W hat I believe to be genuine and authentic the collected publications of William Colenso

RESUME, OR SUMMARY.

Those who have carefully read and weighed the foregoing particulars, will, it is believed, see the justice of most of the following conclusions.

1. That at the time (1865) when Mr. Volkner met with his sad fate, we had been at war with the natives for several years, during which they had suffered greatly.

2. That it is well known that the natives had been repeatedly told, both by word of mouth and by letter, by several Europeans high in office (both spiritual and civil) and their friends,—some of whom, as the present Premier the Hon. Mr. Fox, and Dr. Featherston, and Mr. Fitzherbert the present Superintendent of Wellington, are still connected with the Government of the colony,—that the said war was “an unjust and unholy war” on the part of the Government, and that it was shamefully forced upon the natives.

3. That our own repeated killing of their women and children (no doubt, unintentionally), and other barbarities always more or less incidental in long and heavy war, aroused the worst feelings of the natives against us and set them on barbarous reprisals; which, though in their own old mode of warfare was quite common to them, they in all their former wars with us had never initiated.

4. That Opotiki where Mr. Volkner resided was, for many sad reasons, in a very excitable state at the time of the Hauhau party reaching it, and of his being killed.

5. That the fanatical Hauhau party under Patara, sent forth from taranaki, where the war began, by Te Ua the Hauhau prophet, visited Opotiki and the East Coast in order to induce the tribes to join the West Coast natives in the war.

6. That on the arrival of the Hauhau party at Opotiki and their being joined by the inhabitants of that place, their acts and deeds were, under all the exciting circumstances, those of a politico-fanatical emeute, or mad fanatical tumultuous mob.

7. That all history tells us of such sad times and scenes often and every where occurring.

8. That at such times everything is for the time beyond all reasonable control,—even in the oldest and most Christian countries and cities.

9. That maddening acts of zeal committed at such, times, are seldom severely [18] revenged or, if revenged, done immediately on the spot; never after a period of years.

10. That Mr. Volkner, much as we deplore his death, was killed at that time by the frantic mob, as a spy or “betrayer”:—much as in the American war General Washington hung the British Officer Major André. (Perhaps, of the two cases, all things calmly considered, General Washington’s act was the worst.)

11. That many other European settlers, men, women, and children, at least as equally innocent of wrong us Mr. Volkner, were also from time to time killed by the natives.

12. That the murderers of these were by proclamation specially excepted from pardon.

13. That the murderers were subsequently pardoned without trial, although coroners’ juries had returned verdicts of wilful murder against many of them.

14. That the chief Te Pehi, who by proclamation had been also specially excepted from pardon, for his gross perjury and for treacherously attacking the troops of the Queen, was also pardoned without trial.

15. That three natives, names known and given, who had in the same year murdered the Governor’s messenger, and for whose apprehension £1000 bad been offered,—have not been prosecuted, and are allowed to go at large.

16. That the Hauhau prophet Te Ua, and Patara the leader of the Hauhau party who killed in conjunction with the Opotiki natives Mr. Volkner, and who were the originators and directors of all the subsequent mischief were also pardoned.

17. That the “loyal, native” chiefs, including the members of Parliament, say, (1.) that inasmuch as the Government have pardoned the great Haihau leaders in wrong-doing, the Government cannot now refuse to pardon the subordinate ones; and (2.) that the Government have already exacted a dreadful revenge at Opotiki for the killing of Mr. Volkner, killing, in all, more than 50 Maoris; and that it is unjust to shed more blood on account of Mr. Volkner’s death, after, too, such a lapse of years.

18. That it is believed that the doing so would be certainly secretly charged against the Church, or against a section thereof.

19. That the “loyal natives” are, in many parts of the island (more or less, rightly or wrongly,) dissatisfied with the Government.

20. That it should be the steady aim of the Government to endeavour to lessen that spirit of dissatisfaction now so prevalent among the “loyal natives,”—and this not by promises, or flattery, or money, but by prompt and cheerful acts of justice.

21. That care should be taken not to increase the spirit of dissatisfaction, by doing that towards one of their nation which in their opinion is eminently unjust.

22. That Christian justice (which we have endeavoured to teach the natives) is ever tempered with mercy.

23. That the Imperial Government dislikes our repeated shedding of Maori blood, especially for long past political offences; and that our Government has been informed, that “it has given the Imperial Government great pleasure to hear, that” (out of thirty Maori prisoners in one batch condemned to death) “there were no executions.’’

24. That the sad death of Mr. Volkner by the hands of the infuriated political religious Hauhau natives in the emueté at Opotiki in March, 1865 (nearly 7 years ago) has been fully avenged, and that in the way the Governor himself chose.

25. That our Laws do not admit of double punishment for one crime.

There’s a heart that leaps, with a burning glow,

I am, &c.,

APPENDIX.

A word in season.”—“A time to speak.”

“Can ye not discern the signs of the times?”

Sir,—In the Herald of this day your article concludes with these words: “All that is wanted is Confidence, the want of which shuts out capital and labour, and impairs the energies of all.” These are true words, and to them I heartily assent. But how is this confidence to be brought about? First, we must have peace; a true, substantial, firm, and lasting peace; from this will naturally spring confidence, and mark, from this only. To this end let us all (Governor, Government, and people) be determined to do two things: 1—To do justice; 2—To acknowledge error.

1. To do justice—prompt and quick, even and fair, commonsense, not tedious, legal, justice. “Do ye to others as ye would they should do to you” if you were in their p1ace.

2. To acknowledge error, frankly and fully, wherever and whenever such has unfortunately been done; even to the retracing of our steps if needful and possible. (Let us not think too highly of ourselves as the “superior,’’ unerring race, adorned with a thousand highflown superlatives of our own inventing! Let us consider the fable of the man sitting astride on a lion, and the lion’s truthful remark. Let us endeavour to consider our political conduct in the light of God’s truth,—to which scrutinising light it will have to be submitted.)

In order to this:—

I. Let the war be immediately and everywhere stopped.

II. Let a truce be proclaimed.

III. Let an accredited messenger be sent from the Governor to the Maori King Tawhiao (not as King, but, as the acknowledged head of many great tribes), to ask his aid towards making peace; and from him to the various Hauhau leaders; and a similar messenger to the Chiefs of the principal friendly Maori tribes. The basis of such peace to be:—1. A general amnesty. 2. The return of all (nominally) confiscated lands, subject to certain conditions; such as, on the one side, all useful surveys and substantial improvements to be repaid; on the other, certain spots which it is necessary should be ceded to be paid for, 3. Common freedom to all religions however (to us) absurd.

IV. Let Peace Commissioners be appointed from both sides, and a place be mutually arranged for their meeting.

V. Let powers be given to them to settle equitably our difficulties, and all great vexed questions.

If this be done, and the British Commissioners be fit and high-minded men—men of comprehensive views, and able to grasp the whole subject,—and if all the terms then and there agreed to be hereafter honestly and promptly carried out,—then, I venture to prophesy, a firm and lasting peace to the Colony of New Zealand; otherwise you will not, cannot have it—at least for a long generation, a long and weary time of bloodshed and misery to both races: and, note well, that such a peace so obtained by conquering or destroying isolated tribes, whenever that may be, will not be lasting.

I have long entertained those views; I now openly avow them. I know, in doing so, I shall be assailed by the unthinking, with—

1. What of the murders, atrocities, massacres, and cannibalism?

2. What of the present numerous semi-military bands?

3. What of the expense and loss?

4. What of our British name and reputation?

I reply, to the first question—Who began the war with the “Hauhaus”? Who unjustly treated them—men, women, and children—by illegal wholesale banishment without trial Who, on those Chatham Island “prisoners” returning to their own lands, in a most creditable, and gallant, and peaceful manner, foolishly and insanely, and without authority, attempted to capture and destroy them! instead of bringing them bread and water, and giving them the right humid and [20] welcoming them back? Who carried on the war against them in Maori fashion? Quietly mark this, and note—they have (for the first time with us) also carried on the war against us and our Maori allies in Maori fashion, which we call murder, massacre, and atrocities, (and so deceive ourselves, as if such were really different from our own “ civilised” mode of warfare!) but hitherto we have only begun to know what it is; and note well, I beg, that to the present time the hunted “Hauhaus” have not retaliated upon a single European living quietly on lands fairly purchased or leased. We have already killed something like seven or eight to one; besides inflicting irretrievable loss and evil. Moreover, fanatical outbreaks and rebellious emeutes, everywhere occurring in this world’s sad history, are never rigorously revenged.

To the second question, I reply—The sooner they are disbanded the better for the colony.

To the third——Bear it; it can be borne to restore peace and confidence; it is by far the better, the easier, and the cheaper load.

To the fourth—It will gain additional lustre, which ten years war and eventual success will never bring it. Our Maori foe cannot, will not reflect tauntingly upon it, as we have driven them from all their strongholds, and killed seven or eight to one.

Having said a word to the unthinking, I would also say a word to the really thoughtful among us, including the God-fearing man, and in particular to those of all the Churches who believe in God’s particular Providence and in his stern retribution.

1. Note how successfully this handful of men (“Hauhaus” and “rebels” we call them) have sped; note how they have been hunted; the enormous powers of all kinds brought to bear against them—armies, seven or eight to one—the most improved ordnance and big guns, as well as superior rifles and ammunition; heaps of prayers and invocations, public and private; all the power and strategy of the “superior” race, both “spiritual and carnal,”—and note the result. The different Hauhau leaders, on whose devoted heads in particular high prices have been set, who have bravely stood to the death in every fight amid showers of balls, are all still safe, as if they were invulnerable, while not a few of our best and good men are gone! With death in every form, including starvation, and want and misery, and with little of human aid, they have been long familiar.

2. Note also, I pray—The strange, the utter reversal of what is promised to the God-fearing man, of what has hitherto been his lot—freedom from fear and dread. How comes it that so great a panic everywhere prevails? That instead of a few of the “superior” race overawing a whole band of Maoris (“one putting a thousand to flight,” as was formerly the case), now two Maoris even at a distance, or even a fire on some distant hill, are enough to arouse ugly misgivings, and to cause a whole settlement of stalwart whites to flee as affrighted hares! Everywhere the majority of the settlers are suffering from this foolish affection, even where they are dwelling together in large numbers, and where there has been, and is, no cause whatever for any such fear. How comes all this? Think over those questions quietly, and dare to follow them out. Is ours altogether a righteous cause? Have we the God of battles with us, or have we not?

Now it is just because I believe all this, that I am not sorry that Mr. M’Lean is no longer Government Agent; for while he held that situation and stuck to his old schemes (policy I cannot call them), no real confidence could ever arise, as a firm and lasting peace could not possibly under such schemes ever be restored;—for, at the most, as soon as a so-called peace had been at an enormous expense patched up in one place it would break through in another: it would only be the old, miserable union of “iron end miry clay.” I know very well that some few (if they dare speak their thoughts) would say, “Exterminate.” To this I reply, You can’t do it; and if you could, it would take you years to accomplish. Be warned in time: your (present) friendlies” (mercenaries, on whom some of you depend so very much) would not allow of it.

Sir, I did hope that the arrival of a son of Her Majesty the Queen among us, the first arrival too of a Prince of the blood royal on these shores, would be advantageously made use of in the way I have above indicated. From my knowledge of the national feelings of the New Zealander, I cannot help stating as my firm belief, that such might have been beneficially done,—and even now it may not be too late.—I am, etc.

William Colenso.
Napier, April 6, 1869. [21]

ii.

Extracts from the Speech of the Bishop of Litchfield, Dr. Selwyn, (late Bishop of New Zealand) in his place in the House of Lords.

In use house of Lords on July 27, the affairs of New Zealand were brought under discussion

Translation of a few “Hauhau” Prayers, written by To Kooti with his own hand in his pocket memorandum hook. A little book very much worn with constant usage and long carrying about in his clothes, and more than once repaired by stitching together with fibres of New Zealand Flax.

faithfully translated by w. colenso.

1.
A Prayer used in the Chatham Islands.

2.
A Prayer on going to bed.

3.
A Prayer offered in the night while in bed.

4.
A Prayer on rising from bed.

5.
Another Prayer, on rising from bed.

6.
A Prayer for deliverance from foes.

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