New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-01
WHITE CIVILIZATION"
THE THOUGHTS OF A MAORI CHIEF

"The Field published In December. l-"2 series OF
paper OF some intellectual interest. They we're the
component parts Of an essay by Aprana Idrupu NehtL
leading chief Of The Maors containing his views on
the past aud future Of his own unhappy P'oplc-the
first .ssny. II Il believed. written 10y Maori 81
unmiacd blood. Aprana though educated at a local
university. and fl Of English knowledge remains
native in feeling ia sympailcs and In aspirations ana
his whole uterine. which often Singulariy eloquent
and always free from the Indian tain Of unrealtv l.
Penetrated through and through by kind Of reflective
horror II the white man. who. he nevertheless clearly
perceives IN the Inevitable conflict oi tl'h
destinics will ultimately and speedily stand victor
and alone. His thoughts all sombrc. and almost
all worthy OF attention. lie does not indeed though
he evidently cNus In the Maori past add much to our
knowledge Of it, detail, lie accept, the theory Of
either Malays members of a forced 10 emignc
BY the Malay. who. after - long residence IN the
Navigator Islands. s"t sail under some unknown I'M
pulse for New Zealand. and III ~ grew and proper'd
and developed. what. for want Of better word ""
NAV call poity The only thing a.. add. p the h,ct
English accounts is hi, belief based apparently on per
sona Investigation. tat the Islands. wnrn the Maon ad
Ventures landed. we're not rnlnlamtd. bat cn'aln'd
few Gcopl Of some n"sr" Of rather negli9' race:
whom the invaders conquered. absorbed ana, ~ u
we're. Civilized who still recognizable ly their
faces and certain pecuariii"s Of pionun( atlon AM
Tsupo and the Lake.. 1t WIS 10 b" expected that
ms an antqn'r ian Apirana Turupn Nga,a N"lo he
his own legends. supporting NJ" European story.
have value Of their own; bat h" has often qriie
we'll worthy of missionary attention. There l.
tendency among the now mssionar+c 10 rely for ;ncc',
upon the atonement II offers for sin nut Aplfana'
though a Christian himself believes that the ~.
traction Of the new creed for his cornirymen con
sisted wholly or mainly IN the mlrncnloui 'ir""r a,
tons always haunted by the desire for tho super,
natural; and that the great relapse Of The tribes
Que 10 the gradual wearing away Of This interest. and
the stimulus offered 10 the craving for awe
by the miracles related 10y the native priests. That
: "a statement.
whole side OF the savage mind. aud We wish AWraA
almost oh5' TO that which evidently hlls. or. II
we may say so. chokcs his mindnihc decay ana; hr
people "'''''''
IN spite Of their Sigh, rcccn, increase. which he
SrhnSwlsdrC. as az Academia" Sc the S macr mar
and nothing can save them hu' miracle. whGh VII,
few who may be elevated in morals a. well a.
national destiny. he has hui nth confdcncc Through
column after column runs The sam" mrian'hn ' re-
equal to mat Of the MarqaesGn wio regard. conn
as the most acc"?,atl" q present ana make ~, IT.
Maori Chief in spite Of all that has been taught
them remain savnees ,un The 'ocIns. ana ,n ma
private life TO-DAY the same that Influenced him
necs ago though tanned and refined hy conformity
e,y,r,atipn and by me far.reachinc influence Of
~ Yesterday polished and drapcd In ENGLISH fnrTy.
within Nm there racing III" n'rc' ~, Ion. ,hh
but while agn made him rsv' IN ,a"yG, , . h'
msnsdes o, c,vll,a'ion and humanity. hui ihcv are
restless 70 Tra+S me- n"~cps The truth Of Chran
teaching and worships tho Iak"has god most r"N-
sacre longing and Neutral tendencies toward ~"
tohnncns The ONLY vde wonnmcn,, q, Ms h "a oS
upon the Maori mind nor can N" Sur'ac" ,nlr's.l",
be dcepened or 70 deepen th"r' mG ~ %. ,,o cor
tact Is the destruction Of the weaker race
EDUCATION u USELESS.
There ,s no hone IN religion. saws tho Chief. for
the re rious teachers Of TO-DAY have lost all 'ouch
with the timer life of the Maori and no hope IN edn'a
ton though IN Itself the best Of all thing'-'or edua
tim does but take mental out 81 Maori. fuil
"a he "a OF hatred for the Pakoha the latter still
tyrsnnizes his Imagination sin comp"lN nm
toward n degrading imitation Of his ways OF HI" SIM
draws him rresstiby toward the settlements wher'
drink and ideness md sexual vice Kill ont the lower
people leaving behind them only a halfcaste race
upon whom the Chief with that ncurahe pride which
We End everywhere among the pureblood"d peoples
pours out almost shrekng IN" full vials Of h wrath
and contempt Illicit Intercourse. vice and i'm
morality have already destroyed the purity Of the race"
have stuned race once famous for its physique hay"
rooted out whatever industrial tendencies survived
other perricious Influences and degraded ~" chara'
teristcs II once possessed Of Hospitality hh'raN,
bravery and msnlincsS. lOu view Instead 2my race
OF men ard women. a deseicaie cross bct",tn t'
Pakeha and the Maori. inhering NE w9r, Iu"u", 81
both elevated BY sense Of rank with no dlsI1lN
possessing mental qualities that are en1pilcd Tor
murder and crime There Is n" hope. s~Is IN"
Chief, o. Improvement In this respect. The Pakcla
is tho deportation from New Zealand of all ih'
lower whiicS-a remedy which. while he suggest H.
"a we have said. is Than useless: " HN 'du
cat ng the Maori You generally render MN nnht 10
take part I the rend nsIr Tea T pa and c
Ing under the influence OF an English MIND 'onc''i
that the hish'r Maori school, have into NJ
world men and women who are IN cv.ry wa. du.n
socially and morally equipped for the daily battle
Of lfe. II is true that their higher education ma
made them more sensible 10 the good tat may -
derived from industry. and has enlightened them 70
the danger in which their race is placed But WIN
all their sound intellectual and moral training thry
have in the majority Of r"lapscd into The WAYS
Of their parents and eNrr,cd m" mos, er "ncns'
fifty IN occupation plaec them in position GSwr .3
with supreme contempt The shorcomlng. Of me ont
In such matter, a, dressi food aud dweline ai'
nent. the more fascinating. aud the NOR" easily a'
Quired customs and occupation, OF The o,hcT. .r
and as It overwh"lms linn it breeds only desire
for a resistance which NAV possibly BE- oniy moral
the essayist l. not also dreaming al one iast IL po
less inSurrecon I'm which the remnant OF hN people
SsnS aoHiy let the chiefs see HAT they depart
ng from the bravery. rradcur and nob"nes- OF lhcr
kat thev can retrieve their lost homer only bv making
FIRM stand and raNing round them The REMNANTS "i
destruction. Then sh~I witno.s spectacle, one" |
seen to ne forgotten, spectacle that VIII I'll ne
Heart VIII IdtN. thouer UT -
battling bravclv. nOb!N aTain-' III" idt's, now |
ffnkinC under tho lcadcn weight Of the fear tA1t |
The struggle is hopeless now ur and striking ont
asrccly against overwhelming odds. hrac"d with |
tfe hope that the day NAV Vet be |
won: the aged and tho feeble ramped under foot. |
the ranks for moment wavcng ~ IN" black banner
OF death and destruction sweep down once more 10
the bloody attack. death gaining the day. warriors
weering In their blood. lender, stricken In th" bloom
OF manhood yet gladly dying With the knowledge that:
though their Is lost IL has died hard brnv'ly ana
noby."
RACE DYING OF HEART BREAK.
The Chief is possibly too pesslmls though the whole
history OF the Pacific TO confirm his fears, but
even n some poor remnant Of the Maors should sur |
ytye theirs Is melancholy history. and not easily
10 be explained. Til" English have not villed their
destruction and though they have brought with them |