MR. FITZGERALD AND THE MAORIS.
[From the New Zealand Herald, August 3.J The natives of this province have every reason for crying out “ Save us from our socalled friends,” for it seems wholly out of the power of these latter persons to give sterling sound advice to the Maoris. Even what little of this is discernible in the lexers and pamphlets addressed to the natives is so mixed with that of a downright mischievous tendency as to lose any good effect it might otherwise have, and looks remarkably like having been thrown in just to save appearances. Mr Fitzgerald’s letter, which we recently published, differs not in this respect from other documents emanating from the weak-minded party to which he belongs. History, reason, common sense, are all pushed on one side when they interfere with the preconceived, crude, and short-sighted notions and views of the philo-Maoris. In two important respects is this the case in the letter to which we are referring, viz., where Mr Fitzgerald tells the Maoris. to fight to the death for what they conceive their rights whenever they think those rights are trampled upon, and where he suggests the formation of purely native districts. It is all very well to tell them that the courts of law are open to them as to the colonists, but the rebel Maoris would a vast deal rat:,er take the fighting advice of Mr Fitzgerald than his advice as to obtaining legal redress for grievances. The former exactly suits the temper and tone of mind of the Maori. He loves to be judge and jury in his own case and to execute the sentence pronounced by himself in respect thereto. Mr Fitzgerald then, by his lofty tone and pompous declaration as to his power and his rights, and what he would do if any one ventured to tread on the tail of his coat, has simply encouraged the Maoris in some of their most pernicious views and practices. It is certainly a funny way of teaching a race like the Maoris, in their present state of civilization, any real respect and appreciation for law and order. But the proposal to have native districts, with native kings in each district, native Superintendents, native Provincial Councils, and what uot, is the most ridiculous that could be propounded by one professing to be a statesman acquainted with the question
at issue. What is the real meaning of having native districts ? Simply, to draw a line of demarcation beyond which civilisation shall not pass. There have been native districts for a very great number of years in this colony. It was all one native district before the European set his foot on its shores, and for many years after. What was the state of society in these native districts, where every advantage that could result from the absence of “ bad whites ” was fully had and enjoyed? Had native government in native districts secured law and order in their boundaries ? Had it spread education, arts, and science among the natives? Had it taught them anything of agriculture beyond that of the very rudest description ? Had not the native district system rather done notoriously the very opposite of all this? Were not the fruits of this system plainly to be seen in the degraded state of the Maoris sunk to the lowest depths to which humanity can be plunged, the grossest licentiousness, and cannibalism. It would be superfluous to go into details as regards these matters, to state what the government of native kings in native districts had to show as proofs of its wisdom and beneficence. It is enough to take a cursory glance at these things. The absence of all trade and commerce, of every thing but the very rudest attempts at what cau by any stretch of the imagination be called agriculture ; of all attempts at education; of literature in any shape or form; of any humane system of law, “ an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” being the basis and prime idea of that law; the absence of decent clothing, and of all implements of husbandry or domestic use; the savage wars constantly indulged in and ending in horrid, canaaballistic displays, when men and women fed on their fellow-men and women —this state of things universally existed in native districts solely governed by natives and uncontaminated by the presence of the foreign white man. Cases of infanticide have been known to have occurred, unpunished and unrebuked, even of late years, and in the neighborhood of the mission stations. Is it desirable to perpetuate this state of things, by drawing a cordon round certain districts, shutting out therefrom the light of civilization ? Is it not notorious, plainly visible to all of us, that the more the natives can be mixed up with us, and we with them, the better it will be for them. Do we not witness the practical truth of this, by seeing those natives least inclined to war, lest inclined to relapse into the savagery of the past, to accept the pai marire delusion, when temptingly placed before them, who have mixed most with Europeans, and we do not further see these natives advancing gradually, but surely, in every habit of civilization. Their dress alone proclaims the fact, and the reliable information we have been able to place before our readers respecting certain proceedings in native land courts and land sales in tne North prove clearly that the connection, the intimate con-. nection of European and Maori is the way of all others to speedily raise the native, to open his eyes that he may see clearly the mental and moral abyss from which he is emerging, and the height of civilization to which he may climb by easy stages by joining his European brethr> n, by learning their language, and thus unlocking the golden gate of English literature; arts, science, and religion, By means such as these the native will be elevated and made capable of joining in the general and local government of bis country. By such a mode of procedure will the veil be lifted from his eyes, and a clearer prospect of his duties and real rights be unfolded to his view. He will then learn the withering curse of tribal right and communistic life ; and the bands that now tie down the more energetic and enlightened to the slothful and the ignorant, and to keep them both on the same dead level, will be snapped, and we shall see numbers of Maoris rapidly improving in every respect. Had Mr Fitzgerald strongly impressed upon the natives the great advisability of individualising the title to their lands, of planting schools among them and teaching the English education, to all their class; had he advised them to break up their present mode of life in the pah, and the substitution
of the family home instead thereof. Had he spoken of the dignity ami usefulness of a life of active industry, and invited his friends to consider all these things seriously,. and to copy all the good in the character of the Europeans and leave out the evil; had he done all this and not done what he has, his letter might have had some beneficent effect. It might have opened the eyes of the natives to their true and real interests, and not have given advice which is clearly and fatally opposed to the best and highest interests of the Maori race. It might have strengthened the hands of the better disposed and more enlightened amongthenatives, and aided them in the march of improvement. We have ever shown ourselves as strongly opposed to the least title of injustice being done to the Maoris as have Mr Fitzgerald or his friends; all we wish is, that injustice shall not be done to them by leaving a semibarbarons race to groupe blindly in dark native districts, if haply they may find a better way, and advance in intelegeace, in morality and religion. But is there an instance in the wide domain of history of savages unaided and uninfluenced by a highercivilizatou, raising themselves to a level with what we call civilization ? How can they learn a better and nobler way, if they have nothing nobler or better placed constantly before them and taught them. Their horizon is confused, and confused it must remain if it is to be bounded by purely native districts; and the teachings of the past and the present remains sealed up in an unknown tongue, at least all the teachings that can be beneficial to them. Let there be one law for all. Let the rights of all be jealously guarded, and the courts of law and not the sword be the arbiter of all disputes. Break up the tribal right and communistic mode of life: teach the English language and literature to the Maoris; give free scope for the development of talent and the display of energy and well directed labor amongst them ; unite both races as much as possible, making no distinctions between them : do this, and we shall confer an untold benefit on the natives—hedge them in by native districts and we do them incalculable injury.
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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 296, 10 August 1865, Page 1
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1,537MR. FITZGERALD AND THE MAORIS. Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 296, 10 August 1865, Page 1
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