THE LATE BISHOP PATTESON.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2721, 6 November 1871, Page 2

THE LATE BISHOP PATTESON.

Although there was no formal intimation of a special service at St. Paul’s Church in memory of the murdered Bishop Patteson, ♦he morning service very appropriately tended to keep his death in the minds of the Congregation. The service was opened by Mr Towsey’s playing “ Vital Spark” on the organ, and afterwards “The Head March” in Saul, and Beethoven’s “Funeral March” with great feeling and taste; and suitable chaunts and hymns were rendered by the choir with solemn pathos. The Kev. E. G. Edwards preached from Prov 10 v. 7. “The memory of the just is blessed.” He briefly commented upon the doctrine of the Communion of Saints, as understood in the early days of the Church, showing that in accordance with the theory of Christianity, death is not annihilation, but a change in the conditions of existence and thatthe communion of good men who were dead with those who remained on earth was not broken. Their names therefore still remained on the Church rol', which was read at their Communion Services, and that roll contained the names of martyrs or witnesses who had been put to death for holding fast the faith they professed. He considered that to this long list the name of B shop Patteson might worthily be added, for he had exhibited the same spirit and had died a martyr’s death. He then quoted largely from a letter written by the Bishop to the General Synod, respecting the tendency of the labor kidnapping in the South Pacific Islands. That letter pointed out clearly that the practice was founded on unscrupulous deception of the natives by the masters and crews of vessels engaged in the trade ; that it was impossible that fair contracts could be made between parties who could not understand each others language, and that the deceptions practised, combined with the immorality of the traders, tended not only to throw difficulties in the way of spreading Christianity but to render the lives of the missionaries unsafe. But the danger would not be confined to them, it would extend to the crews of vessels that Were wrecked or that visited the Islands for supplies, as the natives, under the idea of self-preservation or through revenge, would put them to death instead of treating them hospitably as in times past. His closing request, breathing the spirit of the Martyr Stephen, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge/’ was, that the natives should not be condemned as guilty of murder if anything happened to himself or the missionaries, as the provocation and injustice were on the side of the civilised not the uncivilised race. Illustrative of the devotion of Bishop Patteson to his missionary work, we may mention that a friend of ours, who was on one occasion a fellow voyager with him, in conversation asked him if, after so long an absence, he did not desire to visit Home once more. The Bishop replied No; he had committed himself to the work, and bis whole life must be spent in prosecuting it. He should not leave it.

In the afternoon of yesterday the Rev. E. G. Edwards addressed the children in the Sunday school, on the death of Bishop Patterson. About 220 children were present, who seemed highly interested. There was also a special service at All Saints’ in the morning. The Rev E. H. Granger preached from Luke xi., 2, and in the course of his remarks observed that the name of Bishop Patteson brought up the remembrance of one who was holy in life, unflinching in labor, apostolic in spirit, self sacrificing, and full of the power of the cross. Perhaps no greater contrast could be found between that will which was God’s, and the will of man than in the circumstances which attended the death of this, one of His holiest and best servants. In a memorandum dated January of this year, he spoke of the unjust means used to procure laborers ior the Queensland and Fiji plantations, and there being absolutely no check upon the proceedings of men who were bound by no religious or moral restraint which could prevent their practising deception and violence to entice or convey natives on board their vessels, or from detaining them forcibly when on board. The African slave trade, he continued, was put down as a thing evil in itself, a disgrace to humanity, and a practical repudiation of Christianity. People did not stop to enquire farther. It was enough that men were stolen from their houses and taken away by force. But there was no check at present upon these traders, and it was mockery to speak of their trading as a system of emigration. “ It was nothing-less than a system of kidnapping,” as, indeed, had been borne witness to by a writer iu Blackwood , who had spent some time aniongthese islands aud had twice visited Fiji. He quoted part of a letter, received from the captain of a whale ship. “ The natives of these islands would come off in former years bringing such articles of trade as their islands afford, for which we paid them with hatchets, tobacco, &c. They trusted us and we trusted them ; at times our decks were crowded. This, when slaving commenced, was all to the slavers’ advantage, for the natives were easily enticed below, the hatches put on, and.the vessel was off; now, no native comes on board the whale ship, and we, in our turn, dare not land. Again, we used to carry people from one islaud to another, when they wished it. This also has been taken advantage of, and the natives carried into slavery instead of home. Should we be wrecked, our lives

must go for more than have been stolen, and then the natives will be condemned and called blood-thirsty, 4c., and yet what will the natives have done? Not certainly, right, but no more than civilised people have done in many cates. I hear, adds the captain, that they use your name, that is the name of Bishop Patteson, tod coy natives from their islands.”

“ Imperial legislation is required,” he continues, “ to put an end to this miserable state of things, and two small men of war ought to cruise constantly among these islands, especially in the neighbourhood of Queensland and Fiji, to intercept vessels briuging natives to those ports, and to examine into the conditions under which they were brought ” And then he said, as if by way of anticipation of his own death, in consequence of this nefarious traffic:—“ln conclusion, I desire to protest by anticipation against any punishment being inflicted upon natives of these islands who may cut off vessels or kill boat’s crews, until it is clearly shown that these acts are not done in the way of retribution for outrages first committed by white men. Only a few days ago a report reached me that a boat’s crew had been killed at Espirito Santo. Nothing is more likely. I expect to hear of such things. It is the white man’s fault, and it is unjust to punish the colored man for doing what, under such circumstances, he may naturally be expected to do. People say and write inconsistently about the treachery of these islanders. I have experienced no instance of anything of the kind during 14 years’ intercourse with them : and I may fairly claim the right to be believed when I say that, if the Melanesian native is treated kindly, he will reciprocate such treatment readily.’ The contact ef many of these traders assures all the worst suspicions and passions of the wild untaught man. It is not difficult to find an answer to the question, Who is the savage, and who is the heathen man ?” An early victim to his own sad anticipations, thus perished Bishop Patteson, girded with the whole armor of God, which endures to present that Christian warrior—that noble man of faith and love, whose prai.-e was in all the Churches, whose work was known wherever Christianity was known—before His Maker’s throne, to receive that welcome summons, “ Well done, good and faithful servant, entfer thou into the joy of thy Lerd.” The Church’s loss was his gain, and the Church in the extremity of its grief could only plead in the words of the text.