DECADENCE OF TE WHITIISM.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1516, 25 March 1887, Page 2

DECADENCE OF TE WHITIISM.

(Wanganni Herald March 24)

The mana of the eratsvhl'o prophet Te Whiti lisa all but departed, and his duped followers are finding out how foolish they have been m pinning their faith to the extravagant promises and predictions of the Parihaka seer. The natives who, acting under his advice, refused to recognise the N.L Court, or to get their pities individualised, have woke up to the faot that others are not so blind m their belief m Te Whlti, and took advantage of the prophet's dupes' absence to get their own names inserted m the certificates of title to the exolmion of those of the absent followers of Te Whiti. This has given rise to much discontent and has helped to weaken the prophet's h rid on natives belonging to parts of the country at some little distance from Ptuihaka. The first Bittlogs of N.L. Court m connection with the West Coast confiscated lands have lately terminated, and with gra^fying success, vb a correspondent informs m that over 200 applications for BUCO?B3ion orders were made and heard, and that fully 100 eubiivisona of allocations on the Reserves were made* The Court was presided over by Judge Wi'son, and sat at different plaoes m the vicinity of the cot {heated territory. Te Whici tried to prevent his followers atteuding theae sittings, but they wisely iuraed a de»f ear to his arguments aid pleading*, and got their shares m the roturned rue.ia allocated to them irstoad u f standing aloof and being left landless aB Te Whiti wanted theoa to. Tha old communistic plan of granting reserves m one or more large blocks has been departed from and titles individualised. This will give ench native a direct stake m the peace of the country, and prevent a few from holding the land, whilst tho many engage m acts of lawlessness, such as the late cmeute near Manaia, for which Te Whiti was held responsible and punished. That his sojourn m tho Terrace Gaol at Wellington did him good is plain, as he has been cautious not to ir.clte Irs followers to illegal nots sicce bis release, and is held to bail for his future behaviour by the faot that the fines inflicted on him and his dupes have been let uucollooted, and will not be asked for, so long as the persons against whoso names they were recorded remain peaceable snd oroerly.

The great cau-e of want and disease among the Dfctivi-s lisa been their commnntßtic habits These are gradually giving way, and the natives gettiog more oivi Used. We are glad to notice that Te Whiti even sees the evilß of communism and has agreed to apportion individual areas to those who belong to his hapn, so that each may cultivate hia own land and have his own property to deal with. The present Native Minister has striven hard to bring the natives to a knowledge nf the folly of communistic habits, and done all m his power to get them to adopt the viitaes of civilisation,, and to di ßoard its vices. They are following his advice more and more, and aB they see the great bonefi s they derive from the ohajigo they are not siow to impress upon thetr relativeß and friotids the wisdom cf following their example. The consequence is that the natives all along this coast are settling down, and r-a soon as they got their titles individualised nill industriously occupy therasolves m cultivating their holdings. For years they have neglected their cultivations and lived from hind to mouth, bat they are beginning to see the folly of their past ways, and the strong inducements thero are for a complete change m their habits. When all the confiscated lands dot aoart by the Commissioner, Sir William Fox, for the oae and cooupation of the West Coaßt natives are sub-divided and allocated to their individual claimants, there will be a largo increase m the natural products of the dis'.rict, an the land is of tho very best, and will, when carefully oultiva'ed, give a splendid return for any labor expended on if. Much of it will grow cereals of the finest quality m great profusion, and make rich pas turea when laid down m grass after cropping; eveu m its natural Btate it will fatten more stock than nlnetenths of the land elsewhero m the colony This very richness of the soil has made tho natives there warlike and j Pilous, as they have for generations had to fijht for their land, and looked upon everyone outside their own lines as enemies, who would only be too glad of an excuse to wrest their land from them. Te Whiti preached '• peace" to them and to some extent did good, as be kept them m hand at a time when an opposite dootrine would have been » disastrous one for the colony. Had he followed up his wise " peace " teachings by advising his followers to settle down nnd work, he would hare been a grand friend and guide to his people. His latterday vagaries, however, have ultarly spoiled hiß reputation, and left him a soured and negleoted prophet, who will Boon lack a single follower, judging by present indications. Ho has outlived his mana and fallen from his high estate, a not unfrrquent thing for such as ho, if wo can believe the pages of ancient and modorn history. Hid be been troated aB an ordinary prisoner when first arrested by the Atkinson Government, the after troubles would have been averted and Te Whiti-ism dead and buried by this time. As it is, it is moribund, and will Boon oeaso to exert a dlsturbiug influence m the Native mind, whioh will be more conoernod with tho atts of peace and industry m .futuro than they have been. "The Potato is cookod," and bo 1b Te Whiti-lem. They have both been laid open and found unsound at the core,"