SPEECHES OF GOVERNOR SIR GEORGE GREY AND THE WAIKATO CHIEFS AT THE MEETING HELD AT KOHANGA, DECEMBER 1861.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 38, 20 March 1862, Page 5 (Supplement)

SPEECHES OF GOVERNOR SIR GEORGE GREY AND THE WAIKATO CHIEFS AT THE MEETING HELD AT KOHANGA, DECEMBER 1861.

KOHANGA. 12th December. W aata Kukutai (Nagatitipa): Welcome Governor, Welcome to Waikato. Welcome to the house which is injured, to the path which is overgrown, to the fence which is broken down. Welcome to the scattered sheep. The sheep have no shepherds, and so they are scattered abroad. It was I who fetched you from the forests of Taane. Welcome to your-old resting places. The roads are filled up. Come ashore. Enough. Aihepenc Kaihau (Ngatiteata) : Here are my fathers and younger brethern carrying the treasure into the house. The tikonga is with you. Enough ; it lias appeared in your presence. The Governor to Hcrewini; Will you answer a question if I ask it ? Te Herewiui (Ngatitamaho) : Ask it. His Excellency : I wish to know what Waikato wants. Hcrewini: What I desire is to show my love, and cry to my friend the Governor, Welcome, Welcome. Como in the name of goodness and the words of Potatau : although he is dead his sayings remain. Welcome Governor, to see us in peace, and that we may see you. O Governor, Welcome. I also call to you ; reply to mo. I have finished what I have to say, I have said it. This is my question that you may say your say. I have answered your question thus, because such is my love to you. I did not understand your enquiry, and so I speak my own thought. I question, and am questioned in return : questions are put to me, and I question in reply. And so I say answer my words of good-will. His Excellency: It is impossible for me to speak until I know what you want. I am come here as a stranger, and so I seek to know what it is which is desired by you. Do you want to know if I am come hero in peace ? Yes. I have come in love and regard for you all, and I wish to find out what I can do for you. Hcrewini: Friend the Governor, listen to mo. There arc three things that I think of; love, peace, and Christianity. There are also three other things -which I think of: the king, the flag, and the roads. His Excellency: I am a stranger here, and should like it to be made clear what all these things mean. What is the king, according to your thoughts P Hcrewini : This is the interpretation of it. There are three things which I consider : the king the flag, and the road. This is ray explanation. His Excellency : Well, what is that you mean by the king ? Hcrewini: He is a king belonging to us, to us of this Island of New Zealand, belonging to (or over) us the inhabitants of New Zealand. His Excellency: Is the king for the Europeans ? Hcrewini: If you O Governor, arc willing to accept my king, it will be well. His Excellency: Is ho then only a king for those who wish to have him ? Herewini would not ans-wer at first, then he said, He is for us, the men of New Zealand. His Excellency : What about those who do not wish to have him. Herewini: All the men of New Zealand wish to have him. His Excellency, repeating the last question said What about those who refuse him ? Herewini: I do not know that there arc any ; there are none who have fled beyond the bounds of New Zealand. His Excellency: But I know there are many. What about those ? Do you intend to force them to have him as a king ? Hcrewini : Ha! There arc none unwilling ; all are consenting. His Excellency : Have the Ngapuhis consented? Herewini: All, all belong to New Zealand. HisExceilcncy : Have the Ngatitipa consented? Herewini : Yes ! all belong to New Zealand ; and Waikato belongs to New Zealand. His Excellency: What power is the king to have ? What is he to do ? Herewini: His work. You know that wars have being the constant practise in this island of New Zealand. The Scriptures have come to me.- I search, and in the Scriptures I find rhence I build up this enclosure as the means of stanching my

blood ; thus I have considered in the years that have passed. His Excellency: Have you thought of no other plan for stopping war and bloodshed, in which all the country could join ? Herewini: The destroyers of this evil are Christianity and love: these are its destroyes. Speak, O Governor, about evil and good: I thought that love should he joined to love, and . hence I spoke about the three things. > His Excellency: I have come a long way to work for good, and to make peace in this land. Herewini: And is that your design ? Did yo como to bring peace to this island? [To the meeting: You hear this? Reply, Yes, yes.] Love and the Gospel are the fruits of good. You speak well, O Governor. His Excellency : I am come here to give pence and quiet to this land. Now this is what I am still seeking to know; Do you mean that the king that you have set up is to bo forced on people who do not care for him, nor want him ? Herewini: Ido not know that any outside. I have said that all the island is New Zealand. His Excellency: The Ngapnhis reject him. Herewini: No word from them has come to us. His Excellency: But If they do reject him, what then ? Do you mean to try and force them ? Herewini: Wo Maorics shall love each other. His Excellency : Then you only intend him to be a chief over such tribes as well have him ? Herewini; Yes, as a king ; for the tribes of New Zealand. His Excellency : No ; a great many have refused him. Herewini : Ido not know that such a word (design) has como to us. I have not heard of such a word. His Excellency ; I know they do refuse him. I know that many will refuse linn. Herewini: Who says so ? Eis Excellency; I tell you so, and it is best we had a distinct understanding upon this point. I will not have him forced on any tribes that will not have him. Herewini: No letter has reached us, no letter saying they do not approve ; and hence I said, all are consenting. In of Herewini fencing the quest ion His Excellency said, I cannot get any information from Herewini. Is there any Waikato man who will tell mo what is wanted ?

Tewhi Panuwaka (Ngatihine) : Our words have been spoken to you by Herewini : love Christianity, and peace. ‘ Those three things also arc what 1 say to you : the king, the flag, and the roads.

iiis Excellency : Do you mean him to bo a chid of a tribe P Alany Maories say “ Xo, we will, no|, have him.'* .If you want a chief for the tribes that will have him, I can understand that ; but if you want to sot up a chief for those who will not liave him, 1 say you are evil men, and I will not allow such tvraunv.

'lewiii; 1 do not know that any arc going outside ol tiic tribes of Aew Zealand. Xo loiter has readied us.

Ills Excellency ; The Xgapubis say they won't have him, and so do many oilier tribes. Say plainly at once, do 3 on intend to try and force him on those who will not have him ?

lew!n : Ido not know that they are going (liv ing) outside.

Jlis Excellency : Do you intend to make slaves of die chiefs of the Xgapnhi and other tribes. Towlii; I have not yet seen (received) their letters.

Ills Excellency? Do not be afraid to tell the truth.

Tewbi; Vfc (the Maories) all belong to Xew Zeahrud.

is Excolllency : I wish you would answer fairly, as a friend to a friend. Don’t evade the question, but answer fairly. Do you mean to attack those who reject tho king'? lewlii : W o will not go about threatening ; if they do not come and join us, wo will not (tineaten) ; rather let them ocnie in themselves ; they understand it.

Ins Excellency : How I begin to see the incaning of j'our word “Peace.” How I can go on working with all tho tribes all over the counln*.

lewlii; i cs, they know and we know because they are ail Hew Zealanders. Ills Excellency : I felt some anxiety to know whether you intended to force your king on tribes nho did not want him, because I should have been obliged to protect them from such a course of things ; but now my mind is at ease. I don’t cave what you call him : king or chief, I do not mind him. What I shall now do is to set to work with all the chiefs who will help mo and do all the good, I can ; and those who will not aid me, I shall not care lor. 1 shall look upon each chief as the king of his own tribe; and if two or more tribes come and say, “This is ours,” like the king o f T t!, c/'gnpuliis and ether tribes, I shall say" “Well if you like to give up vour chieftainship to another man, well and good' 1 shall not care.” I shall have twenty kings in Hew Zealand before long ; and those kings who work with me shall be ■n call-ivy kings, and kings of M'ealtliy people?. . P'bbana (Hgatiiipa) ; Listen to my spoaeii; it is but one word. Hour discourse comes in the name of goodness and peace; your kindness is excellent, and comes from beyond tho seas, from heaven. We have allured "you hither, O our great elncf._ I shall confine my words to love and tho law. Wo all who are sit(ing here listen to the goodness of your words. 3-ay no attention to what we have been talking about, it is child's ]3lay. If you let tiiat child s play alouc, it will fall of itself Look at the men that Clod made, and do not look at the flagstaff of the Maorics because the Maori is a foolish rnen. Do not thj'nk abont such a tiling (as the flagstaff). If you act thus, it will then he said to be Hie word of children ; but if yon dispute about it, it will then bo considered as an important thing. To Ao-o-to-rangi (Tainui) My speech to you is respecting importance being attached by you to our work of Hew Zealand (the King movement). This is my word I am a Hew Zealander (he island i>cvv Zealand, and the work is (hat of Hew Zealand it hong',-, O my hitiior the tribes are Aran-

gers and have their thoughts divided, yet do they form one people. We are overtaken when foolishly pursuing Maori customs, and were set right by you by the people of England. Now I understand this work tho work of those nations who have knowledge. At present, Governor, we who are living on the open road of this river are sitting in peace. W hen you returned to England another Governor came, and before he had been here long he turned against us. We did not rise in return or do anything. We had a case of blood (that of a native killed by a European in Auckland); it was shone upon by the sun and all the world saw it. It was given up to Auckland by Waikato and us, given up to be settled by your laws until we were iired out. It was not long afterwards when evil occured again, it rose up and was put down. We were not gloomy I had but one thought, my goodness and straightforwardness commenced then and continued witlx Governor Gore Browxre. His word to his friends was not heard, but conflagi’ation spread at Taranaki. When wo first heard of it it was burning. Whilst we were ramming down' our cartridges the report of your cannon was heard the Maori custom is to ask What is that? what is that ?” Now that your como welcome Governor welcome to New Zealand. When you left, the flock of sheep were on tho right path and the garden which you cidtivated was thriving well, when you return it is overspread witlx rats axxd evil the sheep have broken out and cannot be again returned to the told. Now that you ax’o seen again you arc agreed to as a shephex'd for the sheep, for it was you who fed the sheep with grass from the garden. Behold O G overnor it was you, it was thePakcha, vvho gave strength to this thing I call a ngarara. [The nr/arara, or lizard, is held as an evil thing and object of terror by all Maories.] We were overtaken working foolishness, but according to your way of thinking, the Maori nndci'stood that the King was an important work and an evil iif/arara. \ oxx speak of tho people who consent to the king and of those who do not consent. By and bye (he thoughts of kixigism will go over to tho neutrals. I am not afraid of Waikato, although Waikato is a sea. If your thoughts about this island are good we shall bo friendly if the fire_sprcad yoxx the father must put it oxxt. The words' of Potataxx were Christianity, the law, and love, these were all the words which wo heard I will not conceal our thoughts from you. Perplexed as you are this is what 1 say to you love and wc will cry out to you O Governor that the whole of Waikato be fx'icndly (to tho Government). Give upyoxxr jealousy of the king movement turn to ns. Continue to speak of the things x oxx sec to ho light until you return to your ownhoxise. It this were a purely Maori meeting this speech would be now answered.

V\ iremu To Vfheriro (Xga(imahuta) Attend to me O (governor and 1 will tell you the meaning oi Hie remark ol llioso men who liave spoken about the tribes who are not agreeable to the king. It is because those tribes have not declared themselves (o (be king that tlie king has said all the Maories of Xew Zealand belong lo him. If they como<othekingand f-ay, “ Vi c do not consent to the king, ’tlicy will be quietly left alone and (heir disapproval accepted ; it nlierwards they consent they will be received by the king; and* if tlicy never consented (bey would be let alone ; that is the system. Lot me now tel! you the meaning of what -i e Ao-o-te-raugi said about the Jcupnpa (friendly or neutral natives). If any say they are evil disposed to the king, the king says they all belong to nun because they have not (outwardly) expressed their views. And as iiuihnna advises you to let the king alone, even so do 1, let him alone, do not think about him, lint your word lias already come iorlb that you do not interfere with the king your word lias also come forth in reference to peace, dial It was to bring peace that you came. These words will be held fast by us all, and be conveyed from one place to another.