THE NEW ZEALAND COLONISTS AND THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 184, 13 September 1845, Page 109

THE NEW ZEALAND COLONISTS AND THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

[From the New Zealand Journal of March I.]

The Louisa Campbell being about to sail for the colony, we postpone our further consideration of Lord Stanley's /anus-like despatch, in order to put the colonists on their guard against their real enemy. This, we have no doubt, the majority of them consider to be the Colonial Office, and truly bitter has been the enmity of the Colonial Office; but for the cause of this enmity they must look to a power to all appearance greater even than that of the Colonial Office, viz., the politico-ecclesiastic body called the " Church Missionary Society" In treating of the acts of this body, let the colonists beware not to confound them with those of the Church of England as established in the colony in the person of the bishop and his staff. These cannot but produce benefit. It is against the Church Missionary Society, as such, that we would warn them as against their deadliest foe : this powerful body appears determined not to cease from persecution till it has accomplished their ruin. Much may be prevented by the colonists themselves. Let them encourage by every means in their power the exertions of the bishop and the gentlemenly clergy; but, as they value their wellbeing, let them scout the cobblers, tailors, gunsmiths, &c, of the Church Missionary Society. The relative position of this society and the colonists is this : — The Church Missionary Society has for years possessed almost the exclusive sovereignty of New Zealand in the sway of its missionaries 1 by the colonization of the islands their power has been shaken, and, as they well know, must eventually altogether fall. Hence has arisen that bitter feeling against the colonists which appears to actuate the every movement of the aggrieved body, and which has now assumed the shape of the most determined revenge ; a revenge which, in the ages of barbarism, might have been deemed defensible, but which, in the present enlightened age, and coming, too, from a body " calling themselves Christians," is truly detestable.

The position of the colonists with regard to this body is this : — How soon can they get rid of Church missionaries ? Jt is simply a question of time. So long as the missionaries of the society exist in New Zealand, to long mil the per-

secution of that society exist. Let the missionaries themselves cease and the persecution will cease, but not till then. It cannot be too much impressed upon the colonists, that to rid themselves of Church Missionary influence, they must rid themselves of the missionaries themselves as such. We say "rid themselves," for more depends on the colonists themselves in this respect than upon anything on this side of the globe. One thing is certain, that till they have got rid of the cause they will never get rid of the disease.

But how is this to be effected ? By & systematic adherence to plans having for their ultimate object the removal of the Church missionaries from New Zealand, unless they choose to remain as colonists merely : and this may be effected with more ease than may at first sight appear.

Let the colonists give every encouragement to the bishop and regular clergy, who will only be too glad to throw off the yoke of this overgrown society. Let them make it a condition in their contributions to church-building, &c, that the society's missionaries shall have no part nor lot in the matter.

Let them also encourage and support the Wesleyan and other societies. The Wesleyans, in particular, deserve well at their hands for having discountenanced land-sharking in their missionaries, whilst the Church Society has encouraged it in theirs. The Wesleyans will be eventually as great a blessing to New Zealand as the Church missionaries have been a curse.

I<et the colonists adopt means to civilize the natives, and with that civilization let it be carefully impressed upon them how themselves and their forefathers have been cheated out of their lands, pigs, and other merchandise, by the dealers in tracts, &c. Impress upon them that these tracts and books were provided from funds given by benevolent persons in England for the purpose of supplying them with books gratis. A greater service could not be rendered in this way than by the translation of portions of Dr. Lang's book into Maori, and its extensive gratis circulation among the natives. This step would soon tell.

Let them remember that so long as the missionaries of the society have power in New Zealand, so long will the same false reports be regularly transmitted to the society, and so long will the society continue to act upon those reports. Therefore, in order that the missionaries shall have no grounds for making reports of the colonists, let the colonists hold no communication with the missionaries.

Lastly, whatever steps the colonists may see fit to adopt, let it be in self-defence, not in the spirit of revenge. Leave the exercise of revenge, the passion of savages, to Church missionaries.

As long as the Church Missionary Society was an open enemy, which we have long known it to be, we respected it for its frankness, though we deplored the mistaken spirit which dictated its enmity. As long as it declared, through its secretary, Mr. Dandeson Coates, that it " would do all in its power to thwart colonisation in New Zealand," we deemed it a "fair foe," and felt towards it as men do towards a generous enemy ; often passing over its acts in silence, lest we might be deemed by well-meaning people, who are ignorant of the real state of the colony, as opponents of that religion which the society professes to disseminate. Churchmen ourselves, we would gladly have seen colonisation and the society go hand-in-hand together, and in this feeling, and with the hope that some day or other the society would learn more of the colonists than from the reports of their disappointed servants, and so at some future day make amends for the injuries they have inflicted, we have refrained from commenting upon many overt acts which otherwise our duty would have prompted us to notice.

But now that the society has laid aside the character of an open and generous enemy, and stooped so low as to have adopted the " stab-in-the-dark system," we entirely disavow any friendly feeling towards it, and only pray that the colony may speedily be delivered from all connexion with a body which can adopt a mode of proceeding so unmanly and un-English. Again, we emphatically declare that the existence of Church Missionism — not Church of Englandism — is, from the hostility of the society, incompatible with the best interests of the colony. Hear Mr. Aglionby.

"A Mr. Coates (the Stcretary to the Church Mittionary Society) had published a pamphlet hostile to the views of the Company, It was brought out under the sanction of the Church Missionary Society, and several individuals of high rank had lent their names as patrons of it ; many of whom, he feared, were not thoroughly acquainted with all the proceedings carried on by some members of that society. How was Mr. Coates acfing with regard to that pamphlet ? He (Mr. Aglionby) dh> NOT THINK THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY WERE ACQUAINTED WITH THE COURSE HE WAS pursuing. Mr. Coates was constantly sending copies of his pamphlet to the clergymen of every parish throughout the kingdom ; with reqmutt that

they should circulate it amongst their parishioners, and ASK. THE REPRESENTATIVES Or THE DISTRICT in which they rbsided I to oppose in their places in Parliament any measure in favour of the 'New Zealand Company. The pttntphlet had been trammitted to himself (Mr. Aglionby) by a. person, resident in the borough which he had the honour of : representing, and a request similar to that to wliieh he had referred had been madeofhim ! ! [laughter}. He mentioned this fact as a reason why they should not relax in their effort* to induce members of the legislature to view what they were asking for a* ■% matter of justice, in which not only the aborigines of New Zealand were concerned, but also thousands of British subjects." . >

Poor Mr. Coates ! — caught out at last We would not give much for your future influence in New Zealand ; whatever influence the Church Missionary Society may, by its continued patronage, give you here. The general ignorance of the clergy is w?U portrayed by the fact, that One, resident in the borough for which Mr. Aglionby is member, should not have known of the distinguished part which Mr. Aglionby took in New Zealand affairs last session; for to him was chiefly owing the triumph of justice orer the Colonial Office, though, unfortunately, the latter seems to be more powerful than the former.

Now we do not object to the Church Missionary Society entertaining views "hostile to the New Zealand Company," nor publishing pamphlets, through their secretary, upholding these views. Upon many points our own views are in opposition to those of the Company. But we do object to the unmanly mode of secretly influencing members of Parliament, and others, by means of a powerful religious body,— thus making the question a point of religions as though the colonists were in reality what ths missionaries have openly described them to be to the poor, ignorant natives, viz., a race of " taipos," or " devils," having nothing in common with their own " celestial" nature. What would men think of a parliament which would be thus influenced by an appeal to their bigotry — and that appeal made in secret; "fearing the light because its deeds are evil." That there may be men in Parliament who would be thus influenced we have no doubt ; but we should hope that the "secret" mode of asking their influence would at once engender a suspicion in the majority that there was something wrong. The "cunning" peculiar to men of Mr. Dandeson Coates's stamp never sees thus far.

As Mr. Coates seems to have been infected with the " cacathes scribendi," we recommend him to try his hand upon a " Politico-religious Catechism of the British Colonies," for the usa of Sunday-schools; thus instilling "Church-Missionary-Society principles" into the next generation at the outset. It would save a world of pamphleteering in future. We would suggest the insertion of the following questions and answers : — Question. Who governs New Zealand ? Answer. The nominee of the Church Missionary Society. Q. Who is the Colonial Minister ? A. N or M (as the case may be). Q. Who governs N or M (as the case may be)? A. Mr. Stephen. ,Q. Who governs both N or M, and Mr. Stephen ? A. Members of Parliament Bay they do (here the child should he taught to wink with one eye, and make a peculiar gesture with his thumb over the left shoulder). Q. Who governs members of Parliament I A. Their wives and daughters. Q. Who governs their wives and daughters-? A. The clergymen of their respective parishes. Q. Who governs the clergymen of their respective parishes ? A. Mr. Dandeson Coates (vide Mr. Aglionby's speech). (£ Then, by the Socratic method of reasoning, does not Mr. Dandeson Coates govern New Zealand ? A. Of course. This would do for the "gubernatorial department." The following might he classed uktdfcr the head " natural hißtory :"— Q. What are " Church missionaries ?" A. Shoemakers, tailors, gunsmiths, &C. Q. Are they ever educated ? A. Never. Q.. For what purpose are they sent to New Zealand ? . A. To exchange tracts and New Testament* for pigs, land, and other merchandise, to sell, again to the whalers. Q. Have they done their duty in this respect? A. I should rather think so. Q. What are colonists, that is, in » Church missionary sense? A. Devils. , : Q. Is it any harm for the natives to murder them? A. Devil a bit. Q. They ought not to be hung or ersa tried for it ? A. Certainly not.