents ot the original Wesleyan Church of the islands there is an exceedingly bitter feud. As always happens when they who wear the cassock also fear the sword, Baker governs with a high hand, and persecutes the Tongan nonconformists, that is to say, those who refuse to come into the Church which he has set up, these persecutions having apparently led up to the recent outrage m which the Rev autocrat was evidently intended to be assassinated. All sorts of versions of the affair are given, some attributing the attempted murder to ceiiain convicts who have escaped froaa gaol, and others to religious animosity, but, on the whole, it seems pretty clear that the trouble which has arisen is traceable to two causes, viz, the oppressive exactions ot the Government, as represented by Mt Baker, and the sectarian feud for which he seems to be mainly responsible. The Rev. Mr Moulton, principal of what is somewhat grandiloquently styled the Wesleyan College of Tonga, is accused of inciting rebellion, and it is quite apparent that party feeling on both sides runs exceedingly high. One account (that of Captain Lane, of the schooner Mails) says that " There is universal dissatisfaction from end to end of the Kingdom. Everything goes to the Government, which takes two-thirds of the entire produce of the country, so that the.natives are reduced to poverty and the traders are ruined, and yet are afraid to speak lest it should be worse for them. It is impossible that things can go on longer as they have been doing. If the King should die, Baker's life would not be worth an hour's purchase. When the Maile left Tonga the place was m great excitement, and it ;vas daily expected the natives would commit some further outrages, and business was at a complete standstill, ao one feeling disposed to do anything vhile matters were m such a disquieting state. Tonga was m a state of martial law, and warriors brought from neighboring islands were daily committing acts of looting upon peaceable residents m and about Nuka, Vanulrau, and Sofia." A Tongan correspondent TJr tbtr Au^UlanH J-I*ra!d gives an entirely different version. He is evidently a partisan of Mr Baker's, and, of course, by consequence, an opponent of Mr Moulton's. Referring to the attempted murder of the former, he says ; — *• Mr Moulton's friends are suspected of not only having devised the scheme, but havirg laid out a plan which was to have been followed by civil war ; and although two days after the affair they literally proclaimed war, yet the ringleaders being caught, the cowards soon returned to their homes. As the Government found the matter^ mpreserious than it was at first supposed, they have sworn the officials to secrecy lest the people, who are intensely ex bited over the affair, should take the matter into their own hands and proclaim Lynch law. So far notwithstanding that there are some 700 fighting men over here from Haapi and Navatua, the utmost they have done is to kill a few pigs belonging to Mr Moulion and his adherents. This coming directly on the fact of 24 01 Mr Moulton's adherents m the militia refusing to take the oath of allegiance (14 of whom were college boys, and the rest very pro minent adherents of his) looks very suspicious, and more especially as the very leaders of the affair are some of the rebels whom Mr Moulton sympathised within 1880. , The four criminals have professed, for the past few weeks to be Roman Catholics, whereas one was a Roman Catholic and the others Moulton's adherents. They ran away from gaol a few months ago, notwithstanding that they were heavily ironed ; one of the gaolers, it is supposed, helped them lo escape. They are all long sentenced men. It is presumed it will appear at the trial that they were only the tools of others." Mr John Roberts, president of the Tonga College (we presume a rival institution to that presided over by the Rev Mr Moulton), is also a partisan ot the Rev. Mr Baker, and writing from Nukualafa on the 24th of January, says : — At first it was thought by many to be entirely the woik of the four convicts who had escaped and given some trouble to the police, but it is now gradually coming out that it is a most serious affair. After a fair trial the political and religious phases of the affair will be made plain to all. When the men from Humbia heard the full particulars they were very angry, and some of them tried to break open the gaol to get at the prisoners. I could not help admiring the eloquent speech the Premier made to quiet them when I considered how his. heart must be lull of anxiety and soirow. The successful work of the Government and the Free Church m advancing 1 freedom, education, religion, and morals has raised up many enemies. This is their work — the votaries of treason and superstition and ignorance." These accounts differ widely as the poles are asunder, but clearly demonstrate that there is a very dangerous state of affairs existent m this little island kingdom ?nd which threatens to result m a good deal of bloodshed before things are put on a satisfactory footing ; and the chief pity of the whole matter is that all this should have been brought about m the name of religion, or at least by those who profess to be Ministers of the Gospel of Peace, The mater, independently of general humanitarian considerations, has a further interest for the British colonies m these seaß, as disorder m Tonga may be made the pretext for occupation by some other

Power, and it is satisfactory to see that Sir Robert Stout has readily perceived this aspect of the case, and has brought it under the notice of the Admiral of the Australian Squadron, who will doubtless watch the situation with a view to taking any needful action.