REPUDIATION.

Wananga, Volume 4, Issue 7, 24 February 1877, Page 66

REPUDIATION.

Every day UNKNOWN attack is made upon Mr. Buchanan on the ground that he belongs to the "Repudiation" UNKNOWN. To this Mr. Buchanan has answered in public over and over again that he is not in any way connected with the party known by the name " Kepudiarivjn :"" that he has nothing whatever to do with them. and lias no interest in their contests. Nor lias he. He newr Inul. The Repudiation party consists of several Natives, ci.o or two European gentlemen who are not c-ni.nt to >i-e the Natives stripped and robbed bv nn.-.-rupul'jUs men. and Mr. the solicitor. :..;• ;!..'■ Ma-a-is. It is the custom in Napier among a ••:":.:'•• 'n.-iss i... use the t'Tin Repudiath-u Party a- .'i t'-rni <•< reproaeli and contumely. The -•.•-llvd Repudiation is taken to mean everything that is bad. everything that is. mean, C'jwuruly, lew. aud dishonest. If therefore vou desire

in. one epithet to show that a man is unfit f•■;• human society, you eall him a member of the '* kemtdiatn. ;; " party. We wish to show the public of Naid->r :!.,,. truth in relation, to this matter once and for ev-.-r Listen, then, Electors of Napier, am] see n>r yourselves whether—even if Mr. Buchanan did b.•'.,':,■•' •,, the party so much maligned—he would be i:i nnv'Tvav made unworthy of your confidence. S,,nt.' v.-ar< ;)••■'» the Natives wore owners of many ma~nifh-ent b!<.<-k-------of land in Hawke's Bay. A few reckless and tinprincipled men set to work to defraud the i-imrant Maoris and to obtain possession of their princely ' estates. To attain an end so criminal. they used the most disgraceful means. They pretended to'bc friondlv ' to the Natives, and lent them small sums ~f monev. knowing that the money so lent w,c d 'd b.j at once spent most likely with themselves. Thev supplied blankets and clothing and food at exorbitant prices on credit. They plied their victims with drink, and at last taking care that the Natives <ho U ld have no lawyer fo defend their interests or friends -■> advise them, little by little they obtained, first leases. then mortgages, then absolute conveyances oi tn>bl" properties for a song. Very often the natives did not know that they were parting with their property at all. These operations were repeated ad nau-eam successfully, till thousands and ten- of thousands of acres of fertile soil, worth hundred- 01 th"u<ands of pounds, had slipped away like- a shifting -and front beneath the Maori to his Pakeha plunderer. An;-!,-these natives thus in defiance of law r>bb«M "f the homes and cultivations of their fathers v.- L -re man v. '. both male and female, who were under and there- . fore in the eye of English law infants, and incapable of parting with their lain!-. In truth. s..me w..-r-:-children more tit to buy -ixpeunyworth of lollies than i to make'a mark upon a deed conveying ten tin -n-ami : acres of land. These p..>'-r children. cl-thed in a | blanket, ignorant "fail the- f>nns of eiv;lb;d vice. < r ; of forms of Lhigii.-h law, were led like -men t-> th- ' slaughter. They wore petted, fondled, and caress-.1. In some cases placed under the intiuen f M.;r.i 1 poison. Kerosene brandy—and -in that ta-t ■ 1 • f vitriol. When, however, tiieir lam Is w..-r-- taken fr-m them, they found them.-elv.'s outcast.-, and !■..■-->rfrom other hapus and "timr tribes. Such ca.-es are a blot and a stain upon ~ur humanity. Mitt rite fruhof this villainy were not only gather..! by tin- ruftianwho thought out a plan, ~o devili-h. and who carrlv 1 it into disgraceful execution. by mauv wavs rimy managed to drag int.. the transaction m-u . f m>slti -u ■ and respectability wiio w>>uld have drawn hack a-ha-; from any participation if they had but km>wn tim infamous means used, to entrap and plunder the Maoris. Thus they obtained a nt >rai -irip'rt wide' stood them in g00..l -tead when tb.eir transact;. ■ :.- were ouesfbuied an I th.-m-eive- attacked. Indeed, originators of -> ingenb .u< ;:;.'. cruel a system ■>: land-sharki.i_- w.-re : ut fw in number and insignificant in station.. They were sinful enough, however. to involve m.-n ol wealth. ■■:' probity, of social position, in. the 'ne.-he-; ><:' tin ir :.■•:. and they have made use of these as a shield again-t ah enemies. Bye and,, bye there arose a murmuring among the Natives, especially among the young, who. when

they arrive.! at manhood and womanhood, found that •!M,y had been swindled out of all their lands. The minds of their opr-ressors, however, had grown so strong- that all the efforts of the ignorant savage av.-u.e 1 i'."Ta!:i>. every community of British iivr>- ure foimd som.; wno wiil listen to the <•:■}■ <-■ !!:•■ w, 1:l ! c .-a-.i« l perishing, and go forth risking 1 •.■verythmg to mivp them. II"i-i\ th'-n, there rose one Mr. Henry Ib/m-in K>:s-e'ii who heard the complaints of his .Maori felow srd.jeeTs and took up the cudgels on their behalf. A of party organization was Thus brought inn exisieaoe. and Mr. Kussell became the the- head <■:' :'m sn-end'.-d ■* Repudiation" party. The s, de o;o.(-: ~;' « L hai pairy is to see fair and •■••pm! .ju-Ti 1- -no !'> h.'.rh pa:eie<—black and white. Where any transactions betw.vei tne natives and ' Europeans a;-" fair—no, steps ar.- taken to disturb existing ru.aiions, although lanes may have been sold at a teiiTii "•' their vahte. Lut, i:i other cases, cases where tie: han b>f plunder lias moved against the young —tne ;g;mra:,t an 1 :1m !"■ >• >1 i I: —ea->.'s were every law and every ] rin<-i;.ie of •• piiry has been, grossly out-rage<;—wln-1-.- to." '.aw< ..f (_;.•! and man have been equally dofe-d. ;:,.•:■.• tin- !.'••: eidiat: >'•: i parry lays its hami up:-.. :.!•■ t'ur. .at ..;' ;i • > wrongdoer, ami says " 1 n-go;--,.." If it b.- a erim.- ; led;- the weak again-t tie' strmig—;: ;: ' .-wroeg ;■> -;-i:.'i up :'■ r lb." op-ore-sed : against t;.e oppress. ■;■— i!' i; '. •• shameful te> wiing irom t...' gra-p . f :*..- ;•■ d.b. r ::.>■ g-! i«■ r" ii:r~ victim—if :T :■.■ a> n :■> .b. ;:; ~t;.- • rh.e.. l«u: :.'>l •■: her wise, does i:e.- ipra.-r..-- ■•; ;.•■ lb pudmt:• ei t'ar-y oping disgrace ; npin ;•> meno' r-. Already d■ t'n • <•■ who have been i unwittingly dragg" 1 heo these inf»rmd schemes begin to se- ti.i-.r ••:■:•.■:•. Mr. Watt ha- lately done ju-tic<' t i ~ae pa: ry .>f \t !-.-•■-. ami oTm.-r- are new ; >-"-king to fullow hi- ex.imp;.-. i'mi tie- birds or prey : who nrsr red upon the earea-e si ill attempt t-> cast a, ! d:sgraemul ob.nraet.-r up'.e. and t > excite popular prejudice against, that Ibcu iiati ■'-. oartv wliieii tiiev ' fear - ■ nine:!.