THE NATIVE DIFFICULTY.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 51, 25 June 1879, Page 3

THE NATIVE DIFFICULTY.

»» ''"' » vr ?ixj(OUTH, June 19. ! r: bThe- |l«w» had been -assembling at ?*F?K*^> for f ' ?n^ e d *y« previous to my WMhrag therei / I found about 800 JTatives the*',, they had a large quantity' of food prd- / Videc^'andallieemedcpntenteaL and happy The wet weather pvevented them from' moving: about much; but on Tuesday thefeattingi^dk place, and on Wedrieaday the ;*^*?§»* -Te Whiti ws. the first to •peak; and he delivered his address without ; •&> hesitation , , excepting the necessary pauses when he came to important parts eof his speech; He ha« an. easy fluent ad- , jdress, wd was, attentiyely - listened to -throughout, the Me,orirai a rulenerer inter.^a Pj ting a speaker; with demonstrations of ; «n»rpnJvot, ojherwise^: but during Te v Wh^i's^p^he^wMcpntinually appkuded by the'NatiTet^ The following i. V literal tninilation of th» flnt .peecb delirered by Te WharoaTWdaesdaT?^- . f • r *' lam the man ■ jwho stopped the rains . : : iiurof HeaTehso*l% the^land, aria ,1 am the, man who I s{!oilea l ehe : land' in the place l*^ *? d *^ H ' «»y; ?i»n molest &c I wUI »tp himiwith my ,'tp ! tongue.' That "is the "weapon 1 with which I vil) -fights Wheere^ helieves^ m the »rU woman cannot be one of my followers, and * »»"#&*; out. v The time is fast epprowihinf, *n4 i. •«!! bow at hand, when ■ "■■*P r »^ft-H*9!H *?» d $• ,H*»»aM will be i eJiotH are 'enacted now on earth. All people, an.d nations, and tspngues, are> imieifmy feet All thinip are giren to me fJnd aU men, war «f »mit m*. The Heavens WiUopipa^^4*^ the. waters will he disturbed and ulaMjfaid you willinbt see it deaf «Wr.: i **"*& ••rthquakes will h.e m dirers and men Will be »h»ken and stobp to me. All the sayings of the prophets of old : $ f8 - ttow *«»ompliahed. I will nejoice and " W ««^ing glad because the end is near. W thA old times ©pd and Satan worked goodahd cvil } it is now Q-od and man who work ftU things. The man standing before fou#bw is Satan m one. My work j|s now ; r^f»J ; »ecpn»plished, I wiU 'not? address 3»*fw*ny>ag^h,of time. 7 If any walk m «» dait »nd turh to eril, let him feo m hu v;fjM fw »y*V those who chose. the light let them walk therein. Keep what I say m • chensh -ii^do not let it slip H?™ 7°?* Ptinorj. I hare been cr jing like one sighiiig m the wilderness, calling; franers :to repentance.. . Oome, come to md besaYed! saved ! So long as you re- ' 3fel»m '"'it'h'nie no man can harm you. The - tuahty?o^f the earth laugh atiyau; because , jou/sjsejpoor. andlowly minded -but wnit ■.■;' :Nl'3m •«• them bumble thenoselre,^^a •■towvtlcjrpur f eefci ■ I will look after and pro-. Wt yoji^lltire^icei. iay. heartaito^day to' S^ yOU * H * JO 7 I « W time to-tKe 'happy place. - l^Jfl th« bf|fenjn^ WQiidjßJ fetlw

present time" war has 'not ceased' from 'the earth, but this generation (J. E. Te Whiti) ! will stop war for ever. This is the last generation of the world." Te Whiti continued m this strain for a considerable time, stating that the world belonged to him, and calling himself Jesus Christ; and saying that if the Government was to send a large force to Taranaki to take him and crucify him'; that after three days he would rise again. .■ He said he would not offer any resistance to the soldiers wheu they came, but that he would gladly let . them crucify him. . He alsp b . stated that the Gorernment are determines to put the surveyors on the Plains, but he- said he would not fight them. He stated he had.; received a . telegram from Sir (3-eorge Grey on the I7th, m which the Premier proposed to appoint a Commission to investigate the claims of the Natives' to the confiscated lands, and invite Te Whiti to employ a lawyer to look after his [Interests, the Government .paying all expenses. Te Whiti said his answer was that the matter 7 had been ; too long, that the end of all things was it hand, Courts and Commissioners included. •-- In addressing the men who had ploughed the land, he said "Go put your hands to the plough ; do not look back ; if any should come with guns and swords do not be afraid ; if any smite you do not smite them again.; if they tear you to pieces, do not be discouraged ; another will take your place to carry on the; -good work. If any evil thought should enter the mind of the settlers ; and they fear a repetition of the scenes that happened during the last war, and' they should fly away to the town ; do not enter their houses nor take any of their,, goods or cattle. ;My eye is dyer all, I will' detain the thieves, . and the work of evil, and •the punishment will be like the punishment of Annanias. Go therefore and dp that, appointed to' you. 'Do it without fear or trembling." Te Whiti then addressed himself to the newspaper reporters whom he s#tw present,; taking notes of • what he was - saying. ".When I speak of the land, the survey, the ploughing, and such matters of little consequence, their (reporters)* pencils fly "with the speed of the wind; but when I speak of the word of the spirit, they say this is the dream of a madman. They are so intent m acoumuUting wealth tli^t, nothing appears to interest them except ,what is m some, way connected with the acquisition v of wealth. The storekeeper who has succeeded m acquiring wealth by short weight and inferior* articles, and the numerous ways -of picking and stealing known only to the initialed s the man who steals tho land of the Maori, rand acquires flocks of sheeep and herds of cattle ; the man : who, #puld'?take:^bread 6ut of the mouthY of the widows and fatherless 1 , and acquire great riches ; they m so doing > are all looked' upon as gentlemen of property, while the h amble seekers after truth are passed by, unknown and unheeded! The time is at hand when their , goods willnot rot m their stores, their ships will rot m tjieir harbours for want of sailors to work them, the merchants will wring their hands m despair when they- see all the accumulatiiig riches melt away like the morning mists before the rising sun." . . : The speech was not delivered allat onoe, . but at . different intervals. When other Natives were not speaking Tehua also spoke, but his remarks contained nothing, fresh. The meeting broke up m the usual way ; there was not any special time 'fixed for' reassembling, but. the usual time was understood, Everything passed off with the greatest ..har-mony and kindly feeling. The idea of any intention on .part of .the Natives having a general rising appears to have been altogether groundless, as^not a word of fighting talk was uttered. - After the .meeting, was' over- 1; had an .mr terview wi^b T«' Whiti. He was very affc« ] ble, and' seemed willing, to converse with ■me, He explained to me how he became converted and a prophet; He said when the first war was commenced, Mr. Eeitneu- ' schneider j a Missionary at Wairoa, presented him with a large Bible, and' told him , to hold fast to the good book, m , which he would find all that: was good and true and holy, . Te. Whiti said he' read it for a,time without any good resulting.. He persevered, and still he was like one blind, foolishly groping his way; At last, like St. Paul, the scales fell from his "iyeu. A great light shone into his mind, and the word of tho spirit poured from his lins^ like, rivers of. water aweUing,by , the rising of the ssia. He has gone on his course \6f •' instruction until he believes himself to he Jesus Christ, and his second advent-i is nigh at hand. I-w^s speaking with Te Whiti' as to. vwhethe* 1 he intended ordering tb e men to resume their ploughing, and he said to me that it rested with the people themselves whether^ they w«nt on cwith: the; c plpjaghj[ng pr_ not. He said .he wbiild hot give them : ant order, to commence, again., If -they. had flnwbedthispiece of, ground they had;; been doing, they cotuol cultivate % He.said the men. would not give" up. possession of- the ground they -had ploughedj but he madeit quite clear to me; th%t he (Te Whiti) w^puld/not be a party to any acts of aggression. .-He assumes, the position oft one who is espectirig a complete revolution of the .world. He leaves the consideration of , these worldly things to the people. ■■-'.'■ ■■■".. Th# Natives thoroughly enjoy themselves at these meetings, eating and smoking;. The !wet weather, however, prevented the young people dancing, which is the usual custom, they^treated the Europeans that, were present m a. very friendly manner, and appeared pleased tp see them present, and were very particular m trying tp instil into the pakehas' minds that the Maoris did not want to fight. '. ■ '

poundkeeppr, he at' once commenced the offensive.; He threatened to tomahawk the poundkeeper and 'break the pound. During the fracas which oocured m the erening Ka>: tnokamo was put m the mud by some of the armed members of the Constabulary, whom he insulted. He has since paid the 'fees, and released the bullocks. -■ •* Patsa June 23. There is some excitement amongst the settlers, who are anxious to support the Hawera settlers, being eitremriycgratrified; at the action taken by them m putting the natives over the Waingongoro Bridge/ ' - Titpkowaru has not rat urned from Parihaka. He awaits ' ■ is< tractions from Te Whiti, who said his mat must be swept clean— meaning that the settlers must be swept off the land. ' " , A further contingent of natives arriTed yesterday, after the. ploughmen were turned off, 'and wished to resume ploughing, but Commissioner Williams' warned them, say*. ing the settlers were -not to be trifled with. They dispersed then • but it is supposed they will return m great fbroe, and^ attempt ploughing. Erery" preparation is made against any emergency. : WiMIKOTdK June 23. If after the Q-byernment hare done all that us possible to prevent bloodshed, hostilities should take place, the Gh>Tcrnment "will at once send their flying column of Constabulary now ;Oyer 300 strong to break up the Parihaka'se^tlimerit; leating the protection of tjhsf Taranakl ' frontier and Watngongaro to tne settlers; m their respective districts. Major Roberts who covered the retreat at, Okafcukn last war, has been sent for to take command*; of -the- Constabulary. Major flfoake will control' affairs on the Wwngon^Oro : boundary^ The Ngapuhis haVe offfce^-to furnish a contingent if the Govern nrtent wish. Bewi has also offered to Bend soo Maniapotoif required. Even without the Nghtiporou contigent the Government calculated on being able to place a* thousand friendly natives m. the distirbed districts, should the occasion arise.