THE PARIHAKA MEETING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 150, 21 September 1881, Page 2

THE PARIHAKA MEETING.

(from our own correspondent.) Pungarehu, Yesterday.

Although the meeting actually concluded on Saturday evening, but very few natives have left Parihaka. Every morning some 500 or 600 leave the village to fence to seaward of the road, and return each evening, and judging by the tenor of the speeches, this is to be continued until December next, when some fresh agitation is to he initiated. The fencing has not latterly been interfered with by the constabulary, but probably preparations are being made for further operations. The natives appear very determined to fence, but carry no arms, and no sign of arming is apparent at Parihaka. They also congratulate themselves that by their tactics, they will attain immunity from arrest, or be arrested in a body.

(per united press association.) New Plymouth, Last Night. The monthly meeting of natives was held at Parihaka on Saturday last, when a large number assembled ; in all, men, women, and children, there were between two and three thousand. There were also several Eui'opeans present. The proceedings commenced about 9 a.m. by a feast being spread, and all were invited to partake of it. Over seventy bullocks were killed for the feast. The erstwhile native prisoners were congregated in a group together, being decorated with three white feathers on their heads; and Te Whiti saluted the prisoners with words of welcome. Te Whiti delivered a long address, with more than his usual earnestness, and his words were listened to with wrapt attention by the natives; indeed, his power of eloquence was so great at times, that he wrought upon the feelings of his people to a high degree, and they were intensely excited, although they were piofoundly still. Te Whiti spoke as follows :—": — " This is the September meeting, but is unlike other September meetings. The aspect of things is greatly changed. Hitherto, I have carried your (the native) troubles on my back. I have done this as long as I can, but now you must act for yourselves. The Government saj T the land is theirs, and I say the land is mine. I do not speak of the small pieces here, but I speak of the whole of the world. I do not care for the Governor, nor the King ; and I now say to you, carry on everything yourselves for yourselves until the trouble is over. The pakanga (war) commenced at Waitara ; then there was the ploughing, then there was the fencing, then you were tak.n prisoners. That time is all passed. The Government have returned you here, and you must not be taken prisoners again. I see nothing but trouble, trouble, trouble, before me. Talking has been going on tor years, but it has come to nothing. We were alone here — we were by ourselves ; but now we 'have enemies all around. The land question is all settled; it is settled now. The pakanga (fighting) has not been all settled. The fighting has been hanging over you for a long time. The King and the Government are close to you, but don't be alarmed. The fighting must come. If my hand is wrong to-day, my thoughts are wrong. What I have said to you at former meetings was correct. This day I say we will talk about fighting — nothing but fighting. All I said formerly was righb. I am the land, and all the people are iv my hand. All the ev^l which formerly existed in the land is upon us. All our talk to-day is of fighting, and nothing is now left but to fight. The peace that existed has passed away ; there is no peace now. You have tried to keep the peace, but were not allowed. Whatever you do, be not boastful, for the Atua looks on all you are doing. All that I said before was on account of the land, which is dearer to us than life, but the stranger has come and settled on it, and we are driven off what is our own. The evil of the world is loose now amongst us, and there is nothing to stop it but to fight. Let the Government and the King and the people listen to the words of this meeting. Let them take heed what I say. Let them depart from the land. Let them cease to bring their evil to us, for so sure as they do, will that great tribe melt away. Ido not say whether it will be by guns or anything else, but that great tribe will melt away before you. This meeting alone can settle the matter between the two tribes. Go, go all of you, and look upon me as, your protector. Take your arms, and the blessing of the Atua will be with you. Although this meeting may look insignificant in the eyes of the pakehas, still we are doing what is right in our defence. I am disquieted and vexed with to-day's work, for it is merely the talk of my lips. Go you all on with your land work. All will yet be straight. When I said formerly that there would be o more fighting, it was the Atua who made me utter the words. Our time is

now come when suffering must be broadcast over the land. It is only talk to-day, but I send for the pakanga (war) on to the land to-day,' on to the land sold by the Governor. If, when pakanga (war) goes on to the land, they, strike you with a stone. Likewisp, if they hit you with their hand, stril>eyou thus yourselves. If they bring gunii, take your guns likewise. If the pakehas come to say it is the Governor's lane, and lift hands to deiend it, strike *them down. These are my words, Atua puts into my mouth." Tohu then rose and said : I have little to say to-day. All my teaching has been on former occasions. To-day the talk is pakanga (war), and nothing else. Both tribes, whites and Maoris, have been living together quietly till the pakehas came with their evil close to us. We have warned them before, but that is all past now. First there was the ploughing, then the fencing, and than the imprisonment. All that is ka mate (calm) to what is to come. There will be nothing but mate (death) for Maoris and whites to-day, and for the generations to come. Listen all of you, listen to my words. Pakanga, pakanga, pakanga, tbis is what the talk is to-day. Our tribes will go on the land of our forefathers to tantohetohe (contend one with another), with the Governor, the King, and the whites ; for they have taken possession of what is ours, and what we will not part with. I say to all we will not give up the land till the Governor, the King, and the whites have swallowed us up. You are not fighting for the small pieces of land, but for the whole of it. We have talked before of peace, but that is all past now. It is not so ; and the taking it has raised this pakanga over the land. The Atua approves of what we are doing. It comes from him what I am saying- Things have been quiet for a long time, but that has passed away. Those who have greenstones or taihas, let them look to them for their safety. All the troubles are centred in this generation, so that future generations may be free from them. They have been caused by enemies of yours, and the evil is all centred in this day's proceedings. What Te Whiti says to-day is all talk. Pakanga is on us all who wish fighting to come this way. You who are far off, come this way. All I have to say is to fight and kill. Don't save any one. Destroy all before you. It may be dark to-day, and many think it will be fine to-morrow. Who can make all right? What I say is that all the land is ours. The name of to-day is pakanga. Let it all stick to you what I say. lam done for to-day.

Te Whiti, rising again, said : Every year we have been talking ; tha Atua (Almighty) talks to-day. It is different to-day. You will stretch yourselves over the land, and hold it. If there were thousands at Pungarehu, the banks of the redoubt will be a sepulchre for them. The land to-day is in my hands, and those on it will all fall — they will all perish.