THE NATIVE QUESTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 445, 17 April 1865, Page 5

THE NATIVE QUESTION.

To the Editor of the New Zealand Hebald. Misteii Sib, —I hopes a 9 how you will do me the favor to print this ere letter, more particular when X tells yer that the other " impartial and not neutral " newspapers never find space for my communications, if the opinions therein contained do not tally with theirs. And I also hopes you will excuse my egotism and ignorance when I tells you that I am a Cockney rWt TrPTry long out, and gat the stupid notion in my

"hev nJIT ,lewe P a P Brß Hke th om that the /Tu°' Hnd r, 'P resunt <'d tlia opinions of tho 'hi!!' but * h «a Auckkud aiut quiteuooldns the big smoke, where I was ria. But I did hear Blackwal'l °to h n t ] ,C, ' r to build a ship at mack wall, to be called tho Wox-populi, wax Dei for 5,«W^...A? d f ia - what Tapley wontrl l' f''° iJ^aco ' an ? indignation meetings me an i 7 I t0 * mbarrttM the blessed Govoralent, and must not be tolorated, by no manner of means, bccauso tho Aucklanders iie bo worry happy and contented, and got nothing to grumble at. And Hie people at, Wellington 13 blessed with nn earthquake occasionally, to say nothing about tho seat of ovornment. Some of the old hands hero, Australians they call themselves, tells me, but then I am not easily " codded," " that if aßev. Mr. Volkner, or .my other man, had been murdered in such sort by the natives in thut continent, the avenger of blood would soon bo on their track, and the settlers werry 'iV'f t Ul "' :e 111W >P° ft score or two on 'em out." iiut I suppose they is a werry different settler, and a uim-rent quality native to them in this country. or i».v part, I likes to read an account of a good murder or two, and then an interesting last dying speech and confession, but nevor mind about the latter, so long as wo aro entertained with plenty of the former. There is plenty of white 'uns here, more t lan con get work, and the brown 'uns might get scarce, if there was'nt somebody well paid to take care of 'em. But I was a-going to toll you, Sir, that I am loyal subject of IJer Most Gracious Majesty, many's tho tunc I have hoorayed alter hor carriage! and in coar.-e, 1 am of the same opinion as the Governor, when he comes to Auckland, whom they say, is a good judge of horso-ilesh, and that his "particular witnity is an amiable weakness, in favor of half-brcds and lull-bloods. Talking of half-breds, this puts mo in mind of half-bred Maori gals, and X must say from what I sees, tho Maori gals is wery fine'uns, and plenty on 'e;n, and they takes shino out of tho tallow uundlo

l-icos of tho females as coinus to this country, and if X had unfortunately encumbered myself with a wife before I ctimc out, I should have u great inhhing to ecelc some nut-brown Tarico for myself, because the ngont at homo told mo it was werrj* advantageous to got a '* chiefs daughter/' and how werry delightful it was to wander about in shady grove* with her

"Whoso rich brown hair waves soft and free, "ound her smooth logs so gracefullco V jist like tho picture;! they puts on the music sheets they sell in the shop?. And, Sir, I hooray a for the Governor, urul says, '* Give tho * noble Maoris' plenty of flour and sugar; they don't get liftlf enough." 'J lie lion, the king of tho forest, is a worry fine hnnimnl to look at (in his cage), but I don't believe all them talcs which travellers tell about hiin, when they say that ho is a skulking, cowardly animal in his native wilds. What do th"y know about him if tliey paid nothing to sec him ? Now I des say that there's a good many people out here that never paid a shilling to see them noble Maories that was exhibited at tho Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly, where tliey did tho war dance and sung Hallelujahs into tho bargain, if they was asked to do it. And don't the lCxeter Hall philanthropliists pay their money to preservo them " all alive, oh !" And when they peeps through the magnifying glass of tho rareo show, don't they "pa;/ their money and take their choice, the pretty lit tic dears!" hit'll is tho missionary and which is tho Maori? Of course nobody is interested in letting a ray of truth into the brain of benevolent individual; why disabuse him when he pays for deception and believes in it For certain benevolent individual may have any amount of distress existing in the rear of his own house in that hack street, or slum, but he lias no faith in the charity that begins at home : and then some of those ragged urchins the other day broke one of his area windows, and ran away and never paid for it. shameful, ain't it r Hut then benevolent individual is furnished from time to time with glowing accounts, and his ears mightily tickled about ti.e conversion of the erst noble savage, so that he ain't got any room for compassion in his bowels for liis own race and color. Besides he is always reading about led Indians and Maori tribes, until they are. mixed into tho same i/nm.t ovine, until it is a settled fact in his feeble brain that tho encroaching while man is dissolving all other races before them in their territorial acquisitions, like butter melting in the sun. If therefore settlers in Mauri, or any other land are massacred and their homesteads given to flumes, benevolent individuals would like to know what else they could expect, tliey should stay at home, and then !hey would bo under British protection, and not be a barrier to tho success of missionary eil'oi t . I have now before me a public journal, givi. g an account how the greatest minister in Loudon, the Kev. Mr. S'purgcon, recently, in his Tabernacle, enlightened his congregation, consisting of twelve thousand persons (12,000) with tin interesting narrative of u Maori Indian chief (!) who proH'ercd his dog, rifle, and tomahawk, to tho missionary who told him (tho chief) how Chiist loved him !

Therefore in my opinion the Maoris (being'such a " noble race") ought to have a liitle moro flour and sugar, <nui be indulged in nil the little harmless ploa.'iiiitrit.i, the I'iti Murien—what, do you call it— religion or-any other t hiny that may possess any attraction for their innocent minds. And has to cutting off the head of a reverend gentleman or two why (hey merely wi.-li to preserve personal tokens of their friends, and let them play out their little game ; the innocent pastime will never affect your head or mine, wo don't want to go where glory waits us. So I hopes they won't take uny further notice of them, and not cause uny further investigation into what some people call a murder, or take any measure for Eclf-del'ei,ee. berause benevolent individuals might | feel offended. >o, mi-, I would sooner give u her- | ring to a Maori for three large fish than light him. Rio when I writes to my old pals, I intends to tell 'em that the settlers (not intending to settle myself, but to stick in town) don't deserve any compensation for losses, because, like skinned eels, they'll get used to , it, if indeed they ure not so already, and they hud ; better put up with it quietly. I remain, Sir, Yours respectfully, j " Blubteh." ; Newton, April 12, 1565.