A disposition has lately been manifested on the part of writers on New Zealand, to mete out a more even-handed justice between the natives and their European visitors, even during the period of the greatest animosity between the races. Thus Dr. Thomson says :—

"Captain Cook on several occasions unjustly suspected them of evil, while they almost invariably reposed confidence in him. Without measuring the past by the present standard, the savage New Zealanders on several occasions acted like civilised men, and the Christians like savages."^*

^* Story of New Zealand, vol. i. p. 230.

page 12

Doubtless ignorance of their manners and customs, and the extreme difficulty of communicating with them, led to numberless misunderstandings; and neither side sufficiently appreciated the sacred value of life in respect to the other. But it is foreign to our present purpose to go back to those more distant eras.

The progress of the Maories since 1770 is well exemplified by a tabular statement drawn up by Dr. Thomson, and which will be found at the end of these remarks. Further information elucidating the point will also be found in the Church Missionary Intelligencer for January, 1861.^*

The present race is described in general as "intelligent, high-spirited, and warlike, but good-humoured"—"impatient of injustice, yet amenable to reason, and possessing more common sense and judgment than the mass of a European community."^†

Dr. Thomson represents them as

"respecting their ancient laws and customs, but ready to embrace new opinions given out by men in authority.... Chiefs' words," he says, "were rarely broken, and they never, like Highland chiefs, fulfilled promises to the ear, and broke them to the sense. Revenge is their strongest passion, and this feeling is kept alive for generations When mastered cither physically or mentally, they become as manageable as children, but this power must be exerted in the right way, for like their own supplejacks, they are more easily overcome by gentle and skilful management than by ill-directed force."^‡

It will be convenient for the purposes of the present paper to examine into the phases of native character manifested—

(1.)	Immediately before the war.
(2.)	Since its commencement. (i.) Among the non-belligerents. (ii.) Among those actually engaged in the war.

For the Europeans have hitherto been greatly inferior in number, the positions occupied by them have been scattered and undefended, and their occupation has been that of peaceful settlers seeking a livelihood from tillage or merchandize and surrounded by their families. All this has put it in the power of the natives—if only a general feeling had resulted in a combination of purpose, at least to have destroyed the colony for colonization purposes—if not literally to have "driven the settlers into the sea,"^* at any time within the last twenty years. They have on the contrary, as Governor Grey declares,^† manifested a most friendly feeling. At present

"the male Maori population on the North Island over 14 years of age are 27,700, against the European male population over 12 years of age of 11,500. Every native above quoted is capable of bearing arms, but not 1 in 20 of the European adults ever saw a rifle or musket. The one is brought up to agriculture, the other to war from a child."^‡

In reference to the tribes within his personal observation, Mr. Ashwell (Oct. 23, 1860) expresses his fear that "a retrograde movement has taken possession of the native mind." He thinks "that feelings nearly akin to their native customs are beginning to prevail:" and ascribes the increase of this to" what they consider an unjust and unholy war" with Wiremu Kingi, with whom he says "their sympathy is very great."Yet he adds:—

"Their anxiety for peace at the commencement of the war was proved, by meeting and proposing that thirteen Waikato chiefs, four Missionaries, six native teachers and deacons, and two English magistrates, to be chosen by the Government, should be allowed by the Governor to proceed to Taranaki for that purpose; but it was too late. Whilst writing this proposition to the Government, a canoe brought word that a battle had been fought, and mediation was at an end. Nothing would have been easier had such a plan been tried before the declaration of martial law. Old Te Wherowhero^* said to me, 'If I had been applied to I could have settled this. But the first news that reached me was, that the soldiers had left for Taranaki.' The poor old chief was deeply distressed."

In the year 1857, Mr. Fenton was appointed Resident Magistrate among the Waikato, for the purpose of introducing or rather of encouraging the adoption of civil institutions among the natives. A Committee of the House of Representatives, which met in November, 1860, designates this as "a wise course," as having been carried out in "all essential points" with judgment, and as having been "attended on the whole with decided success."^† The Rev. page 15 B. Ashwell, of Taupiri, speaks of it in these terms (Oct. 23, 1800) :—

"If the plan so successfully commenced, had been persevered in, I do not hesitate to say that the whole of Waikato, and, in all probability, other districts, would have now been covered with courthouses and machinery for the gradual introduction of British law. The experiment was successful beyond our most sanguine expectations. In less than twelve months, five court-houses had been erected on the river, and a good staff of native assessors, to assist the European magistrate, were organized. A Runanga, or Municipal Council, assisted in carrying out the decisions of the Court; i.e, their moral influence rendered physical force unnecessary : in no case has the decision of the magistrate been resisted. This hopeful movement was suffered to die out, from a groundless fear on the part of the Government that it would widen the breach already existing between the Queen's party and the native King party. Even now, although more than two years have elapsed since his removal, in some of the villages summonses are still issued by the native assessors, and damages awarded. A case occurred a few months ago, when a young man stole some salt from a store in this neighbourhood : a summons issued; the case was tried; and the damages, five shillings, willingly paid.

"I have only one or two remarks to make on this subject, to prove how the leaven of this movement was increasing, and what a powerful engine for good it was becoming.

"The reports of the Waikato Courts had reached distant tribes. In 1858 I received a letter from Bishop Williams, in which he said that the Courts of Waikato had excited much interest among the natives of Poverty Bay and the East Cape, and that he should, perhaps, send some chiefs to Waikato, to see their practical working. Secondly—the moral power of these courts will be seen from the last case tried at Kahumatuku, a village two miles from Taupiri Church Missionary station. A native from Kanawhanawha River, a tributary of the Waipa—quite the backwoods of New Zealand—when in Auckland, stole clothes from the fence of Archdeacon Kissling's Institution. He managed to escape to Kanawhanawha, to his home. Mr. Fenton heard of it, and sent two native assessors to bring the offender to Kahumatuku. He came, accompanied by his father and brothers, who offered to pay eight times the value of the articles stolen, if they (the Court) would let off the prisoner from the sentence of the magistrates, viz., three months' imprisonment in the Auckland jail. The magistrate said, 'No; it cannot be. I wish to show the young men of Waikato that they cannot commit theft in Auckland with impunity, page 16 and think they can escape to the bush and be safe.' He was accordingly imprisoned.

"Only second to the success of the Gospel was the progress of this movement."

These extracts show how amenable the natives are to the firm and judicious exercise of authority, grounded on principles of equity and good conscience. But the Report of Mr. Fenton, and that of the Committee of the House of Representatives, bring out another point involving considerations scarcely if at all less weighty. It is now generally acknowledged that the Maori King movement is to be regarded chiefly as an attempt to set up a kind of concurrent authority with that of the Colonial Executive, both being subordinate to the British Crown. The Reports in question bring out the fact that the movement is, virtually and in the strength of it, neither more nor less than an effort on the part of the natives to secure for themselves a code of civil and criminal law, adapted to the peculiar circumstances of the race. Mr. Fentou says:—

"Believing that the cause of the regular success, and the origin of the imposing position of the European body, exists in a perfect concentration of action resulting from order and organization, they have resolved to use their utmost efforts to introduce these prime requisites amongst themselves."

The Committee of the House of Representatives unanimously arrived at the following conclusion :—

"Such a movement need not have been the subject of alarm. One of its principal aims undoubtedly was to assert the distinct nationality of the Maori race, and another, to establish, by their own efforts, some organization on which to base a system of law and order. These objects are not necessarily inconsistent with the recognition of the Queens supreme authority, or antagonistic to the European race, or the progress of colonization."

The Rev. R. Burrows writes (Nov. 5) :—

"All the natives north of Auckland are quiet, but much excitement exists among them, and they are anxiously asking when the Governor means to stop the Taranaki war."

"We are doing what we can, each one in his sphere, to allay the present excited state of the natives generally. Pray for us, that we may act with wisdom towards those that are without and with faithfulness towards all."

Archdeacon Hadfield (Nov.) says:—

"I am happy to say that it has been a great comfort to me and others that the Home Government has not approved of Governor Browne's proceedings in reference to the Taranaki war. The ablest men also in the House of Representatives have condemned the Governor's conduct in the matter. Nothing has produced such a good impression on the natives as this last circumstance; they see there is a power now in the country to check injustice on the part of the Governor.

"The natives of my district are all quiet and peaceably disposed; but it is impossible to say how long this will last, if they see the Government persecuting those whom they most highly respect. We, however, look above for help and guidance."

The Bishop of Waiapu writes that all are quiet down the East Coast. "Your Missionaries of Tauranga and Maketu report the same of their districts."

Similar assurances from the Missionaries might easily be multiplied, as well as promises of security both of person page 18 and property, not only to Missionaries but to settlers. Mr. Morgan, who resides in the most unsettled part of the Waikato district says :—

"The feeling amongst the natives towards the scattered Europeans in Waikato is generally good. Personally they are as civil to me as ever."

Mr. Ashwell writes, (Oct. 30) :—

"The excitement [about the murder at Patumahoe] is very great; I much doubt, humanly speaking, if the chiefs can control it. Many have been to assure us of our perfect safety in the worst of times."

And Mr. Armitage, a settler near Taupiri, writes to Mr. Ashwell:—

"The time has come when I am obliged to go with my wife and children. The Ngau Ngau have advised me to go, and Pakiwhau himself has come up to my house to give me the same advice. . . . I shall be obliged to leave my goods, but Pene assures me they will be respected by the whole tribe."

But a transaction near Auckland, to which allusion has already been made, shows more speakingly than anything else can, that though the natives are perhaps sensitively suspicious where ground exists for suspicion, they are open to the influence of reason, and that, even when their passions are deeply aroused, confidence may be restored by kind and judicious management. For be it remembered, the party of natives here referred to were not only under the influence of the excitement common to the whole race, and the special excitement of the death of Erietera; but were of the Ngatihaua hapu, the very branch of the Waikato tribe at that moment engaged in hostilities at Taranaki. The narrative of the whole affair will be best given in Archdeacon Kissling's own words:—

"A most untoward event took place about the 12th or 13th October, which has thrown both Europeans and natives into very great excitement and consternation. A young man named Erietera (Eliezer), closely related to an influential chief, was found dead in the bush at Patumahoe, about twenty-eight miles south of Auckland, a bullet having evidently entered the pit of his stomach, and lodged itself in his thigh; the fingers of his hand page 19 also were grazed. From this the natives at once concluded that he was murdered, and that the fatal bull passed through his hand while he endeavoured to divert the weapon in his murderer's hands; the shoe-marks also not far from the body were concluded to be those of a white man. Soon after the discovery of the body, the chief above mentioned wrote a letter to one of my native deacons, expressing his opinion that this was the first blow of war on the part of the white men, to which the natives were obliged to respond. The native deacon immediately answered the letter, under my direction, showing to the chief that he had hastily assumed what was yet to be proved, that an inquest was to be held on the body of his relative, that if any person was suspected to have been the murderer, and if that person was proved to be so, that person should bear the penalty of the law,—but that the blame should not be laid either on the Governor, nor on the innocent, whether white or black. Copies of this letter, and that of the chief, were immediately forwarded by me to the Governor, with the omission of the name of the former. I am thankful to say that the chief has entirely changed his mind with respect to the intentions of the Government. We had indeed hoped that the crisis was over as far as the province of Auckland is concerned, when, on Monday night, the eldest daughter of the Rev. B. Y. Ashwell came to our house with the information, that a number of natives, including some of those who were going to Taranaki, had come down the Waikato river, demanding the murderer of Krietera. They are now encamped at Patumahoe, while the out-settlers are taking refuge in Auckland. The chief of the deceased, with many other Christian chiefs, are urgent in their call upon their people to maintain peace with the white men, and to have the question fairly investigated, but the turbulent Maori youths, flushed with success in the Taranaki outbreak, will in all probability rush on, unless God's Providence interpose and avert the fearful consequences. The Bishop went early yesterday morning to their camp, twenty-eight miles distant from Auckland They have been warned by our Missionary brethren, &c—(See p. 9.)

"Nov. 3rd. I am most thankful to finish this gloomy letter with the gratifying information, that it has pleased God through the instrumentality of His servants and the Christian chiefs above referred to, mercifully to avert the threatening evil. The armed natives have returned to Waikato, stating that they have given up hostile intentions upon Auckland. How well would it have been throughout our dealings with this noble and excitable people, had moral means and kindly explanations preceded the recourse to brutal force of arms !"

It must not be forgotten that war universally and incvitably stirs up all the worst passions of human nature, leading to excesses which its historians rarely permit themselves to detail. It is not to be expected that the peculiar usages and feelings of a New Zealand warrior, engrained within him by the custom of centuries, can be altogether eradicated; or that the international usages which prevail in Europe, of which he has had no experience, can arise spontaneously within his bosom. Again, when we arraign the New Zcalandcr for the savagcness of his nature, it is as painful as it is just to set against these allegations, language such as that quoted beneath from the correspondence columns of the hading journal in this country, and inserted without one word of protest on the side of moderation and common sense :—

"It is now known for certain, that for many years past, two dignitaries of the Church have been urging the natives not to sell any land to the Government. Such being the case, it is to be hoped the Government will not lose the opportunity of criminally prosecuting them. It will be ultimately proved that the Clergy have been the means of the sacrifice of property at Taranaki to the amount of nearly a quarter of a million, and had we had a Napier in New Zealand, he would have hung them long ago."^*

The letters of the Missionaries enable us to discriminate between the tribes who have been guilty of acts of spoliation and those who have abstained from it. It appears that page 21 Wiremu Kingi and his immediate followers have taken very little part in the war. The burden of it has been sustained by the Waikato. A party of Waikato took up the position on the disputed ground which led to the first conflict in March. The Waikato were engaged on the 27th June, and the Waikato, again, were defeated Nov. G. The operations south of Taranaki have been directed against a different body of natives, of whom it will be necessary to speak presently.

Among the Waikato, the only parties who have made any attempt to enrich themselves by plunder, belong to the Ngatimaniapoto hapu. Mr. Morgan, in a letter already quoted, says:—

"The statement that Kawhia natives had returned without any plunder, but that Kahikihi natives returned laden, is false. The Patukoko of Kahikihi, and the Ngatuhikairos of Kawhia took no part of the plunder. Ngatimaniapoto tribe alone brought back plunder. They have upwards of 60 horses, &c. I think when peace is made that the property would be returned."

In a later letter (October 23rd) he says:—

"Only one tribe brought back plunder. They brought 61 horses, 6 oxen, 3 drays, and also 32 rifles taken from the troops, or rather from the slain on the battle-field. They also brought much other plunder, as tools, &c. A large quantity of stock plundered from the Europeans was consumed, or is reserved for the Waikato now on their way to Taranaki."

The circumstances were these :—

"In April, 1834, the bark Harriet, J. Guard, master, bound for Cloudy Bay, was wrecked at Taranaki, near to the spot where the English settlement now stands. For six days the shipwrecked manners were treated as friends; but from some unexplained cause a quarrel arose, in which twelve sailors and twenty-five natives were slain, and Mrs. Guard, two children, and ten seamen were made prisoners. Guard and several sailors were allowed to depart, on promising to return with powder as a ransom for the others.

"In consequence of Guard's personal representations, the Government of New South Wales sent His Majesty's ship 'Alligator,' Captain Lambert, to rescue the prisoners. On the arrival of the force at Taranaki, the captured sailors were delivered up, and the two interpreters who were sent on shore promised that a payment should be made when the women and children were released. The soldiers were then landed, and as they formed in battle array on the beach, two unarmed and unattended natives came down to meet them. One introduced himself as the chief who had got the women and children, rubbed noses with Guard in token of ancient friendship, and told him that Mrs, Guard and the children were well, and that they would be surrendered on the natives receiving the promised payment. The officer in charge of the boat, attributing evil motives to this man, seized him, dragged him into the boat, and stabbed him with a bayonet.

"A few days afterwards, Mrs. Guard and one child were released, and the wounded chief was restored to his friends. The other child was subsequently brought down to the strand on the shoulder of the chief who had fed it, and he requested to be allowed to take the child on board ship, in order to receive the promised ransom. When told none would be given, he turned away; but before getting many yards he was shot, and the infant was taken from the agonising clutch of the dying man, to whom it clung as to a friend. The dead man's head was then cut off, and kicked about the sand; and Mrs. Guard afterwards identified it as the head of their best friend.

"In consequence of a shot discharged, by whom and at whom none knew, the ship's guns and the soldiers commenced firing, and after destroying two villages and several canoes, and killing many natives, the troops re-embarked, and the expedition returned to Sydney.

"The Government of New South Wales then urged on His Majesty's Government the necessity of supporting the British Resident with an armed force, as that officer was placed in a page 23 position neither creditable to himself nor to the English whom he represented.

"It would have been well for the honour of the English name bad the Government of New South Wales been, like the Resident in New Zealand, powerless; for the Taranaki campaign resembled the operations of insulted buccaneers more than an expedition of His Majesty's forces. A Committee of the British Parliament expressed its disapprobation of this affair; pointed out that the New Zealanders fulfilled, while the English broke, their original compact; and stated that this opinion was drawn even from the one-sided evidence of the culpable parties, the chief witness being Guard, an old convict, who said a musket ball for every New Zealander was the best mode of civilizing the country."^*

The late Chief Justice of New Zealand, Sir W. Martin, says:—

"The inevitable result of the course pursued in this matter was, to weaken indefinitely every influence for good which was at work amongst the natives, and to strengthen indefinitely every influence for evil. An immense impetus in the wrong direction was given to the schemes of Maori agitators, an impetus which they could not have acquired in any other way There is reason to believe that the King movement has gained more strength, more adherents, since the beginning of this year, than in the whole previous period."

Mr. Morgan says (Oct. 23):—

"It is no longer a war on account of the piece of land purchased from Te Teira, but a war to establish the mana or sovereignty of the Maori King, and hold New Plymouth, by conquest."

Archdeacon Kissling, referring to the anxious state of affairs near Auckland, ascribes the whole to the Taranaki war:—

"Such is the lamentable effect of the unwise proceeding of the Government at Taranaki—it has awakened the spirit of war in the New Zealanders, who some years ago had literally exchanged their weapons of warfare into plough-shares, pruning-hooks, sickles, and spades, to carry on their peaceable occupations on their farms, gardens, and pastures."

The Rev. T. S Grace writes (Oct. 23) :—

"As regards Taupo, I may say the position of the natives is an armed neutrality. So far as the Gospel has held them back, they say they will not fight unless they see a just cause. Since the commencement of the war the King Movement has gained ground amongst them, They say they must do something to save their island."

The more earnest of the Christian natives at the Mission stations are throwing in the powerful aid of Prayer in behalf of their distracted country. Archdeacon Kissling says, (Oct. 4) :—

"At St. Stephen's School we have a Prayer Meeting once a week, at which Christians of both races attend and take part in the prayers."

Mr. Ashwell says (Oct. 23) :—

"Our only hope is in the gracious influences of God the Holy Spirit, who alone can rule the unruly and sinful affections of man. We assemble every day at ten A.M., to pray with my native teachers for the blessing of peace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit."

Mr. Grace says (Oct. 23):—

"We hold a Weekly Prayer Meeting, to pray God to send a spirit of peace amongst us."