MAORI MEMORIES

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1933, Page 13 (Supplement)

MAORI MEMORIES

GOVERNOR GREY ARRIVES

(By

J.H.S.—Copyright.)

“Young George Grey,” Captain of the 83rd regiment, was selected by Lord Stanley in 1843 to be Governor of South Australia, and to put a stop to the profligate waste and quarrelsome results of his predecessors’ reigns. On June 13, 1845, with the same end in view, he was urgently appealed to by Lord John Russell’s Government to hasten to the rescue of New Zealand. In the truly alarming condition of this Colony, the British Cabinet could not dare to send out a fourth old Captain of the army or navy, who knew nothing of business or tact. Difficulties,' dangers and unshared responsibilities faced the young explorer on every hand. These, to a master of men, were a pleasure rather than a pain. I’. In the first week he stopped the sale of liquor and firearms to the Maoris. At once he shrewdly and finally recognised Tamati te Waka Nene as his confidential and trusted adviser, broke off negotiations with Heke and Kawiti, and judiciously employed Maori constables and magistrates. Within 10 days he had 1100 loyal Maoris and settlers forming a road and dragging guns and supplies to Hone Heke’s stronghold Rua pekapeka (the bats’ nest). Another 10 days’ cannonade had no effect on that splendid fortress; but Heke was a devout Christian, and on Sunday the garrison retired to worship in one wing, where their hymn of praise discovered them to the attackers. The assaulters entered by a small breach, but before it was yet too late the worshippers came out to meet them. Waka Nene and the new Governor at once recognised Heke as an honourable -and much injured man, who had fairly and bravely resisted the injustices of previous Governors. Their lands were now restored, and for the rest of their lives they were our loyal allies. Captain Grey wisely refrained from reerecting the flagstaff which carried Fitzroy’s “red rag”; but five years later, as an act of grace, Kawiti’s son’employed the very men who had cut it down to carve out a fine pole, drag it from the forest and erect it on the same spot. Such then was Grey’s tact and success in reconciling a worthy foe.

Grey’s Rule. Though attached to Governor Grey and faithful to the terms of peace, Hone Heke lost all hope for his race under foreign rule. His oppressed spirit brought ill health, and consumption ended his life only two years after his defeat. He was nursed by his good wife the great Hongi’s -daughter, at whose instigation, as an act of conciliation, the famous flagstaff was re-erected by Kawiti’s son. It was christened “Whaka Kotahi tanga” (to unite two races). The humane restrictions against the sale of firearms and fire-water were of course fiercely contested by those who, thought only of their own selfish aim. Captain. Grey’s difficulties were doubled by frequent changes in the British Cabinet over Peel’s new income tax. The Governor never knew whether;, his despatches . would be dealt with by his friendly patron Lord Stanley, by Mr. Gladstone, who under-rated the new colony, or by his own arch enemy, Earl Grey. But they were all great men and above small personal prejudice. Captain Grey’s rule was so successful' that even Earl Grey approved. The north-was loyal and tranquil, and the only danger was from the Tua Marina butcher Rangi Haeata, who kept Wellington in constant alarm. Grey came with a force of soldiers, militia, police and friendly Maoris, 1000 strong. He visited Rangi’s fortified pa, which had just been deserted. It. was the strongest and most perfectly prepared defence he had ever seen in any country. Rauparaha, aged 77, was now strongly professing Christian; but the desolator of his own people, destroyer, enslaver, and gluttonous cannibal, was secretly conniving with his rebel relative Rangi Haeata. The Governor took him captive with secrecy, skill and promptitude worthy of Rauparaha’s own old tactics. Having accepted capture rather than death, the Maori code of honour could never again regard him as a leader. The once mighty Rauparaha now stood before his merciless judges like Sampson shorn of his locks. He was buried on November 30, 1849.

Dangerous Steering. In June, 1846, Governor Grey wrote confidentially to Mr. Gladstone showing that the semi political party interested in promoting their claims to vast tracts of Maori lands, included prominent men in the Public Service, the Missionary Society, and the Press. He emphasised the grffi e danger of sacrificing blood and treasure if these claims were allowed. Contrary to all official custom, his “confidential” letters were submitted to exGovemor Fitzroy and the Missionary Society. The obvious result was to stir up a hornets’ nest against the Governor in New Zealand, and to double his already difficult task with both races. Evidence of the growth of Christian meekness was sadly impaired in the ensuing controversy. The influence of Bishop Selwyn, schoolmate and persona] friend of Gladstone, was one of the means by which the harrassed Governor disposed <of the selfish crew. In New Zealand Selwyn and Grey remained in the closest association and mutual confidence to the end. Their opponents used every means to incite certain friendly natives against the Governor for his “unwarranted interference in the right to sell their lands”; but they omitted to add “at 3d per acre.” The Maoris in the north were ten times more numerous than the pakehas, and better equipped for war, and with the local land purchasers arid Earl Grey in England abetting these same Maoris to their own ultimate harm our Governor Grey, now a fine linguist, was the only living man who could have become an absolute Dictator without disclosing if, thus saving us from annihilation. His was the only form of rule the Maoris understood. He showed them that he could fight rebellion and reward loyalty. They saw that he could even sway the Great Queen, who now recognised his wisdom and honoured him as “Sir George.” At his installation he wisely chose for his squires Tamati Waka Nene, of the north, and the great Wellington chief, Te Puni, thus cementing their loyalty.