THE PARIHAKA MEETING.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 232, 20 September 1881, Page 3

THE PARIHAKA MEETING.

LPEB PBBBB ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.] WELLINGTON, September 19. The monthly meeting of Natives was held at Parihaka on Saturday last, when a large number assembled, in all men, women and children between two and three thousand. There were also several Europeans present. The proceedings commenced about 9 a.m. by a feast being spread, and all were invited to partake of it. It consisted of bread, beef, and pork in great abundance, with a plentiful supply of tea. Over seventy bullocks wore killed for the feast. At about ten o’clock the feasting was finished, and the Natives began to assemble in the whare. Tho erstwhile Native prisoners wore congregatsd in a group together, being decorated with three white feathers on their heads, and on Te Whiti taking up his usual position to address the people ho saluted the prisoners with words of welcome. To Whiti delivered a long address with more than usual earnestness, and his words wore listened to with rapt attention by the Natives ; indeed his power of eloquence was so great at times that he wrought upon the feelings of his people to a high degree, and they were intensely excited, although they were profoundly still. Te Whiti spoke as follows :—This is the September meeting, but it is unlike other September meetings. The aspects of things are changed. Hitherto I have carried your (the Native) troubles on my back. I have done this as long as I can, but now you must act for yourselves. Tho trouble in reference to the land is not of the present time. It belongs to tho past—the olden times. The Government say the land is theirs, and I say it is mine. I do not speak of the small pieces here, but I speak of the whole of tho world. I do not care for the Governor or the King, and I now say to you carry on everything yourselves for yourselves until the trouble is over. The pakanga (war) commenced at Waitara; then there was tho ploughing ; then there was the fencing, and then you wore taken prisoners. That time is all past, and the Government have returned you here. You must not be taken prisoners again, I see nothing but trouble, trouble, trouble before me. Talking has been going on for years, but it has come to nothing. There are not so many ways of doing things as formerly. We were alone here; we were by ourselves ; now we have enemies all around us. The land question is all settled ; it is settled now. Pakanga (fighting) has not been all settled ; it is not settled now. The fighting has been hanging over you for a long time. The king and the Government are close to you, but don’t bo alarmed. The fighting must coma ; they say it must go on. It is not you who are the cause of all this ; it is those who are around us. If my hand is wrong to-day my thoughts are wrong. What I have said to you at former meetings was correct.,Wehavojtalked about Atua at them;

we have talked about the land j but this day Z 7 9 , tu about fighting, nothing but fighting. All I said formerly wag right; I left nothing behind. 1 am the land, and all the people are in my hand. All the evil winch formerly existed in the land is upon us. From the time of Israel there has been fighting in the land—fighting against | the Government a*d against the king. All our talk to-day is of fighting, and nothing i® tnow left but to fight. The pease that existed n passed away ; there is no peaos now. Yota have tried to keep ths peace, bit were not avowed. Whalever yon do be not boastful* for the At a a looks on at alljyonr do.hif. There will be no teaching to-day, for all is trouble around me, and all the talk will be of fighting, for nothing but fighting-will put what ir wrong right. All that I said before was on accounl of ths land which is dsarer to us thanlife, but the stranger hae come and settlid on it, and we ore driven off whoft is our own. -The evi.' of the world is loose now amongst as, and there is nothing to stop it u k fight. Let, the Giver.qment and . D ff a --“ tho people listen to the wordsof th.g maetingLj; Jot them take heed what I soy. Let them go from the land ; det themecus© to bring their evil to ns, for so sure as tnsy do will tbtt great tribe melt away. I‘ do not say whether it will be by guneior anything else, but that great tribe will meat away before you. This - meeting alone can settle the matter between the two tribes. Go go - all of you, and look upon me as your protector. Take your arms, and the blessing of the ASsa will be with you. Although this' meeting may look insignificant in the eyes of the Patehas, still we are doing what is right' in our defence. I am disquieted and vexed with to-day’s work, for it ia merely the talk ■ [of my lipa. Go you all on with your land. ! noth. All will yet be straight. When I : said formerly that them would be no more fighting it was the Atua who made me utter - the words. The sufferings of the prophets r and the ayoetlos were great, and our time is now come when suffering meat be broadcast '■ over the land. What lam saying to day is for the ears of all the people. It is only talk ■ to-day, but I send for the pakanga (war) on the land to-day, on to the land sold by the Governor. If when pakanga (war) goes on to the land, they strike you with a stone, strike them with a etone. Likewise it they hit you with their hands, strike you thus yourselves. If they bring guns, take your guns likewise. If the pakeh&s come and eay it is the Governor’s land, and lift hands to defend it, strike them down- These are my words. They are the words Atua puts into my mouth.

Tohu then rose, and said—l hay© little to say to day. All my teaching has been peace on former occasions; to-day the talk is pakanga (war), and nothing elae. Both tribes, whites and Maoris, have been Hying together quietly till the pakehas came with, their evil close to us, I have warned them, before, but that is all past now. Pirat there was the ploughing, then the fencing, and then the imprisonment. £ll that is ka mate (calm) 'to what is to come. There will be nothing but mate (death) for Maoris and whites to-day* and for the generations to come. Listen, all of you, listen to my words. Pakanga* pakanga, pakanga • this is what my talk is to-day. Our tribes will go on the land of our forefathers to tautohetoh (contend one with another) with the Governor, the King and tho whites, for they have taken possession o£ what is ours, and what we will not part with. I say to all, we will not give up the land HIT the Governor, the King and the whites have swallowed us up.” Turning to those who were taking notes, he said, c< We are small in number, but we are strong, and will not allow the Governor, the King, or the whites to swallow us up. The wish of the whites is to swallow us up, for we are but few, but they will not be able to do so. We will not be swallowed up. It ia not I who say this, but the Atua through mo* who utters tho words, the Atua who is the guardian of both races. You are not fighting for tho small pieces of land, but for the whole of it. We have talked before of peace, but that is all past. Now everything is altered from this day. What I said is said that all the people may hear it. It has been said that the Governor owns the land ; it is not so, and. his taking it has raised this pakanga over the land. The Atua approves of what we are doing, it comes from him what I am saying. Things have been quiet for a long time, but that has passed away. Those who have green* stones or taihuo let them look to them for safety. All tho troubles are centred in thie generation, so that future generations may be free from them. These troubles have been known f or a long time ; they have been caused by enemies of yours, and the evil is all centred in this day *s proceedings. It is not ourselves who are the tho cause of all this trouble, it is a tangata ke (a human being) who has brought it on us. It is net Te Whiti ; it is not me. Things are now tho same as in the days of the great dragon. What Te Whiti says to-day is all talk. Pakanga is on us. All who wish fighting come this way ; you who are far off come this way. All I have got to say is fight and kill ; don't save anyone, destroy all before it will be fine to-morrow. Who can make all right ? What I say is that all the land is ours. The name of to-day is Pakanga. Let it all stick to you what I say. lam done for to-day.

Te Whiti, rising again, said—Every year wa have been talking. The Atua (almighty) talks to-day. It is different to-day. You will stretch yourselves over the land and hold it. The Atua said that 50,000 men walked round the walla of the city, and the walla fell on those who were in the city, and killed them. If there were thousands at Pungarohu the bank of the redoubt will be a sepulchre for them. The land to-day is in my hands, and those on it will all fall, they will all perish.

[?EOM THE OWN COEEEBPOKDEKT THE OF “PBEBB.”J WELLINGTON, September 19. Although persistent efforts are being made in certain quarters to work up a Maori “scare," I still adhere to my opinion that there is nothing serious in it, so far at any rate. In support of this view I may quote telegrams received to-night by the Government, which have been courteously placed at my disposal They are from three independent sources, in every way trustworthy. One says, “ A well-known friendly chief, who was at Parihaka meeting, says To Whiti’s speech was not warlike in character, and that there will be no fighting on the part of the Maoris. There will be fencing, planting, and talking, but no fighting; no guns will be used. He estimates that the number at Parihaka meeting was 1000 full grown men, and 240 lads.” The second says—“ There is nothing fresh at Pnngarehu. (Three Natives arrived from Parihaka to-day. They were surprised at the report of threatened hostilities, and told me that a party of Ngatiawa wore returning to their homes to-morrow.” The third telegram runs thus—“ There is nothing particular. The Natives said this morning that Te Whiti had explained last night the real meaning of his address delivered on Saturday. He said ho did not mean to fight, and warned them to be very cautious, and not to bring the power of the Government on them, and to be sure not to be the first to strike a blow, but to carry on tho work, and he cautioned them not to give a liberal meaning to his speeches until they were explained. ” You will observe that these entirely bear out the views which wore telegraphed last night. All sorts of wild tales have been flying about to-day that the Government is largely recruiting in the Armed Constabulary, &c., butt he reports are wholly without foundation.