"LET THE PAKEHA AND THE MAORI BE UNITED."

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume I, Issue 15, 15 October 1861, Page 1

"LET THE PAKEHA AND THE MAORI BE UNITED."

In times past, this land was overspread with evil and darkness and error—there was no one to publish what was good, there was no one to suppress what was evil. But in the coarse of time came the Missionaries, and announced to you the word of God. Perceiving the goodness of the Missionaries' address, you were pleased with it, and embraced it, and accepted for yourselves the system of the Gospel. Now, the work of the Missionaries, in the first place, was to speak to you by word of mouth, after which they taught you reading—then the Scriptures of God were translated, and after being printed, were distributed

amongst you that every one might see them. And then came the Government, introducing the system of English Law —that system was also explained to you by word of mouth, and you looked on to see how the Pakeha applied his own laws to himself. I'ou observed that evil and unauthorized conduct was rebuked and punished by this law—that what was right was approved of, although done by a man of Jittle consequence, and that what was wrong was condemned, although done by a man of station. At the present time some of the Natives have begun to understand, and consent to the propriety of this Law as a law for all the inhabitants of New Zealand, whether European or aboriginal. There is not another nation in the world whose laws are so good—in England only is the Law so very good and just—and the whole of the people have love for their law, they are obedient to it, they reverence it, they magnify it. The man of evil intentions stands in fear, because he knows that the whole community will assert the law, and that they will all support its Administrator, that is, the Magistrate—and hence he would have no escape. And h?nce also the Policeman, though alone, is not afraid to go and apprehend the man who has offended against the law—the whole people are as a back (support) to him—thus he is able, by himself, to seize that offender. But, were it not for the great respect in which the people hold their law, although a great body might go to apprehend him, he might be taken, or he might not. Therefore it is that this system is thus laid before you, that you may jidopt it; the same as the principles

of the G-ospel have been placed before you by the Missionaries. Now, if you see that these things are good, accept and embrace them, that we may all quickly sit under one shadow, viz., that of the Law, and that we may all grow up and prosper together.