THE WAR IN NEW ZEALAND.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 254, 27 March 1860, Page 3

THE WAR IN NEW ZEALAND.

■ *' (From the Sydney Morning Herald.) We have been favored with the following letter, addressed by one of the oldest Wesleyan missionaries in New Zealand, to the Reverend John Egglestone, the General Secretary of the Australasian Wesleyan Methodist Missions. The long residence of the writer in the particu-, lar district enables him to judge with considerable accuracy as to the present movement, and we have reason to fear that his apprehensions will be realised:— „

Taranaki, February 28. This settlement is now in a sad state of excitement and alarm, in anticipation of a war between the natives here and the Government; the possible extent, consequences, and ends of which, none can forsee but Him who seeth the end from the beginning. Martial law is proclaimed, the militia are called out, more troops are expected by the steamer from Auckland, all the out-settlers are moving into town, and such a war is expected as has not been know in New Zealand before. The different ministers and churches are uniting for prayer every evening; a fast day was appointed on Friday last, and our only hope is in the Lord, who holdeth all hearts in his hand, and who alone can turn the people from their folly and madness, and thus save them from destruction.

Wiremu Kingi (William King), a native chief of Waitara, a river ten miles north of this place, has always been opposed to the sale of land to the Government, and not only did he refuse to sell his own, but hindered others from selling theirs.

In March last the Governor visited this place, and a meeting of the natives was called, at which Wiremu Kingi, with his people and other tribes, attended. At that meeting an offer of land at the ■Waitara was made to the Governor by Te Teira (Taylor), another chief of the Waitara. He asserted his claims, described the boundaries, and then called upon the Governor to give his word of consent. His speech and appeal were interpreted to his Excellency by the Chief Commissioner, Mr. ; Mc Lean, and after calling upon the Governor again and again for his consent, and obtaining the word through the interpreter, ' E whakaae ana' (he consents), he (Te Teira) took a fine native mat, and laid it at the Governor's feet. This was considered by all as an act of confirmation, and then it was said by the natives,' Waitara is gone.' Wiremu Kingi, however, was not going to let Waitara slip away from him so easily. He rose and objected; said ha was Waitara, and it should never go to the white man; and then, calling upon his people, they rose and left the place in apparent defiance. The Governor arranged that the Chief Commissioner should return as soon as possible after his visit to the south, investigate Te Teira's claim, and if found satisfactory, buy the land, notwithstanding Wiremu Kingi's unreasonable objections. His Excellency also published an address, in which two principles were set forth as rules for guidance in the purchase of land; first, that he would buy no land, the title of which -was disputed j and second that he would allow no native to interfere in the sale of any land, unless he had a claim therein.

The Chief Commissioner was detained in tha south by illness. The District Commissioner was instructed to proceed with the business, to pay the sum of as an instalment if he found the claimant's title good; arid about two months ago, Te Teira, Hemi Watikini (James Watkin), and others, as joint claimants to the land, received the money at a public meeting called for that purpose. Wiremu Kingi was at tha meeting by invitation, whe^e he and othora of hw party agaiu objected.

and again abruptly withdrew fiHKeHJamo defian manner. v ;; The last mail steamer from Auckland, which arrived here on 31st January, brought instructions from the Governor to the Commissioner to proceed with the survey of the land, and complete the purchase; and if he were opposed, tir "molested, to appeal to the officer in command of the troops. Mr. Parris, the Commissioner, made known his purpose to Wiremu Kingi, and was told he should oppose him. On Sunday, 19th February, I visited the Waitara Pahs for worship; fell in with Wiremu Kingi and his people, and endeavoured, on Scriptural principles, to urge him to yield. On Monday, the Commissioner and Surveyors went and tried io begin the survey, but their instruments, chains, &c, were taken from them, and they were obliged to return. Their instruments were returned to them. On Tuesday, the Colonel of the troops sent a letter to Wiremu Kingi, waited twenty-tour hours, and then, the answer not being at all of a yielding character, martial law was proclaimed, and preparations for war commenced. On Wednesday, 22nd» the # Rev, Mr. Govett (Church missionary) and I, visited the people together, and endeavoured to reason with and persuade them, but apparently without effect. We agreed, on returning, to ask the other ministers to join us in writing a letter to Wiremu Kingi, and that letter was sent yesterday, signed by seven ministers of various denominations. We have not as yet received an answer. I also vigited them again on Sunday last, as well as several other villages and pahs. The,general feeling among the natives ia one of alarm and anxiety, and I have appointed Friday as a,day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, if happily God may mercifully interpose and save us from the horrors and calamities of this impending war. The land in dispute Sra sniallaffair, perhaps 600 acres, out of a hundred times as much lying upocpnpied. It is not that Wiremu Kingi can claim it as his own; but as the representative of a wide-spreading anti-land-selling league, he insists that no further sales of land shall be made to the Europeans. This is, indeed, the great secret of the Maori King movement, to which the natives are attaching themselves in all directions, and their one great law is, no more land shall be allowed to be sold, not even by the righful owners, to the Europeans. Wiremu Kingi will, therefore, be sure of the sympathy of the Kingites, and he expec.ts their assistance. By way of securing that assistance, and also, as he thinks, by way of making sure of the fortune of war in his favor, he is resolved not to strike the first blow, that is, not to fire the first gun, not to draw the first blood. The Kingites say, they will never quarrel with the Europeans, so long as they keep on their own territories; but if the Europeans first begin war upon them, then they will unite and fight to the last. So the Wiremu Kingi's crafty policy is to draw the Kingites into this quarrel, and thus bring about a general war, which some think will be a war of extermination. We have a great many friendly natives in this district who would either be neutral or tane up arms on the side of the English; but the prospect of all the tribes joining, right away front Waikato to Port Nicholson, or as far fas Kingimu extends, and the uncertainty which pervades their minds—or fear rather—whether the English will be able to cope with this formidable combination of opposition, causes them to feel alarmed for their own safety as well as, the safety of their friends the Europeans. Under the influence of this fear and uncertainty it is no wonder that some are vacillating and hesitating as to which side they should join, but all parties are most anxious and urgent; in their entreaties that the first blood that is shed may be that of a white man, in order thus the Kingites and distant tribes may have no excuse for joining in the quarrel. . And yet according to English ideas and English law, I suppose, the first blow has been struck, or the first aggression made, by the prevention of the survey; and it will be prevented again in the same way, even in the sight of the guns or at the point of the bayonet. Women will be sent, as before, quietly to take the instruments, and gather up the chain, and carry them off the land!. Or, if the soldiers first begin to put up their tents and to prepare their position, then the women will be sent to pull down the tents, fold them up and carry them off the land. If the women are opposed, and not strong enough, then the men, being near at hand, will go to their assistance; or, if the women are made prisoners, the men will rush to their rescue; and they will go-unarmed; they will wrestle and struggle with the soldiers, and wrest their guns from them, and in this way—(l mean, of course as they say)—in this way they expect one or two things; either that they shall master the soldiers, and oblige them to return; or that they shall secure to themselves the advantage of having their blood first drawn, or one of their party first killed, or of the first shot being fired, or the first blow being struck by. the Europeans. Of course, with this prospect it seems inevitable that the first blow must be so struck, and that, toOj4ong before they would be permitted to come to such close quarters as they seem to.contemplate; so that the great question now occupying all men's minds is, ' Will the Kingites be true to their Kingism and come to their help, and so bring on a general war ?' 0 ! it is a painful thought, to think after thirty years of missionary labor among this people, that they should come to this! Surely God will interp6se to prevent such dire calamities; and surely some of those Gospel truths which have been sown year after year among the natives of this country will spring up and produce the fruits of peace! In many, perhaps, the parable of our Lord wiilbe verified—the demon of heathenism will take with himself seven other spirits more wicked thaa himself, and their last state will be worse than their first. Brethren, pray for us, for if ever. the missionaries of this land needed the prayers of the Church —if ever there was a time when we needed special wisdom and grace, that time is the present.