Mataura Ensign GORE, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1887. TONGAN AFFAIRS.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 9, Issue 642, 11 February 1887, Page 4

Mataura Ensign GORE, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1887. TONGAN AFFAIRS.

Tonga. Tabu is the chief island of a group which acknowledges the authority of " King George." The population is about 23,000. The islands wei c missioned by the Wesley ans in the early years of the present century, and their conversion to Christianity was in the course of time about the most complete of any recorded in the modern annals of missions. Immemorial customs and horrors gave way to the new faith. Native teachers and preachers were reckoned by hundreds- The very king himself led prayer meetings and thumped on the floor with his club when a brother prayed too long. Among -the missionaries cf a quarter of a century ago thore was a Rev. Shirley Btker, who obtained great influence with the king. In the course of time he fell under the discipline of the Church authorities. Far sighted wen, and men of iron would have expelled him. His political influence was at best dangerous, and after a quarrel with his Church was almost sure to be hostile. Expulsion would have ruined him, for the countenance and smile of the Church was omnipotent at the time. But half measures were resorted to, and Baker wag allowed to resign and so escape appearing to the simple and zealous Tongans *' as an archangel fallen-" Baker now busied himself in strengthening his position with the king and in brewing little quarrels with the Wesleyan Conference of Australasia. He filltd the king's mind with ideas ©£ prerogath c and prompted him to ask for appointments for missionaries that the Conference would not grant, and then per suaded the tamed savage that be had been slighted. After a long run of such courses, the Wesleyaus practically excommunicated Baker, tub they were too late. He had by this time gathered the reins of power into his grasp and governed through the king, who was a puppet in his hands. For hia own safety and pleasure he had a residence in Auckland and a steamer kept by the Tongan Government conveyed him whither he would. No further illug ration of the disinterestedness of the man need be given than to mention that he is a director of the Bank of New Zealand—a position that phiiauthropic devotion to the interests of a native race is not likely to secure. For the last fourteen years the Tongan Church has been subject fir 3: to the Wesleyan Board of Missions, resident in Sydnpy, second <o the Gon-ft-rence of New South Wales that, app- in 8 tii B ard, <«mJ to which h' v .n ". " f **1 in fcsion* »h cqw *■ ; -'■ hit if. .., 'i G uera.l l" v A • ( i in, tn.-eting 0.-C. :,_ .U.i:;. yCUff. The JB^ld of Missions consisted of a lot of old fogies, highly respectable, but not to be mistaken for Richelieus or M. z irins. They took a bee line of " duly " over ill '»id I^l , swiiiup &isd elp c . J.ucj rt^iuo Uy picCtideiiba i_; U ibicesdented circumstances, and iuuiafced up

on discipline till there whs nothing over which to exercise it. These were exactly the men for Baker. As long ago as 1877 some mcD, not members of the Board, were heard to eay — " We are going to lose Tonga." But th«j Board that had nursed the baby could'nt understand any demand ; for breeches, and insisted on keeping Tonga in frocks. The annual Conference, of which the Board was an important part/ of course never thwarted the Board, and the General Conference, in which New South Wales was strongly represented, dared not censure or over ride the senior Colony. Hence quarrels with the Board became quarrels with the whole Church- In 1884, when the General Conference met in Christchurcb, Tonga, i-e. Baker, petitioned to be annexed to New Zealand instead of to New Souib Wales, and asked also to have one missionary removed from the islands and another reinstated. There were irritating details on both aides, into which we cannot enter here- But New South Wales argued "To take Tonga from us is to censure up,'' and all Australia felt that, as New Zealand wanted ecclesiastical separation, to give her Tonga was to give her weight and to make . her secession more probable and more disastrous* Hence, though it was declared that Baker was building a Church in which the Wesleyan author ties wore tot racuguibeJ, the General Conference showed i*s feebleness by risking one oi its best provinces ratherithan seem to censure the o'd fogies. Tonga was to remain as it w F,and'h/j obnoxious missionary left victoiious. Baker immediately proclaimed the Free Church and pro ceeded to establish it vi< et armis- TJp fco this point the history can scarcely be said to b •* of public interest. It if simply a record of th« incompetence of a lot of goody goodies to deal with %i ambitious man of. iho world. But frou» the moment the Fiee Church was se up, Tongan affairs began to de erve the attention of the civilised world. The dark ages were restored under tht patronage of a renegade Methodist Persecution, sometimes petty, sometimes brutal* abounded everywhere, vlission propeifcy was seized, leyal Wesle} r ans were disposstßSdd of ihei property, preachers wore imprisoned, actions and words of protest were visited with ruinous fines, and on the whole the new State Church has fairl; established its claim to rank with th >se of history: Under pressure of this sort five^eixths of the people have joined the " Establishment," and the remain~ der continue to endure shame and loss. News has now come to hand that Baker has been shot at, and that his son and daughter have been wounded. Ifc is remarkable how seldom shooting at tyrants takes effec.t — but to pass on. This attempt has led to renewed and more brutal attacks upon the Wesleyans who are being plundered and ravished right and' left by apparently self-ap-pointed warriors. It is said that the deed was done by escaped convicts, but Baker blames Europeans. Time will show, but at present it is hard not to think that some native people who c innot be expected to be on a higher level than Scotch Covenanters, goaded to desperation by persecution, have tried to come up to the help of the Lord against the mighty. On the whole it is evident that the sooner the protectorate of some civilised power is established in Tonga the better for all parties.