THE TONGAN AFFAIR.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1556, 22 February 1887, Page 4

THE TONGAN AFFAIR.

Auckland, Feb. 19. The Rev. Mr Bavin lias received the following letter from the Rev, Mr Monl i on, rein I ive to the present cleploralile condition of affairs in Tonga. In view nf the grave charges which have been made against leading Wesleyan natives, Mr Bavin considers it light Mr Moulton’s statement should be published “Tonga, Feb. Ist, 1887. “Mr dear Mr Bavin, —I havo just heard that our minister David Tint is said to have confessed to having been one of the originators of the scheme. Don’t believe a word of it. He was accidentally made acquainted with it the night before, and that is all. He erred only in not acting on the imperfect information he received and reporting it. As the Court was held with dosed doors it is impossible to say accurately what had taken place, but 1 have heard from a credible source that David's statement, viz., tlmt he was only made acquainted with it the night before, was confirmed by the two most important witnesses. Nor do I think that my head student, John Auckan, could have been privy to it. We work much together, and surely the workings of a plot of such a nature —[in a previous letter Mr Moulton speaks of it as a foul crime]—would have shown themselves in his countenance or actions. Beyond a general feeling that Baker s intolerable tyranny could not go on longer without a catastrophe—beyond this, I bad not a suspicion that anything was plotting. My own impression is that it is a political affair, but (hat Baker seeks to put it upon us for the double purpose of crushing us and hiding from Ihe world his failure. What I ask of you and our Wesleyan friends in New Zealand is to suspend your judgment until you have heard t (, e other side. At present my feelings are best expressed tn the words of Jesus, ‘ This is your hour and the power of darkness.’ i know that when the time comes, when all shall be revealed, it will be seen that the Wesleyuns of Tonga have done nothing to be ashamed of."