THE PARIHAKA MEETING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue XV, 24 November 1880, Page 4

THE PARIHAKA MEETING.

The Taranakf Herald gives the following particulars of the Porikaka meeting, which wbb held on Wednesday last, and attended by about 1300 natives, the majority being women and children : — The preparations for the feast were on an unusually large scale. Hiroki was busily officiating dividing the food and having superintendence of the commissnriat department generally. The natives assembled in the meeting house at 10 o'clock, and Te Wbiti commenced his usual addiess. His demeanor betrayed lees complacency ihan usual, end he wbb at times rather irritable. He began his Bpeecb with a translation from the Bible. He said that at the creation of (he world all things were ordered by God to happen that did happen. All things that had Jiappened recently were also preordained by God, whether important or unimportant ; whether for good or evil. All things which bad already taken place, or would hereafter take plaoe on the earth were brought forth by the fi*t of God. The evils which would happen during the present epoch of time by wars and contentions among men were ako permitted by the great Go3, and were ordained of old. The •wars of our time were foretold in the scriptures as well os the wars of the preceding generations. Men could not niter the decrees of the Supreme Ruler, Htrive as they might, in th« early period of the world's history good and tad were intermingled. The people now on earth should not shut their eyes to the teachings derived from former ages ; they should be on their guard lest what happened formerly would occur agaio, and bad would be found to intermingle with good, " Listen carefully," he said, " the things which happened before shall be altered to-day, and shall be conducted differently hencefoith. This day is quite altered from former days, all old times shall passaway, war shall cease and shall no longer create disunion in the world. Therace of the first macadam, has fallen over many precipices, but those precipices have now disappeared by numerous landslips and none shall fall over those precipices again. From the beginning of all thing?, even [before the creation of the world, it was ordained that I should speak to you this day upon this subject. My words to-day shall be few, but I wish to warn you that there is one precipice left, over which you must all go. That precipice is deatb. It is not the man which tells you this, but the Father. The etate of men, old and young, is like that of a pig writhing in agony, after having been all but killed by the slaughterman. The one precipice which has not been levelled is deatb, and we must all die as the pig. All the prophecies of the Bible have come to pass. No portion has been omitted, nothing baa been added, and nothing taken away. To day is the time appointed for mankind to live iu peace. You must not be afraid of death ; you must remember that the nearer you are to death, the nearer also you are to life. The things that were done of old were to lead up to the things of the present day. One cliff is left as an enemy and a snare, and it was ordained so to be from the beginning. The evils of former days are gathered together to pester this generation; the prophecies of old have come to pass, and we shall also see the prophecies of the present time come to pass. War is for ever ended. It was prophecied

to come to an end in these times, and the customs of war shall now be done away with. If a pole is cot securely fastened for a ridge pole of a home, it will break, and thus shall both Maoris and Europeans break. They will separate from each other, as they cannot agree." At the conclusion of Te Whiti's speech Mr Patris essayed to speak, but Te Wbiti stopped him, and said he wished him to speak on the following day. MrParris replied to-morrow was an uncertain time and do one could rely upon it. He would be willing to speak after Tohu if Te Whiti did not object. Were he delayed till tomorrow tbftt to-morrow might never come. Te Whiti eaid — Precisely. Sneßk on the day that never comee. When a dog flies at a pig it does so on the word of its master and not on its own will. If you, Parris, have anything to say it will not be your words. Mr Pnrris — I have addressed you on many occaßioDS, and you cannot say that I ever deceived you. Te Whiti ie leading you BBfray. Te Whiti — Your speech will be the words of your chief, not your own. Let your superior coma and speak for himself. WbeTe ia he? Let him come. Mr Parris — Do you consider yourself so great and important that my chief 6hould come to you ? You are 1 secretly afraid to let me address the people lest it should separate t em from you, when they hear my words. Te Whiti — My words are few. Black and white will never agree, and cannot therefore be joined. Mr Purrie — I did not say I was wishing to join black and white. The conversation here was cut short by Te Whiti giving the signal to break up. The natives all arose and left the meeting house. Thus ended another of the great Paribaka meetings.