THE MAORI KING MOVEMENT.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 51, 4 March 1864, Page 5

THE MAORI KING MOVEMENT.

(From the Special Correspondent of the Argus.) The causes of the pfeseht tfdr" iti %w Beniftttd eentrt in thfe Mabri fehg MbVeiti^Ht. . Tk vrtHdus *iV6tiVes Whijcli have' influenced- tlie natives to rebel Against the British' authority a*re flllbpiind up in it, and cnnse^uenitly the objepis of lhe movement and itr, prbgre&s are both worthy of narration. The movement dates so far back as 1850. Many of the aborigines then saw with alarm the rapid advance of European civilisation, and the earnest desire of the pakeha to obtain possession of their lands. They also noticed the confined bounds to which some tribes who had parted -with portions of their heritage had become reduced ] and a desire gained ground fot tile establishment df a land league lp jn-eveht the" further .disposal .of territory to the Siirdpeaiis eilli'er By tribes or l>y iijdiyidiiols: The jprbmbteife df the] leiigiie knisW} however; that fche Miitc nian Would always be able to find sohie tribes and some men favourably disposed to tHe sale of land and the 'spread of European civilisatioii, and that tlieir, efforts Coiild- be if dl— riiore particularly the powerful Waikatds — cdtild not l»e united under one chief or king, whose flag, when received, should prohibit the sale of land as desired. By the treaty of Waitanga the native title to the territory thej' occupied -was acknowledged ; but the Maories feared that in a few years the white settlers would out-number themselves, and that then the treaty •would be set aside, and tbe lands seized by the English Government. There is nothing a Maori attaches so much value to as the possession of laud, and this wish to retain the Maori, heritage in Maori hands AVas the first jind great cause of the inoveftlerit. A desire Also existed among the natives tb iiitrodn.ee and establish a edde of laws among themselves. Their old customs of seeking redress for injuries by force were no longer suited to a people who professed Christianity, and had attained to a three-parts civilisation. They saw and felt the evil of these ways, and the advantages of law and order. Though in like manner the want was Seen and acknowledged by the English Government, the, Mtter allowed seventeen years to elapse Without milking ah efibrt t6 graiit tile boon required. This circumstance alienated from the British authorities, and centred round the King movement which was looked to to supply the institutions needed, the sympathies of numerous natives who at earlier periods would liave united gladly to carry out a simple code of laws framed to meet their own pecub'ar wants. As the movement progressed, a third, and still more important, object was added to it. This end, the promised attainment of which seemed at first toy exercise a facination over the Maori mind, w-as the proposed establishment of an independent Sovereignty in native districts over all Mnori and European residents therein. There is in the Maories generally a strong love of independence, and an unwillingness td bie' placed altogether ilnder British rule, without their having a voice either in the framing or administering the laws especially affecting theii- own race. Upon this feeling the Kingites worked. "While willing to accept English law as a basis for a Maori code, they desired that the administration of such laws should be entirely in their own hands, and that no European magistrate or other Government agent should be allowed authority in Maori districts. Even when this third object was openly avowed there seems to have been no intention — or if there were, its existence was carefully concealed — of dispossessing the English of the lands they had acquired. The proposal appeared rather to be, to recognisethe English rule, but to establish a Maori Government for Maori districts an impcrium in imperio. The native feeling in favour of this course ran high, and at the various runangas, and particularly at the great Kingite meeting at Rangariri — the turning-point of the movement — the leading idea conveyed in the speeches made was " The Queen on her piece, the King on his piece, and God over all." The apparent enthusiasm with which the King's flag was adopted, and the inertness of the English Government — an inertness which was totally misunderstood — emboldened its adherents, and when the present straggle was commenced the principal promoter of the movement deliberately ancl officially announced that the end sought was the extermination of the pakeha throughout the island. The King movement had its origin among the southern tribes. The first meeting to consider the subject was held at Rotorua, in 1850. Soon after, one *E fKairo proposed to the Waikato chiefs that Potatau Te Wheoro should be elected Eling. Potatau was the leading chief of the Waikato district, a great fighting man and diplomatist himself, and descended from a race of warriors. Towards the close of bis life he embraced Christianity. His selection as the " coming man" appears to have been unanimous, for no one else was ever mentioned for election to tbe post, saving Wiremu Nera, who declined at the outset; having anything to do with the movement. The southern offer was not entertained by Waikato, and the affair seems to have languished until it was taken up by Wiremu Tamihana Tarapipipi, otherwise the well known William Thompson. This chief evidently regards himself as the author of the/movement, for at one of the Ngaruirwabia meetings he declared, "I have been the cause of our troubles' ;" and his friends invariably point tp bim as the "take" — the founder ofthe Maori kingdom. Thompson' is no warrior, but is said to possess intellectual powers decidedly above the average. He is of reserved ; speaking but seldom and little at a time !on ordinary occasions. His whole attention , has been, given* to the King movement, upon' which he will talk at the runangas for hours, and concerning which no one exercises so great a degree of influence as he doesi The Maories say that at first-Thompson- did not feel:; any -interest in the matter, but that he tookit up under ,-the following circumstances :^When,^^ pa*y^ng.a':visit 7 to Auckland, he expressed, to" a European ; -fnencl.great admiration of some of the A English usages, and jiartieuiarly. of the manner; in' which .'justice was administered: in; the courts,]' 'iThefnendyfepliei, tpmo koe iraro'i.aku rhuha" .(Your P^th is through iindefneath my] thighs). . , He inquired the^meanihg of this strong figure ;' and' ;was, told^ tin reply, ." Me rapu koe" '(Search it out). Aa Thompson thought and pondered, and at length arrived^ .at* the 'conclusion that it must point to oppression and slavery." The path, he Teasdned,7is the path of dogs bidy j'theriare we tobe treated asidogs?. Dpes-the pakeha intend to put us under his feet? He" may, but, he shall not be permitted/ Aiid Thompson accordingly resolved upon devising some means pf preserving him-

... self and liis cduntiynteii frh'ifl' {hS^d^ra-iatioit tliti.*^ figuratively expressed; "' Tlus^^piT s r.P9^%?^ *]^? ■ in Madn cifclbs-f b.iit'i^ (i maii: of .- Thompson's'^^^ po'w^rS " of'pteei-Tation = and f reasoning , wonld- have attached sb);inu«li importance to h*'cliatice ; remafjc| "and it is certain lip. had no success in Jiis mission if he had -iioi' appealed' .; to a sentiment stiongi in' itself and widely diffused. From* the 1 time Thompson ; took the : moVeraent in !■ hand it progressed; some joining it as aland league ;■ and others as a means of obtaining laws and institutions. In 1856 Colonel Gore Brown, the Governor, together with the Ministry of the day,becJlnie JiripfCSsed by the political activity hiariifesteii, iiy' thirWaikatos. Mis fixcelleiicy pYijceeded up the country,, and held several meetings, tlie iuqst,. important ,pf, w'hich..-*\vas at Paitai, j arid was! att&iclecl; by Ppi-itau^ Te Wha^pu, and other influential cliieftiiiiiis. Frpm what took place at this meeting, there appeared to hi§ Excellency good, ground for hoping that t-lic project of setting;. up a king , would be relinguislied, ;if thp .wishes of ' the tnb.es, Avere met by steps being taken for the ad - ministration of. Jaw, and preser ration of order thron'ghchit tlie coiintry v The Governor, therefore, promised that ., magistrates slloifld ' : fee* appqitfted^ to. introduce and give 'effect." to a ! Code of Irtws^ ktid prepare the people for the introduction of civilized institutions ; and also , that i-iinan gas, or village councils, should be sanctioned . These amendments were feceived with great manitestations of pleasure, arid 'both Te Wharepii and Potatau' personally expressed their .' satisfaction. Iti May, 1857, in re- : demption of tliis pr6rriise' ? Mr Fenton ,wa^ appointed ' resident, mftgistrate for ilie Waikfitd distn^t , ftttd to him was entrusted the tasTi of introducing di* rattier" of encouraging the adoption of civil institutions' in the district. .The, experiment broke 'down, through Mr fenton being finally removed from -the office ; in August ISSB. There is a gte'at difference of opinion as to the result of this gentleman's efforts. Some maintain that they were executed with judgment, and were attended with success, while the authorities of the day arrived at an entirely oppolstle conclusion It is said that during Mr Feiiton's tenure, the Wilikiiids foi- ilie' fif'Mfc tifiie btfCaiiie divided into two parties— Kingites aiid Que'enites. tfhe lattej abandoned cultivation aiid iheir orctinriry piirsttits, and talked- of. nothing^ but. of .^obtaining. Government eiiijjioyment;, ii?. assessor or jurymen ; while the : King party became more arid mors irritated, nnd declared tlieir intention of erecting a house for their King, of declining to receive English magistrates in their districts, and of carrying out laws without reference to the English Government. Potatau professed liimself to be deeply offended because Mr Fenton omitted to call upon him when he eiite'red iiptiii his dlitief!, though he did communicate with others. As chief of .the tribe's he had always ,bei?ri consulted, lie said, before • concerning - any matters affecting the district. , Hut though this apparent slight niay have gi^-eri offence to the old chief, yet he was far too wily find shrewd to .have been led tp accept the ostensible position of. king, by way. of paying back the. affront. His motives were much deeper. Events have since shown thit Mr Feu.tou's withdrawal was not. politic. The fault— if fault tn'efe w&— - of eventing .two ; parties had been committed, and by retiring iro'iii its position the Government disheartened its adherents. They were naturally disappointed and humiliated at the sudden abandonment of the un-dertaking-in Maori phrase, they felt "tnnhangatia" — in plain English, humbugged. The attempt to arrest the progress of the ihdvemgiit by the introduction of civil institutions amongst the Maori es, was not again taken up, for though; sifter a long interval had elapsed, a* successor was appointed to Mr Fenton, yet he was strictly confined to magisterial duties. In the meantime, the movement was spreading east and west and north and south, and great out-door meetings of the trihes, at which the proceedings extended over several days, became of frequent occurrence. A description of one of the most important of these meetings — the one held at Rangariri, where Potatau for the first time signified lib; willingness to accept the greatness sought to be thrust lip'oh him — will show the gerierol character of these assemblage?. The tribes were mustering for several days at Kaumatnkii. A delay was caused by the detention of the Ngatimaniopoto, and when this tribe arrived, the whole body of some 2200 men started down the river to Rangariri, a distance of twelve miles, tearing away through the water at the most furious pace they could command. After the usual reception from the residents at the phiee", the tribe Ngatihaua (William Thompson's) formed Four deep. Proceeding into the centre of a large open space cleared for the occasion, they planted the colours of the new dynasty, a white Hag with a red border and two red crosses, witli the words " Potatau, King of New Zealand," worked . upon it. The tirst three days were devoted to eating and drinking, fio that it was not until Monday, the fourth day, that business was commenced. About ten o'clock that morning, the large open space set apart for the purpose |began to fill. It had been previously arranged that the proceedings should be initiated by a general recon- ' ciliation. Accordingly the great men from the different tribes which had been at hostility with each other, sang songs, addressed the one to the other, and finally all ancient hatreds and remembrances of former battles were, by common consent, buried in oblivion. The war liatdhet was interred, aud a solemu compact was made that, if ever the weapon was dug up again, it should not be employed against any of the tribes present. Thus the way was prepared for a complete union on the important question to be discussed the following day. At this meeting the natives appeared only in blankets and native garments. On Tuesday, at ten o'clock, a long line of Maories, dressed iv black cloth suits, with black neckties, &c, w-ere to be seen, presenting a surprising contrast to the assembly of the previous morning. The line defiled into the open snace, headed by Ngatihaua, planted the King's flag in the middle of the square, and sat down in long rows upon one side of it. Half an hour afterwards two union jacks were seen a little inland, and two processions advanced, and took ground Cfpposite the King party. The rival flags wore also placed opposite each other. The leaders and principal speakers of both parties occupied a position in the centre, each man with paper and lead pencil in his hand, to take notes of the proceedings. The third side of the square was filled by either party — occupants of the cross-benches — and the fourth was occupied by native teachers. The discussion was opened with prayer, and by a discourse fiom one of the Maori teachers upon moderation and temper. After this the various speakers addressed themselves to the subject. Mr James Armitage, the weU-known settler, whose murder during the present war aroused so much indignation, was at the meeting, and has made public an interesting report of the speeches. William Thompson's address contained the following points :— " I love New Zealand. I want order and laws. A.King could give ns these better than the Governor, for the Governor has never done anything except when a pakeha is killed. He lets us fight and kill each other. A King would stop these evils." Potatau's speech, in which he retracted all his previous professions, by giving in his adhesion to the movement, is so curiously hyperbolical that it i.s worth preserving. Potatau said— "Wash me, my friends, lam covered with mud. Lov2, Gospel, and friendship. Ngatihaua work, continue your work. The Kotuku sits" upon a stump, and eats the small fish.: When he sees one he stoops down, and catches it, lifts up his head, and swallows it. That is his work. William (Thompson), you understand your work. .'■.; When -the sun shines, w-e see Jiim." After this speech, there was a song for the land, that it shouldjbe retained, joined in chorus by the whole of "the two thousand,, ancl.shp'rtly afterwards the meeting broke rip. ; 7 The; English ; "colours were paraded, and those who acknowledged allegiance 'to them formed in! procession ;" while the. next day the King's flag Was despatched south to assemble the tribes at Ngaruawahia, to which place Potatau was taken, and formally installed as King, and at which a" palace" was erected for him. The Government thus created was conducted in imitation ■ of English proceedings. When occasion required it, a rnnangai, of assembly of chiefs, was held, at which disputes and offences were ; adjudicated upon, punishment was'inflicted by fine, and mandates and summonses were issued, stamped with a large' and handsome seal engraved in Auckland. In short, so

generally was the authority acknowledged, that thfo'iigho'ut the central district of the, island the (jueen's ' w s fii did iioi fmi} but that of King Potatau instead. Potatau 7 "wa's' ; conscious of the advantage id he derived, from., keeping on friendly terms with the European?. .His object .\vas, toprevent, their .obtain ■ ing jnore : lftridj and to abstain' f rom qomiijg into. eql-. lision with them ; and his last wovclr to his family were— "Live : at peace ; with the pakeha." After Potatau's death, in 1857, there was .great discussion among the tribes as to who should be appointed his successor. Ono of the chiefs, now a prisoner in Auckland, assorted his claims, and there was /"ft large party favourable to placing the Princess Sophia, on the tiifb'rie'. At one' tiiiie a* civil war seemed not unlikely to ensile, !nit eVeiftiiaily Hie ■jtfesr'n't monarch, , Matutaera, Potatau's son, was appointed. j There. is no doubt that the Maories themselves npvjr regard the movement as a failure. The present "■war has' shown that, they, like other semi-barbarous races, can only be govef'ffpd by authofity based upon physical force. Now, the King Had' no .power to enforce his mandates, and after the novelty of ike affair had been lost his injunctions were only obeyed when they chanced to please. Matutaera was much * opposed to the war, but the Taraniki chiefs, Rewi of the Ngiitim'amopoios,- ancl others, set his commands at fifftigTvti, and tli'e're is n'tfw no cohesion between the various tribes m title union whatever. The influence the King moveriieia't \Ms upon the habits of tbe Maori has been altogether bad. It has led the natives to interest themselves in politics and in fighting rather than in industry. This, coupled with the diminution yearly taking pM.cc in their niitnbets, has caused many Maori districts to retrograde,* instead of advance, of late. For instance, at Wata. "Wdid- &ns years ago, the land ; on both sides of the river was cultivated* rind 300 or 400 inhabitarits lived about it in comfort ; flow, the patches tilled here and there barely afford subsistence for some forty or fifty persons,, .Had tlie King movement been skilfully ti'ertted iTi its , earlier, stages, it is probable that it would have been Of assistance in establishing civil laws and institutions among the Maories, and might have led to the overthrow of tlie land league. Developing itself, however, as it did into a scheme for national independence on tite part of the Maories, its success was bound sooner or later to bring the two races into collision, ft is this Cfiiestion of nationality which is really now at issue. .The English Government has once guaranteed' the native title to the lands ; and it is the fact that war was made by the Maorie.s, not to redress some local wrong, but to ass?ert the supremacy of a Maori King, to set aside the British dominion, which justifies the Government in the confiscation of these lands for the purposes of the stato. ___„____