A VOICE FROM AFAR, WITH MORE "TALK ABOUT HAYTI."

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume III, Issue 6, 18 July 1863, Page 8

A VOICE FROM AFAR, WITH MORE "TALK ABOUT HAYTI."

O Maoris! kingites of New Zealand, you delight in the use of parables, and love to argue by the aid of fancy and similitudes. Instead of producing solid proofs and reasons, as the manner is with us, you will recite a tale, or sing a song! Our words are only used by us, to display our thoughts, as the clear and bright white glass permits the light, and the eye, freely to penetrate it, and which by its purity reveals all that is within it, or beyond it. Your words too often resemble the ordinary bottles of green glass, which darkly cover their interior, and reveal but indistinctly their contents. Some of your similitudes are good, but most of them are bad. When they are very bad they resemble then the thick shallow calabash (hollowed gourd), which indeed may contain good liquor, but the eye cannot penetrate its rind, or know what may be within it.

But some of your Parables are, by contrivance, falsej and not, in truth, similitudes at all, but, like the weights and measures of dishonest traders, are only made, and intended to deceive the, buyer. Take heed then,, 0 Maories, pf whatsoever you may read, or bear, or see, lest y.ou be . deceived by. bad or pretended similitudes. "The light of the body is . the eye, if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light, but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shafll be I'u)I of darkness; if therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" . From afar I have observed and read your Parable of the "Talk. of Hayti," and, as a friend, I caution you, that by a cunning mixture of the truth with falsehood, it has been intended and constructed to deceive you. The crafty writer knew full well your aptitude and fondness for similitudes, and set.his trap accordingly, to catch you by that foolish weakness. He has therefore searched around about, and far, and some one no doubt has found it for him, and he has produced for you a tale, about an island, which had Maories in it, and they were discovered there, and visited by Pakehas. It next describes that these Pakehas oppressed and kitled this Maori race, and took possession of their island. However inapplicable for his purpose, the truth of this really is, the crafty writer knew with, fullest certainty, that just as every silly idska, (Fern hen) immediately answers to the decoyer's voice, so every ignorant and thoughtless Maori would, as an echo, surely say: "That island is like New Zealand, and . its Maories are like us, and those Pakehas from Spain and France, are like these English Pakehas here!" He next informs you that these Pakehas from France and Spain, so cruelly continued to oppress the unhappy islanders, (Hayii) that they rose upon their oppressors, and made themselves free. All this was truly done at Hayti, and most justly 100, but where are the resembling circumstances here? Yet did that crafty writer know full well that it would serve to make each ignorant and foolish Maori say: " These English Pakehas only come to en-

slave and kill our Maori race/' and by his . foolish similitudes, where Often there is none, lie will be ensnared to think of us, his English friends, as like those cruel Pakehas of • Spain and France, and most foolishly also of himself though free, as like those miserable slaves of Hayli, who were so cruelly oppressed, and afterwards hecame free! And be is further instigated, as by some typo, by -this crafty parable to say, and also the very words are placed there ready for his - thoughts, and ready for bis tongue to utter: "If there be no blood in our veins, it will >be wrested from us"; and thus he is vilely taught to suspect, and then to hate and to defy, his Pakeha friends, the English, and to return their good with evil. As the conclusion to this crafty Parable, at its end is written, "In 1804 they proclaimed to the world their independence, throwing off the authority of the French and . potting into force regulations prohibiting the sale of land, the establishment of police, and their great word which said, " Let Hayli be held by us, let it not go to the other side." The writer has ended thus, as he began, to bring, once more before bis Maori reader's mi ad, that correspondence of similitude, the' thread of which had been so sorely broken ,in the middle. He trusted that each ignorant and thoughtless Maori would exclaim : "This parable is good, and truly represents our Maori selves. Have we not proclaimed to the world our independence ? Have we not put in force regulations prohibiting the : sale of land? Have we not refused to receive Pakeha magistrates and policemen over us?" This is true of you, but it is mostly fabricated as to Hayti, for the Maories of Hayli, when they were slaves, had neither property nor land to sell J they could not even call their lives their own | and when they were free, and had driven out the Spaniards and the French, how could they "put in force regulations prohibiting the sale of land, to them, when there were no Pakehas left to sell land to ?" Also, the men of Hayli, when they were free, were not so foolish as «o "prohibit the establishment of police," but like us, and all wise nations, they restrained their evil doers by police, as all good Maories ought to do. And now is the proper time lo shew you that all Pakehas are not alike, as you may

wisely jutfge for yourselves, if you choose, by comparing what you see and know of us, wilh what you are told in the "Talk of Hayti." Of the Spaniards first it tells; that when they found the gold in Hayti, they helda council, and said, "Let us kill this people, and take the island for our Queen Isabella." And they killed (he black people, and the whites took possession." Here I may stop by the way, and say, that Queen Isabella is only mentioned in this crafty tale, that igno» rant and foolish Maories, according to their customary fondness for similitudes, should see in Queen Isabella and her Pakeha Spaniards, a comparison for our noble Queen Victoria and us. For this base object, the crafty writer has entirely and designedly omitted that Queen Isabella had a husband nariied Ferdinand, who was king of Spain, but then, as you will now perceive, a king would not have squared so well wilh his inentioris, and bis knowledge of that fondness for" similitudes in thoughtless Maori minds, as a Pakeha Queen of Spain and her Pakeha Spaniards, to correspond so exactly wilh our own Pakeha Queen and us. But, behold at once the difference betweeu the English and the Spaniards! When the idle and wicked Spaniards had found the gold, (as they would not work themselve ) they seized the miserable Maoris to search for it for them, and killed them with severe and unpaid labour. The English, on the contrary, have found the gold, and dig for it manfully themselves. Both Spaniards and English are, indieed, Pakebas, and both discovered gold, but cannot the observant eye distinguish between the twilight bat and the morning bird, although related to each oiber by a pair of wings? the only resemblance which they have. In twenty years, the idle and cruel Spaniards, by slavery and deaths, had almost depopulated Hayti. The English Pakebas here have now for more than twenty years industriously toiled and dwelt among you, and where have they depopulated, or where have they destroyed the Maori race with force and unpaid labour? Have they not always paid you for your services whenever you chose to render them; and have they not always left you free to work or idle, as you pleased ? Of the French, it tells: "They capturedi

the-children, (seven hundred) and crucified sortie iof (hem, and sonie of them they threw into the sea, and some tbey. tied; between very B»rong iiorses, and they whipped the horsed <wbo:fled-and.tore in pieces the:men, whilst the' .blood streamed Torih and the entrails were dragged along." When did the English:, peize your children, or crucify , you Maories, or throw you into the sea, or tie : yoU between strong horses to tear your bodies asuader?. : ln:compassion to your ignorance of our laws, we have scarcely at all times done :e>q(tUy; and justice to: ourselves. According :to:bur:;laws and the law. of God, be they who -or whauhey may, we put all murderers to -death and we have ever done so, and when--cver. now or for the future we shall discover .such, !we slialL do the same again. Once, Snd ; once only, however, and in your favour, and in our. great mercy, we Omitted that justand righteous, vengeance, although we bad-the power and had every provocation. When,: years ago, Rauparaha, a native chief, -had.. murdered noble Englishmen, in compassion to;bis ignorance of our laws, he was only sought for and captured safely as a prisoner* and thus restrained from further evil. -Be, was taken, indeed, and exhibited from ; place to place, alive in bonds, to shew to all for future warning that his evil deeds were not unpunished or forgotten; but bis actual '.sufferings were not much greater than you have often thoughtlessly yourselves inflicted ..on; some live old kaka, captured from the -tM)ods and carried by you displayed upon a :pole, with a noose of flax encircled round his ! leg J This kind and merciful example most brightly contrasts with the horrid cruelties -.of the : Spaniards aud the French. It is hard .to say which was the worst, the conduct of the Spaniards or the conduct of the French, and as they well deserved the character which .is given of them in the "Talk of Hayti, you may be very thankful that the J&nglish came aud not the French or Spaniards. .The .first of your .English friends who .came:and visited.you was Cook, and he distributed among you valuable seeds and roots, and animals, for the sustenance of your bodies. Glorious have been the Maori feasts since then! ;• :<I hen came ihe English Missionaries as your friends, for the saving of your souls and to teach you to cease from devouring one .another. ® •, Tlien canie. the English traders as your mends, to exchange in peace, and tobuv and sell. Then came the English settlers as your

friends,to dwell with you in peace, and to leach you all arts* and to show vou how to turn your wilderness inio fruitful fields. Also there came Great English Governors from our noble English Queen, who also! came,j\s friends to you and us, to govern us, that - the honest and good might be encouraged, and the evil-doers restrained, and one of these Governors is with you now. Twice has he been with you. When first be visited you he learnt , your language, that he; might personally, and in peace, communicate with you as a friend wiib friends, and as a father does with his own children. He also assisted your new hit bits of industry by presents of mills and ploughs and other implements, and when he left you, you were then contented and growing rich, an I bade jhim, heartily and publicly, farewell, with thanks 10 him. He also returned, and is siill desirous of the same, but a grievous change has come upon you. , Where is now your former industry? Where are now your stores of overflowing wheat, potatoes, and other food, the sale of which once made you rich, an I would have made you richer still, and more and more peaceful and happy every day ? v O foolish Maories! you have turned from light and day to night and darkness, and from industry to idleness, and, therefore, from.growing wealth to increasing poverty. We have never taught you this, but some friends have counselled you—some real enemies of yours and ours have done it. We invite you to reluru, before it is too late, for, as the <rampled flower will surely fade and die, so friendship, long repulsed, .will also altogether pass away. In your hatred of our wholesome laws, you have learnt to bate even justice and equity itself. In yonr hatred of industry, you must surely fall, as the sacjc which is gradually emptied and is never refilled, must, unsupported, sink upon the ground. : As you are fond ot tales, I will tell you one; it is old and familiar to us, but it will be new to you. There is, in some of the far CO^F 9 s f° r instance, in Spain and France, a savage animal of no great size or' strength,"which is called a wolf, which roams i

in freedom amongst the woods and rocks, and loves to live in idleness and to steal his neighboors .lambs arid sheep, who is thus compelled to guard his 1 property from their irterty by strong arid watchful dogs. As one ttf strong dogs waV wandering from hOrnejhemetby chance a hungry "wolf.and se&tog him most evidently in want, he'reasoned kindly with" 1 him: "See; .saidhe; "how happy how fat I am ; I have a good master, arid for ;: my obedience to his commands, and for my honest services I have gobd hbuse, &c., and an abriridaince of gwbd fobd. Come, tfteiC.and live with ihe| arid we will share iii these good things together." The wolf, at first,- applauded arid apprbvfed -of the proposal; admiring the sleek coil and. happy face of his new friend; But as hfe trolled amicably bv bis side and attentively' surveyed : his personj he espied a very trlfKrigiriark arotf rid Iris neck. " Arid how ttime'lba't," he said. u O, there I wear'my *o6lliVi said tbe : dog, for my master' sornetimes lies me up, Tor fear that I may bite his friends, a fault which, I mnst candidly confess, I have at times, though by mistake, committed." '• There shall be no collar WHMd tfiy neck," said the wolf, 4 •I riiust iite Whenever andwhai I please; I cannot, arid wilt rijW live with thee; I alwavs have been, and- always will be free." Thus saying; he immediately turned his back on every kind Offer; and bounded back to his barren solitudes, there to idle and to hunger, as before. •- What beeame of him eventually is not known, hutashe would not work and would tot be friendly with his neighbour, it is most probable that be was justly shot whilst stealing 4uis neighbours sheep, or, at last, he may, ; in anger; hkve been worried to death by that verydogwbohad once been so friendly disposetitowards bim; or,perhaps, he may have perished miserably at last; but more quietly, itt that idleness and starvation which he loved so well, that it had always prevented him fronrloving anything that was better. Farewall, X Voice from Afar.