The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-02-06 00:00:00

Etc 3toarlyiby 0125crbcr.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1869.

The MASSACRES in NEW ZEALAND.

Fragmentary intelligence has latterly been re-
eeived from New Zealand of a character to create
sad feelings in the hearts of all who have read
it, but especially so to that numerous class in
this country who have relatives or friends in that
far distant colony. The full details of some of
the incidents of the massacre of colonists have
noe4arrived, down to the Bth of December. The
scene of the tragedy was Poverty Bay, which
henceforward will be a memorable natue. New
Zealand is noted for its fine bays, and the name
alludi ii to is evidedtly a misnomer, for it is des-
cribed as a flue district on the east coast of the
hiland Before the last rebellion Poverty Bay
was one of the largest and most prosperous of
the Church Mission Stations. The newly plan-
ted frith and its professors, however, had to con-
tend againet a barbarian creed called, in the na-
tive language, Han-heu. The Christian and
civilised colonists, nevertheless, grew and pros-
pered, and the opposing creeds were not allowed
to disturb the harmony and civil liberty of either
colonists or natives. But last July a number of
escaped prisoners arrived at the Bay. They had,
rightly or wrougly been treated as rebels in the
first instance, and the leading Europeans at Po-
verty Bay. still considering them in that light,
tried to effect their re-capture. We lnive yet to
learn how far this was a politically or socially
advisable step. As far as we Call tell by the ac-
counts received, these escaped rebels solemnly
promised not to molest any one if they were loft
unmolested, and showed a desire to keep their
promise, besides which their conduct while undir
arrest is (103Crlbed as " noble." Be this as it
may, a species of guerilla warfare sprang up.
The former prisoners were worried and hunted
as though they had been wild beasts, rind they
determined on a deadly revenge. They were
under the leadership of Te Kooti, r native
teacher, who had planned the escape of the pri-
soners from Chatham Islands, and they became
very formidable, numbering some 300. Things
went on from bad to worse; the renewed rebel-
lion assumed serious proportions; and nothing
appears to have been done to conciliate these
wild rebels, maddened by the fanaticism of a
native religion. The only colonial policy adop-
ted wait a policy of repression, and this turned
out to be Norse than useless. A correspondent,
writing from Wellington, December Bth, thus
sketches one of the most fearful scenes in this
dreadful tragedy. "Night after night," he says.
" the settlers slept soundly, although withiu
sight of the rebel forces, until their terrible
awakening on the early morning of Tuesday, the
10th of November. Soon after sunrise on that
day a shearer came as usual from a distance to
his work, but finding no one about the woolshed,
walked on to the house, and was horrified to
find its occupants lying dead on the doorway.
He and another or two whom he met rode miles
round, giving the alarm ; the whole of the
houses of Metawhero being found to be deser-
ted or burnt, and their occupants murdered, and
frequently mutilated."
The war, if e-e may use that comparatively
honourable word, does not appear to have been
go much u war between native and colonist as
between iiatt-liau and Christian, the professors
f the frdmar natove Nth h iui, bitterly hostile
latise towittlii col:mists mid ‘lristian tkatiAem
Boon after the discovery shove mentioned " it
Was found that Paretenee' people, twenty-two in
all, had been murdered, some of them even more
barbarously than had the Europeans." The ac•
founts received contain most painful details of
episodes in this fanatical maesacre. The same
correspondent whom we have quoted describes
a party of Europeans going out in search of the
wounded or dead. " Some they found mutila-
ted, others decapitated, and othet s 1,31 tiatly he.
towed by pip and. hawks. The rebels had corn-
taitted baroaritioa on their own countrymen as
mit aa EnropQasta, one Woman of repute, Florida

iCht=:t7Mvi vine' had legs umi arms separated I
from her trunk. 'The houses had been all burnt, '
and the thriving little settlement completely
wiped out. To show to what an extent the atro-
cities had a religious origin—it is painful to use
the word " religious " in such a connection—we
may cite another pas,age :—" Upwards of fifty
natives shared the seine fate on the night of the
massacre and during a few days subsequently.
Some of them were offered life if they would
how the knee to the Han-han god, but refneing,
in the true martyr spirit so scarce in these days,
the bulb t or the tomahawk soon sealed their ad-
liesion and devotedness to their Christian
I faith." _ . _ •

.....
Of course the full tele, with all its horrors of
imissacre and mutilation, and we may add with I
the dreadful sequel of European vengeante, has
yet to he toll; but there is enough in what we
already know of this new Maori war to 3xeite sad
and bitter feelings, and to raise the cry for re-
venge. Till we hear the whole facts—and per-
haps we shall never hear them stated with thor-
ough imvartiality—it is impossible to judge how
far the European settlers may have broughtthis
tel rible calamity on themselves. Christianity is
he religion of peace on earth, and goodwill
amongst men, but its profes,o .4 do not always
at up to their own creed, and the history of
co'o: isation is unhappily too deeply stained al-
ea ly with the blood of pagans and savages.
We :nay bewail the sufferings and death of our
I murdered countrymen, their wives, and their in-
noccnt little children, and we may execrate the
native sect that could practice such atrocities ;
but when European strength and skill have as-
• er.ed their superiority over the New Zealand-
srs, whom we are colonising oil the face of the
earth, we shall have to inquire whether in this
splendid colony our policy has been wholly what
it ought to have been, The European will be
revenged, there can be no doubt of that, Omni'
revenge take the name of justice; but English-
men may well desire to know the whole truth,
so that for the future Christianity and civilisa-
tion may go hand in hand in New Zealand, while
native creeds, however barbarous and erroneous,
may nevertheless not be outraged till they be-
come a weapon turned against us.