THE GATHERING OF THE NATIVES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1387, 29 June 1878, Page 5

THE GATHERING OF THE NATIVES.

Probably about four hundred or five hundred Natives are now at Waitara, mostly from the North. Few of the Southern Natives have arrived from Parihaka and other settlements. A large number of dryas with provisions are on the way, but the bad weather ha 3 prevented them from getting up. It is now confidently stated that Te Whiti, the Parihaka prophet, will not come. He considars that his attendance at a meeting called by Rawi might injure his prestige. For some years Te Whiti has beon giving utterance to prophecies, none of which have beon verified in facfc, but still he believes in him3elf that he is under Divine inspiration, and the natives believe in him. Tawhiao himself pays great attention to his utterances. Fortunately, Te Wbiti's exhortations are on tin side of peace, and ihey have so steadily bean so, that one is apt to think there is a good deal of worldly shrewdness and providence mixed with his apparent fanaticism Te Whiti has declared that the Europeans would be driven from the country by Divine agency without the Maoris being required to lift a hand for the purpose. At one time he commanded his people to blaza away all their stock of powder in shooting birds, and they did it. He has frequently a«ked the Civil Com misaioner here not to let the Nativas of his settlement have powder unless he says so. Can anyone decide whether Te Whiti is a farseeing thoughtful man, convinced_ that an outbreak of the Natives would be their destruction, and anxious by all m9ans to prevent their commibting themselves^ and merely pretending to a prophetio power, knowing that the assumption gives an influence to his words, which they would not have otherwise ; or is the deluded fanatic accidentally following the most prudent course ? This is an j instance in which it is difficult to fancy that ' extremes meet ; but I believe _ the Centralists are mixed up in the Te Whiti case, and have been in many Buch cases. Hia utterances are given forth iv the true Delphic Oracle Btyle. and form material for the exercise of the Maori mind as to theiv meaning. Pauhaka, where he lives, is a famous place for meetings. Two great ones are held there every year, and smaller ones every month, at which representatives from mo3t of the tribes attend. MAOKI IDEAS. A conversation which I had last night with a thoughtful Maori chief opens up not a few important and delicate points for consideration in rotation to the Native policy. I will give it in as nearly as possible his own words. He said, "I do not know that anything completely satisfactory can be achieved at the present time. The only measure thai would afc once settle all matters between the r.tces would be the restoration of the confiscate 1 lands, and tbat I know ia impos-sible. Thoae Maoris who have gone in with the King are not satisfied, while others think that the Government has been very liberal. For instance, I and my people did not take any part in the last fighting. We have not given the Government nearly so much trouble as Tawhiao and the Waikatos have done, and yet Tawhiao is to get back all the land remaining unsold in the Waikato, and we are not to have anything restored. If the Government restore to the Waikatos all the land in tbat district remaining unsold, then they should restore the Waimate Plains, which have not yet even been surveyed. Some tribes which gave very little trouble comparatively, will lose all their land, and cannot get any returned because it is all very valuable, and has all been disposed of to Europeans. There is not even-handed justioe in this." It must be admitted that there ia considerable force in this statement, and there is some danger that impossible ideas may be raised in the Maori mind by the restoration of confiscated land. My informant proceeded : " I believe the idea of Rewi in seeking this meeting at Waitara is to seek out the cause why the Europeans went to war at Waitara. There can be no doubt that the original error which your Europeans committed waa in listening to one or two men who wanted to sell land, and not recognising the fact that the whole tribe must be consulted. It the present Ministry want to be successful in their native policy they rrmst be firm, and, above all thing 3, avoid vacillation. If they are firm, and deal even handed' justice among all the tribes, then the Native diflioultv will rcelt away. What you have acqnirpd by force you mu?t be prepared to maintain by force. I admit that it is impossible you can give the Natives what they seek and would like to have. I think that the confiscated land in thia quarter should be sold in small pieces to settlers, and should bo occupied at once. Then the Natives would sec tho hopelessness of attempting anything, and the Native difficulty would melt away ; but to occupy with a settler here and there would only irritate them. I do not think the Natives will give any serious resistance to the survey of these confiscated lands, but they might give .annoyance by interrupting the surveyors. Te Whiti considers that justice will not be done until the land is restored. The great idea that was underlying all the war was the ai.ti-land selling league. The Europeans, on the other hand, I believe, wore irritated at tbo setting up of the King. The originators of tho idea not to sell lond were Wi Tako and Ivlatone Te Whi-vhi, who c&ma to-ni«ht with Sir George Grey. They saw that when the Natives were # dispossessed of theiv land the Europeans povl no further respect to them, while thoso who still had land were made much of. These chiefs brought the idea not to sol) lanrl to the Ngatirumr.ii, who took up the matte" eagerlr. Meetings were held, and two horses were built, and nil the laud was to bo held. Bat it was felt that something elso was wanted to give unity and direction to the movement. I first heard of the idoa of electing a King after the meeting at Taupo. Perhaps the originator was Tamihana Te Hanpajralca, who had bßen to Englandj