THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, Ffbruary 14, 1850.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 2, Issue 30, 14 February 1850, Page 1

THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, Ffbruary 14, 1850.

There is a matter of infinite importance, both moral and material, to the native race, to which our attention has, of late, been especially directed; —we mean the state of UNKNOWN into which the native females are unhappily but too prone to enter with Europeans. Let us, 111 the first plure, exhibit to you, a reflci'ti ig and naturally intel-igfnt people, the degraded <on<-itioa of such a state, —the desertions—the poverty—and the disgrace to whii.li its female vi' tims are invar/ably exposed—the infamy which,

in nil civilized society, a mode of life so i abandoned entails —and then, let us draw your attention so that you may g' l! \ r d against some of the misfortunes wluch its indulgence entails. Concubinage, wo need hardly remaik, is the cohabitation of a man with a woman, whom, for a variety of causes, he .may feel it imprudent, or beneath his condition in life to marry. It is an easy but| a discreditable mode of forming a loose and wanton alliance either with an attractive harlot, a runaway wife, or some si'ly creature, such as is frequently to be found surrendering her integrity that she may indulge in dress and worthless finery. The males, usually found in a state of concubinage, are raw lads, in their early manhood, hacknied libertines, or antiquated, reckless, debauchees dead to every sentiment of propriety. In tlie civilized world, when persona live together in a state of concubinage, tliey do so in defiance of a great moral obligation, and are looked upon as the outlaws of that society whose decencies they outrage and whose opinions they defy. A state of eoncubinago is therefore, one of degradation and disgrace. To the female, it is one of utter and final destruction. It is 110 extenuation of her offence, that the lover, to whom she may have been long and fondly attached, has accomplished her ruin under the most solemn promises and protestations of marriage. She lias been tutored to distrust such protestations,—to regard tliein but as wiles to rob her of her honour. She has been trained to look upon ti woman without chastity as upon a man without courage. She has been taught to feel that with the loss of virtue she looses the jewel of her sex; and to know that that gem once gone, her hopes are lost for ever. No after repentance—llo amendment —no atonement can restore her to the position from which her weakness or her wickedness has thrust Iter. She is expelled witli ignominy from the home of her parents. The friends of her youth avoid her. Hie virtuous shun her intercourse ; and she is, in the end, compelled to become the companion of others as unfortunate, or as vicious as herself—to associate with the lowest and the most ignorant of her sex who, if married, ■will plume themselves upon their superior character, and will not scruple, on the smallest occasion, to taunt and insult her because of her degraded condition. In civilized countries, the females generally found in a state of concubinage,— and that state is a very very temporary one, rarely outliving the satiety of animal passion—are chiefly of an inferior rank of life to their keepers or they are women who, in the indulgance of their sensual appetites, have abandoned their husbands and families, to spend, whilst youtli and beauty remain, a miserable exister.ee with their seducers, or to pass from hand to hand until every sense of shame is lost. There is another class ■who indulge in concubinage—this is the veriest dregs of the populace, who, like too many of our New Zealand natives, regard the state of concubinage as a matter of pure indifference, and, in consequence, form their connections with a degree of decency and intelligence scarcely superior to those discernible in the animal creation. ' It would be from the purpose of this paper to dwell 011 the miserable career of the woman who in civilized life falls from the paths of virtue, but as it will serve to show you the infamy in which she is held and the ruin which so speedily overwhelms her, we will merely bid you imagine a beautiful girl yielding her honour s to the pretended affection of a lover. Her despair at her lapse from virtue, (for despair, in the first instance, does fill the female heart) soothed by his attentions, she lives with him in a state of concubinage until her keeper wearied with her entreaties to perform hi3ypromise of marriage, or satiated with her person, abandons her to the world. At first, perhaps, she passes unnoticed from one admirer to another ; but at last her character becomes known—her own sense of sliauie becomes blunted, until she finally resorts to the streets, where misery disease and dea,th are rife, and where, whilst practising the lowest and the most lathsome means of procuring bread, she the contagion which hurries * 'o an untimely and dishonoured

grave. Such is the fate of thousands, and wc point it out to you as an example of the infamy inscperable from a disregard of female virtue, and as the consummation to which concubinage unhappily leads. So repugnant was concubinage with the principles ol' Christianity, in the estimation of the Emperor Constantine the Great, that lie caused laws to be enacted against the institution, and it is now in all countries considered unlawful; so that children, born in a state of concubinage, have no legal claim upon the property of their fathers. Wc hope that our good native friends, in whose welfare and happiness we feel a very anxious interest, will calmly and attentively consider the truths we have placed before them. If they cannot at once be brought to believe in the deep degradation ol' sanctioning concubinage amongst their tribes, let them at least use every'precaution to guard their female relatives and the half-caslc children of those females against tho poverty and want which the death or desertion of their fathers may entail. Against desertion it is difficult, almost impossible to provide; but there are many Europeans cohabiting with native temalcs who would gladly, although when too late, provide for their oH'spring, by bequeathing them such property as they may possess. These jood intentions, whilst life and health is theirs, they never, or rarely, realize; and when death cuts short their career, and they pnss from time to eternity, without leaving a written- AVili. behind, the law is compelled to take cliargo of their effects, that is, should there be no relation or heir to establish a claim. Their half-caste, illegitimate, children are not entitled to a shilling ; _ rt stranger, 0110 perhaps their father never saw, or whom he may have grievously disliked, may come in and take all, leaving to the mother the hardship of providing for the ollspiing which, had she but married the father the law would have taken care to see invested with the patrimony that would then be theirs. A case of this sort occurred, we are told, but the other day. A mail who lived with and had children by a native woman was taken with a fatal illness, lie was possessed of some property which lie wished the mother and his children to inherit, but he had made no JVill, and before he could do so, ho had passed to his filial accuimt. The law could but do its duty and take charge of his effects. The mother and tho children were left without a shilling. Maories, you are now in a transition state. You are passing from barbarism to ci\ ilization. Tho first step once taken you cannot, if you would, turn back. You must advance. Your old customs

and your European acquirements may for a time maintain a jarring association, but every hour will tend to destroy tho one aiul to strengthen tlic other. It lias been so in all ages. It was so with its. The forefathers of the linglish were naked and tatooed like yourselves. In that condition they were found by the Romans who instructed them as wo are now instructing you. The Ancient Britons were poor and ignorant. The Modern Britons arc rich, posverful, and intelligent. With them you have sworn brotherhood. With them, then, run the vace of emulation. Strive to become as highly civilized, as you are by nature acute, intelligent and brave. Seek to educate your families. Hasten to teach your sons the arts and sciences of the European have your daughters instructed in the industrious pursuits and occupations of theirs. Forbid coucubinagc, but encourage marriage, aii'l you will do honour "to yourselves, and command respect instead of meeting and meriting censure sincl contempt.