The Daily News, TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1903. A CHAPTER OF HISTORY CLOSED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 123, 26 May 1903, Page 2

The Daily News, TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1903. A CHAPTER OF HISTORY CLOSED.

The closing cf th»fe chapter in the history of the coloty, in which thfi Maori KiDg has bceo an imprtant, if co", a very promnent featu-e, U another of tbesucc(6?is of MrSeddon'e long term of office. So lon* as the Maori King retained his distirctive character, and wi'h his f llmvers maintained hs Individuality, imiginery rather than nal, comple'e ace-ret between the two races was impossible. The withdrawal from tint p sition, aid the acceptance if honus and responsibilities at tho bands of hs Excellency the Governor is cr^ditibla.hl-.ke to Mahuta and his Excellency's adviseis, and is a fitting recognition of Mabuta's influence and Branding. For nearly fifty years the King mivement and tha King country, with a Maori King chiming and receiving the ale gance of several of tho most powftf.il and numerous tribrs, his been an established Let, and has addel to t 1 e d fliculties of the native proSleao, Our Auckland contimpo arygivs? he following interesting history of. he m veman : —" Early in 1857, William Thompson (Te Waharoa) visite 1 Auekhnd to lay the grievances cf the Maoris before the Governor, lb seems that he was denied access to Govercor Gore Browne, tfhodid cot know the Maori linguae or the customs of the peopl j, Thompson went home, determined to no mor. favours, and in Febiuary, 1857, sent a circular "to all Waikato," declaring that his tribe, the Ngatilmuo, agreeJ that Po'atau should b3 King of New Z9iland. At a meeting at U.ngiriri,' a flag wss ereotei—white, with a red border, and two red crosses as symbols of Christianity, and the words, " Pjtttau, King of Ne* Zealand." The Union | Jick was ho : st-.d nmr the new flag. Takirau tied tha fligs together, saying, J "Our king «ill bj friendly with the] QaeeD," aud asking for tVe bles-ing of God on New Z?aland. Th re can be] little doubt that at fhvt the hades! were loth that their king movement should assume an appsaranci if hostility to the English power. They desired to have a king to put an end to disputes amongst themselves, and to prevent the encroachment tf power. VMliam Thompson, the King maker, iu a letter to the Governor asked : " This greit name of God, which is spoken of to me, why is this fr< o to me, whiU of the name of king I am told, 'lt is sowed ; meaioa it cot,' Let the p«.keha look to D.uteronimy xvii. 15. Was not ihe Queen English, NichoUs Radian, Buonaparte French, P. miro 'lahitian, oach from h : s o.vn P-'"pl«? ■ . . I, of this island, am of a different rac>, not n»arly ' My only bond with you is iu Christ'l (Ephesians ii, 13) | I say, 0 friends, thjit the thing? cfj God are for us all

Da you grudge us a king, as if it were a nune greater thin that of Gad ? If it were so tint God foib d* us, then we would give it up." Thompson went on to say that Poto l au was set up in 1857 " to put a-a eod to laud, feud-, to put down troubles, to hold th >' [ hr.rt of the slave, and to judge tbs | offences of tho chiefs." Ila contUud : " I do not desire to cas; the Qu>?n| From this island, but from mv own laud. I am the porson to. overlook iv' Hoj called to miod that he was converted to Ohristiani-y at the Hotorua wu- in 1836, and had over afterwards Lboued with the missionaries For peace, and to stay the river of blood which w,ir made to flow in the land. Thompson was undoubtedly the leader in tha erection of the kingship, aDd his statements of its objects must be taken as (rue and accurate for the party who acted with him. A groat meeting was he'd a 1 Ngaruawahia in 1860, to confirm Pota--au as king, and to erect his flag. The fiigstaffwas ere:tei on May 29, and was naned after Potafcau's ancestor, Te » Pan". William Thompson said :—" Let I Uin.'t fake up an unrighteous cune.j Le; us search cm; tho merits of the case,! ilnt if v?o dlowe may die in a righteous! cause." But the infliuncee on bo'.h! sides against a peaceful settlement wero"' too great. Many of tho youager Maoris.

were dt lighted at the pro^pec 1 : cf wir, and tbongbt they ould b at the English s ildifcis. And a mijoriy cf the European sett'eis of Auckland and Taranak I ', who saw that the king *n n*, would put a stop to the advancement of settlement, were avorfo to 'he use tf anything Lut fore?. And bo thito'oy diifted into war, which 1 s'ed fei" sornfi 15 or 20 years. The fiist V'ft' ri king vra.s Potatau te Whi'io«herp, the hs ad cf tha Ngatim huta ribe, ar.d pr:m unt chief of all the Waikatts. He died during tho war, <ind Lis son Tawhno succeeded. During liis kingship the power <f tho oiH::.< d- dined. But ihere were stili muiy of the natives wh-j were aver-e io yildirg up the kingship. During fawhiao'd reigu m«tcf theg eat chiefs vstio bal .founded the king movement, u.d who hid been tparod by the war, •lieci -men suchssTuuntiNgaporaand ,11 wi MmiapD'o. The yuu g j r geceratio-) could SO3 that nothing was to b) gained. Sir G.orge Gny, whi'e Premier, attended native meetings at To Kopui and Hikurangi, and t l e IY ct was to biiog about the r<sufc of y<'bterdiy. The (ff.r which Mihu a has nov ace. ptrd was raado to his father, bu 1 ; lu declined, as he felt th*t ice p'atce would mean the tass cf prestige, or ttnnn, amongst bis fellow cou.airym.6u. Mahu'a b:s been in no bury; lo has sefcd deliberati.lv, and fir full co sideration." Thisthp'e:in our history is now hapi ily closed, and to us) the graphic language <f the Hon. James Carroll, the Native Minister, '• we are ail no?v emb.ik.d in one jCius*; let us pull trgethir," Lot us bore the uuion of races be for tin !as<iog good of the olony and its p op'.e.