THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 311, 2 October 1865, Page 2

THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY.

No. 1. Walter Grahame, Eeq.y Chairman of the Northern Association of Auckland. Sir,—X address this letter to you, because you are at the head of an organization which has already rendered some service to the colonists, and which will at an early date be called upon to make much greater efforts for the welfare of the settlers of this part of the North Island. The present communication is in a measure introductory to a second and third letter I propose to address to you; still it will be seen to be not unnecessary in order to give a fuller view of the state of the country, and to enable us to form a more correct judgment as to the measures necessary to be adopted, so that the evils impending over this part of the colony may be mitigated, if they cannot be altogether averted. In this letter I shall treat of “ The people we found here, and what was done to them.” In No. 2, of “ The people who have ruled here, and what they did.” In No. 3, of “The people who live hero, and what they are to do.” “ The people wo found here” were a barbarian race of savage cannibals, fierce, warlike and heathen. We found them like all savage tribes, obeying no law but the law of feree. Stubborn malcontents against all shams, yielding little or nothing to solicitation, they were ready to obey any man brave enough to take, and strong and wise enough to hold. Heroic, imitative and hospitable, they were true hero worshippers. Though democrats by nature, they cheerfully obeyed any chieftain with whom the tticmct of courage and wisdom rested. Then came the white man. The whalers and other waifs and strays whom time and circumstances brought to these shores were a hardy race. Brave and well armed, they brought the prestige of their race with them. They were imbued with those old fashioned ideas that English pluck aud English valour were a match against almost anv odds. These lawless old rovers ruled the maoris as they have never been ruled since. They were heroes after a fashion, and in those days the Maoris were hero worshippers. They are still hero worshippel's.' The first one they find they will make him King and do his bidding. Unfortunately heroes are scarce in these monev grubbing times. Everybody says our fathers were heroes, but somehow we can’t find the time, or the money—or the courage. After a time came the missionaries. With their lives in their hands these good men went amongst the Maoris, preaching and teaching the every creature. Curiosity, if nothing deeper, secured the new teachers a hearing. It was indeed a noble undertaking, For a while the new faith had many adherents, and some of the hardest Gospel precepts appeared for a time to he moro closdy obeyed than in older and more Christaiu lands. It is true there were some amongst tho missionaries who had .mistaken their vocation, aud others who failed in. their duty; but that ought not to prevent us from rendering homage to those faithful men who fearlessly toiled on in a good and noble cause. From present appearance the labors of these men have failed. The leopard has not changed his spots, nor has our modern Ethiopian changed his skin. Meanwhile England had found it necessary to aquire the sovereignty of New Zealand. She was anxious to keep ou't the French. She sincerely wished to christainizo and civilize the natives. She had no objection to secure an outpost for the Empire. Last, and what she sought for least of all she obtained a field for colonization.

By the now memorable “ Treaty of Waitangi” her Majesty acquired the sovereignty of New Zealand, and in consideration thereof imparted to the natives “ all the rignts and privileges of British subjects-” The new sovereignty did not make much show at first. The early Governors were told to govern New Zealand on Missionary principles- Economy and philanthrophy, then as now, were the orders of the day. We taught the natives reading writing and arithmetic—and a good many things besides. We talked much to them about the law. We made them presents, and appointed philanthropic, pakehas to be their protectors. They received our money and our protection with great good will, and wondering much at our liberality. Tip to this point they were disposed to be very amiable savages indeed. Unfortunately, the whalers, the missionaries and the G-overnment began to be jealous of each other. The Government dealt harshly with the early settlers. The missionaries said the early settlers were bad men, and coveted *he land. The whalers retaliated by saying the missionaries wanted the land, that the Government wanted the land, and that by and bye the Government would bring soldiers and take the land.

When those reputed to be bad said the same thing as those reckoned to be good, is it surprising that the Maoris believed what was told them ? From a very early period these three parties seem to have forgotten that they were dwelling in the presence of a warlike race, keenly alive to the smallest sign of weakness, and ready to rule us if wo failed to rule them.

Then began to work also those fatal sentiments —misguided philanthropy and mistaken economy. Then, as we have seen, began those fatal dissensions, which together have brought the colony to the verge of ruin.

Last of all came flour and sugar. The more we felt our weakness, the more we talked to them about the law, and the more flour and sugar wa gave them. Unfortunately, with all our talking, with all our teaching, we never taught them to obey the law. Now, in the eyes of a Maori, a law is not a law if it can be either evaded, escaped, or despised. He tries the law as he tests the blanket he buys. He expects his blanket to cover, him; he wants it for use at his whare and elsewhere. If he finds it a worthless poor affair, he will have none of it. So with the law—he wants it to coyer him he wants to take it home with him—he wants it to bo everywhere. He very properly insists that the law he is called upon to obey shall be a power, like the law of the Medes and Persians which changcth not, irresistible, not to be trifled with.

He expects to find it a terror to evil doers, a praise to them that do well. If found guilty, he is prepared to go to prison if the law can put him there. If be has done anything worthy of death —though he has a strong objection to hanging—. if the law is right and strong, he bows his neck to the inevitable. Let it only be the inevitable, and he submits without a murtner.

For a quarter of a century he has been invited and bribed to obey the law. Mr Justice Beckham and his constables have appealed to him in vain. .As a rule he has laughed at the posse comitatus. He was of course warned that the constable’s baton would be backed by the British army. In due time the British army came. General Cameron overran Waikato with his 10,000 men, and then, at the command of philanthrophy and economy, marched back again. Amidst endless dissensions between Governor, General, Ministers, and Representatives, we introduced Armstrong guns, steamers, rifles, and all the appliances of modern warfare, and though handled by the flower of the British army, they have been brought against them almost in vain. We have overpowered them ,as Xerxes overpowered the Spartans at Tbermophylse—by marching over their dead bodies; and yet, though the remnant is hungry, naked, destitute, an exile from the graves of his ancestors —the Maori is not subdued. This naked savage from his wretched whare actually dictates terms of peace to us—bis conquerors. He is prouder than ever. He is less inclined to obey than before the first shot was fired, and whenever the troops abandon the island, he is ready to kill, eat, and take possession. This, then, is the result of mistaken philanthrophy, misapplied economy and divided counsels.

For 25 years the Maori has tried the law. He now tells you that he will not have the law. He tells you also that he won’t have your Gospel. He tells you that ho intends to turn back to his ancient ways. As though he were possessed, he goes back to his old heathenism, which he calls hauhau or pal mariri. By way of showing that he is earnest, ho drives the Missionary teachers out of his borders, and finally eats one of them at Gpotiki. Then he waits for the law, but he waits in vain. For six lone mouths the law gives no sign. The people we found here, then, were savages, ieathens, cannibals, tribe fighting against tribe ; yet with all those bad qualities the Maori was not all bad. He was hospitable, generous, and brave. Notwithstanding all, he had that in him which made the old settlers of the Province of Auckland his friends. The settlers have been sorely calumniated, hut they are his good friends still. A quarter of a century ago we made a bright beginning. Wo were full of hope the Maori full of promise. We made them subjects, but we did not subject them. And after expending some millions of money, sacrificing many valuable lives and fighting battles on philanthropise principles, we appear to he coming to a gloomy end ; for great numbers of these poor wretches are becoming once more parages, heathens, and cannibals. The good qualities they possessed have been almost •obliterated, whilst their bad ones are intensified. Poor race of men. Dearly ye pay for your primal fall. Some flowerets of Eden ye still inherit. Bat the trail of the serpent Is over them all. Who can look without pity upon a race once so full of promise, now so full of woe. And yet, •Christian teachers, the English nation, and the colonists have labored hard to cast out the unclean spirit from this poor savage. But the truth must ho told. We have not succeeded, for the last state of the Maori is worse than the first. Who has done all this, or who has not prevented its being done, will partially appear from my next letter. I am, sir, yours, J. C. Fxeth. Auckland, Sept. 15,1865.