TE WHITI'S POWER FOR GOOD OR EVIL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3176, 17 July 1879, Page 2

TE W HITI'S POWER FOR GOOD OR EVIL.

TO the KDir.m. Sir, — Tho novel nttitmlo taken by tho natives under the leadership of To Whiti has taken tho Government, and indeed, tho whole oountiy, by surprise. When tin? KUtveyors were allowed to continue their work on the Wuimato Plains without interrupt inn, tho question of tho West Coast difficulty seemed to bo on Iho ovo of v fii.ul settlement, and thoso of us who hail passed through tho tiro, congratulated ourselves on tho good days that were in sloro for Turn, naki. Soon flying tumours of evil begun to fill tho air — said to emanate from evil-minded pnkohas who desired fur their own benefit, that, tho Maori lillieulty should not cease. Names wore mentioned, and threats mndo use of to shut (he mouths of all and sundry who would dare to allow their unruly tongues to breatho aught inimical to tho Alpha and Ouiegu of tho Native

convince both himself and his followurs that ho is so. The Government might luivo suffioiotit roads and surveys cornplotod to enable them to settle tho laud wit I a dense population of working settlors, if they adopted somo liberal plan of doforrod paymont, insisting on residence nnd largo improvements. By an energetic adoption of Homo such plan tho West Coast would, in a few yearn, become the homo ot thonsands of prosperous law-abiding settlors. — I am, &c,

Department. There was a genius at work that neither the department, the Government, nor yet the evil-minded pakelm could comprehend — tho lt madman (uunfcio" Te Whiti.

Fur ten or twelve years this man has been acquiring an influence iv Maoridom under tho eyes of tho department, that has culminated in a deadlock. Both tho Government oud tho department me on their beam-ends, utterly bewildered and apparently without an idea as to tho proper means to bo adopted to rectify tho confusion that has arisen.

Neither the ovil minded pakelia nor yet tho goodmindod Maori doctor has much weight unless they enter into the groove of Maori thought; undor such circumstances either good or ovil. minded may intensify and direct the Maori in the road in which he has decided to travel.

Tho work that To Whiti has been engaged in, and by means of which ho has kept tho most turbulent sot of natives in New Zealand from acts of aggression for so many years, is a religious system built up from his own interpretation of tho scriptures, and built up with such a masterly genius that ho has absorbed among his followers nil the dovil-diggers, Paimuriris, Hau haus, and the most bloodthirsty natives within tho compass of his in flnence Distance alone seems to place a limit to his power — the natives from far off tribes when under the influence of his persuasive eloquence, become entranced, and dopart with a full conviction of the righteousness of the good cause. Tho difficulty and labour consequont on long journeys in New Zealand, cools his ardour, and when the convert arrives at his distant home and attempts to impart his newly acquired convictions to his friends, it falls dead on nnwilliug ears.

It is a mistake to think that Te Whiti is trying to make a good bargain out of the Government — he takes much higher ground. When the Govorumont sent to propose a court at which Te Whiti was to be represented by couucil, they showed an utter want of knowledge of the subject, and I presume that Te Whiti's answer "All courts, &0., are ended," would bo incomprehensible to them. To properly understand tho position we may glance at tho present; state of tho Christian religion — the innumerable shades of opinion, from the gorgeous ritual of tho Greek Church to the humble and unadorned Nonconformist chapel — tho intensity of feeling displayed by each of the different sects in their own form of faith, and should tho breath of persecution extend to them, some among them would rival, and may be excel, tho martyrs of old in their sufferings for conscience sake. Apart from tho Christian form of worship, we have numerous examples of systems, such aa the Mormons, Shakers, and others that havo acquired power in the land built up from the Scriptures. If such is common among a race of men after many centuries of civilisation, can it bo considered strange that a Muori, just emerging from barbarism, should interpret tho Scriptures so as to account for all the most important events that have taken place in New Zealand, from the timo tho first missionary arrived up to tho present day ? The only strange thing in tho whole matter is the vast research and commanding ability with which it has been accomplished, and among an entirely superstitious raco that such a man should bo looked upon as something more than human is not to be wondered at.

The manner i i which over eighty of tho (lower of Te Whili'u followers guve themselves up to imprisonment without a struggle speaks for itself. They consider thotriHolves martyrs for their religion, nnd are willing to suffer death for tho good chuso. All that has transpired up to the present time shows n want of comprehension of tho system Te VVhiti hns been building up for so many years by those whose duty it was to wutch and inform tho country of what was taking place ; thwy luivo ut terly neglected to do so, or they were not gifted with sufficient discernment to comprehend the matter. To allow tho survey to bo stopped, the settlers to bo alarineii, demanding arms and ammunition for their own protection, creating distrust, killing trade and enterprise, all because a clever native imagines himself to bo tho coming Christ, and is urging tho Government, in his own peculiar way, to bring about the final catastrophe of his death and resurrection is simply grotesque in its absurdity. While the Maori mind is in tho throes of religious excitemont, the questi hi of land and public works is of little import,— 'if To Whiti is right the land is perfectly safe in spite of all tho Government may do in the matter ; on tho contrary, if To Whiti is wrong in hiA belief, it will take some time to