TAMIHANA AND HIS DAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13485, 11 May 1907, Page 1 (Supplement)

TAMIHANA AND HIS DAY.

nr E. m. DUNLor. 3 It is extremely interesting to learn that Sir e John Gorst has revived the memory of Wi 3 Tamihana just at the present moment, by e producing an old photo., from which pore traits »have been taken. As one of these t has been generously presented by Sir John x to the kindred of Tamihana in the Waikato, j it would be very advisable to procure. a s eopy for the Art Gallery here, and in the f meantime to obtain photographs of it while the subject is under notice. ; The only other i portrait at present existing has been rej tained by Sir John Gorst., to hang in his * own studio. No doubt he would kindly a permit it to be copied or photographed if 3 copies are otherwise unobtainable. The . name of Tamihana is especially interesting j because it was he who originated the King 1 movement, ending in the proclamation of a a Maori king for the first time, and in the I practical reservation of the lands which g have, during nearly half a century, been e known as the King Country. - ; j t, Tamihana was the son of a famous Maori Q chief, who exercised lordship over 1 lands i . which formed part of the King Country, \ which, is now; engaging so much at-; 0 tention both from the Government and the] a people of New. Zealand. I e After the. death of Te Rauparaha at Otaki, j j in 1848, Tamihana became prominent in] e the affairs of his own people and in negotia- 1 _ tions with the Government of the day. Ane other Maori chief, almost equally prominent, i - was Te Wherowhero, whom Rauparaha had 1 e appointed to take charge of his lands during his absence on his famous raid of an earlier i period. Te Wher,o, being greatly respected by the Maoris, was appointed by them as ° the first Maori king, under the name of f Potatau, in spite of his advanced age. y The training of Tamihana had been wide- - ly different to that of the purely, savage a chief Te Rauparaha. Tamihana, guided also by Te Wherowhero, had fallen much v under the influence of Europeans e and of the missionaries.. He .was, -at one time a model and exs ample of the effects of Christian influ- £ ence and training. ' His r association with white people and his respect for their ina stitutions warred within him with his nai tive instincts and , traditions, and at length with his established chieftainship. He bes came a master of intrigue and cunning, an " intermediary, perhaps more dangerous from „ the knowledge he had acquired . between r brown and white. - . e ' During the years succeeding the death of i Rauparaha in. .1848, the Maoris began to k make objection to the acquisition of land by ? Europeans, so much so, that in more than 3 one instance, they ; repurchased at a high . price lands which they had formerly sold for f a trifle. The agitation grew, and .was se--1 cretly fostered by Tamihana and Te Wherok whero,: both of whom, however, : were the . professed friends of Europeans. At this I period many appointments were being made - throughout the country.-. The British:were , endeavouring to form suitable institutions k for the coming years, and. the Maoris watch--1 ed with intense interest the formation of 3 courts, the 'appointment of magistrates, . judges, and similar offices.'' They coveted l such distinctions for members of their own 5 race,' and 'the idea grew among them of * appointing authorities of their own. The brilliant idea ;of founding ; a kingship oci curred to their. leaders, and was widely pro- ) mulgated. , „ /The Maoris who .nourished and entertain-, ' ed this "idea were ""."King natives, aud . soon formed a strong ; party. .. ?Wi Tamihana was usually the spokesman and negotiator in the discussions which en- ■ sued, arid: which .were often very warm in character. Among Europeans there were . two parties, those who considered that institutions of their own would settle the : Maoris and offer a permanent leadership to which appeal might be made; the other party objecting to the recognition of Maori independence in any shape or form. Whilst the discussion was at its height. the leading Maoris; took a decided step.. At. a great meeting-, which took place oh the shores of • Lake Taupo, in December, 1856, they proclaimed that Tongariro should be the centre of a district entirely preserved for the Maori race, in which no sales of land to Europeans should be permitted. The proclaimed district included Hauraki, Waikato, Kawhia, and Mo- > kau,' with other regions., A meeting held a few months later (May, 1857) proclaimed To Whero king of all this 1 territory, I under the name of King Potatau. Rights were claimed by successive Maori kings during nearly 50 years, until Mahuta abrogated and gave permission to run the Main Trunk railway ; through the King Country, ■ and accepted a position in the Legislative Council. The expression insisted by Mr. Seddon then was, "There-is no king except King ] Edward." , '_• - ■':■■■'- A very grave mistake was made by Governor Gore Browne and his councillors when they set aside an Act made, in great * wisdom, by Sir George Grey's Government. ; This was the ordinance forbidding the sale ' of arms to aborigines. It is difficult to com- 1 prehiind what view could have been taken * in the abrogation of this useful and necessary I Act. So it was, however, and after the « institution of the kingship by Maoris, the ' sale of arms proceeded quite unchecked, to * native people. Traders found such transact ' tions .highly remunerative, and before long an immense quantity of arms had been thus l distributed. Protests were made by out- ' settlers, who could also obtain arms,, and « did so. The effect of the intermission of ' the Act was realised too late, and even then ! was hot properly estimated, an increased < duty being considered a sufficient check. ' The Maoris experimented upon one another, ' and upon tribes with whom they were at en- ' mity, and there, was & great deal of blood- ( shed and strife. The difficulties of dealing < with the position became so great that Sir ' George Grey was recalled, as an expert in native affairs, to endeavour to settle mat- ( ters. , The mischief had been done, however, I and the Maoris already possessed a large 4 amount of ammunition, which unscrupulous l Europeans continued to supply. Hence the * possibility of the mischief which ensued. J Tamihana had long thrown off any reserve ' in disguising his partisanship with his own < people, and Te Whero, while wishing to be } regarded as the old friend of the European, J found it impossible to maintain that posi- 1 tion. His death, however, ended his diffi- ' culty, and no such scruples were' entertain- I ed by Potatau 11., who succeeded him. J him. ' ; The letters written to the Government by i Tamihana during the negotiations which 1 were undertaken in the endeavour to avoid ' actual war with the King natives, were full 1 of Scriptural quotations and insidious eva- c sions. He also met Bishop Selwyn . and t other authorities on more than one occasion, t with the professed endeavour to preserve 1 peace. All negotiations were vain, however, i and long and bloody warfare ensued, ending, 1 as far as the King Country was concerned, 1 with the celebrated ; engagement at Orakau, near Te Awamutu, where the natives were 1 routed after 'a noble defence, persisted in when all hope was lost. "We will fights on. Ake! Ake! Ake! Forever! Fort ever! For ever!" was their cry in the face i of death from starvation and an overwhelm- s ing foe. After that the King Country was t discreetly ignored, until recent events show- -v ed the impossibility of its existence under i its former conditions. : .'..,: / - 1 Tamihana was an important figure in the s original institution of the King Country, t for the following reasons: . His chieftainship s succeeding that of Te Rauparaha; his edu- 1 cation; and his knowledge of European \ methods and institutions; his subtlety and a cunning, which were highly developed ; and c jus great influence with his own people. |h