MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 April 1939, Page 2

MAORI MEMORIES

A BELATED PROCLAMATION. (Recorded by J.H.S. for “Times-Age.”) Tamihana’s subtle influence had restrained the excited Maoris who would have attacked Auckland while the troops were in Taranaki, and it would again have been effective while 10,000 soldiers were there to protect us. It was believed that the advance of our army into Waikato would at least save our outlying villages. Not only must we declare some cause for the intended attack, but we had also to justify the war in the eyes of the British Government who provided the men and the money. General Cameron was about to advance; but our proclamation of war was as difficult to compose as our announcement of the Waitara surrender, yet no declaration of war had reached the Maoris until after blood had been shed. In their code of honour, to fight without Taki (challenge) oi' Papa (cause of quarrel) was Kohuru (cold blooded murder). The declaration of war was difficult to compose because of the prejudices of our own conflicting parties, among which were the political sides of our own Government and the British Parliament, the Governor, the churches and the friendly Maori tribes. . Eventually Sir George Grey’s cleverly worded, proclamation was issued under date of delivery as July 11, 1863, being predated four days in order to justify an attack by our troops which had occurred during that interval. ' The aged and infirm, and the wives and children of the Waikato Maoris who lived in the suburbs of Auckland, some of them related to the Maori King, were asked to proclaim their allegiance to the Queen of England. The alternative was to immediately leave their homes' and surrender their property. Every one of them was deeply distressed at having to leave the houses where their parents had dwelt for a life time; but not one would renounce their King.