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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 756, 27 January 1870, Page 3

MAORI MISSIONS. The Wanganui Chronicle, of the 13th Jannar r , has an excellent article on missions to the Maoris, the writer of which shows very clearly that, be the cause what it may, there is no doubt that the Maoris are turning away from Christianity, and fast becoming as heathenish as ever they or their ancestors were. The cause is said, with great justice, to be the mode in which Christianity was pre sented to the native mind: the'desire displayed by the missionaries to induce the Maoris to conform to outward observances, without sufficiently endeavouring to impress the truths of religion inwardly. The following is given as an illustration of the writer’s argument- “We spent the forenoon of a Sabbath recently at Otalci, where Archdeacon Hadtield laboied long, and at one time with apparent success. He is reported to be a gentleman of ability and mental resources. There is an elegant church there, on the interior decorations of which the natives must have spent a vast amount, of time and trouble, indicative of the interest they at one time took in the cause ; there are also schools and other costly appliances, yet three old natives alone responded to the call of the church Hell and attended the service. We are assured by persons whose veracity is beyond suspicion that years ago as many hundreds flocked to the place as there are now units. The young people, we were told, never think of going to church; when asked to do so they make some gesture of contempt, utter some jibe, and pass on. They spend their Sundays in card-playing and other amusements. They are growing up a race of savages, with many of the vices, and none of the virtues of civilisation—destitute of honor—-and ready for any mischief that will not seriously endanger their skin—a generation, both physically and morally, inferior to the one that preceded them.”