Arrest of Te Whiti & Tohu

Trial

• Te Whiti and Tohu appeared before a magistrates court on 12th November 1881.
    

 

After four days sentenced to jail in N. Plymouth until further notice.

 

 

Titokowaru appeared before the court on 25th November, after six months in prison the 3 charges against him were dropped.

Charges Laid

• Te Whiti was charged with:

“wickedly, maliciously and seditiously contriving and intending to disturb the peace, inciting insurrections, riots, tumults, and breaches of the peace, and, to prevent by force and arms the execution of the law did wickedly declare false, wicked, seditious and inflammatory words.”  

• The 'inflammatory words' alleged were: 
• naku te whenua (the land belongs to me).

naku nga tangata (the people belong to me).

ko te tino pakanga tenei o tenei whakatupuranga (this is the main struggle of this generation).
 

Jail

• In April 1882, Te Whiti and Tohu were transferred to Addington gaol in Christchurch.
   
• In May, the Native Minister introduced the West Coast Peace Preservation Act 1882, allowed for the indefinite imprisonment of Te Whiti and Tohu and rendered their trial 'unnecessary'.
   
• It also made any group of more than 50 Maori assembling on the west coast liable to arrest and imprisonment.
   
• Also, the Indemnity Act 1882 indemnified those who, in the action taken to 'preserve the peace', might have exceeded their legal powers. 

 
  Time to check out 1.6 and have a go at it! Click Here.  (Check out Practice for 1.6 Part 1)

Release of Te Whiti & Tohu

Offers & Rejection

• Te Whiti visited by a member of Bryce’s staff – offered release, government income and land for himself if he ceased to assemble his people.
     
• He refused. The offer was made again and rejected again.
       
• Prisoners were transferred to Nelson where they received a third offer also refused.

Release

• Under pressure from Britain, Te Whiti and Tohu were released March 1883.
   
• To guard against further difficulties the Government passed the West Coast Peace Preservation Act 1882 Continuance Act 1883.
   
• The prophets remained subject to rearrest without warrant, charge, or trial.
   
• The prohibition on Māori gatherings stayed in force and no Māori could travel to or in Parihaka without a special pass.
   
• The Armed Constabulary remained stationed there.

Parihaka Rebuilt

Campaign Renewed

• August 1884 Te Whiti and Tohu began a new campaign to publicise the loss of their land.
   
• They held large protest marches across Taranaki.
• In July 1886 another campaign emerged where Māori entered Settler farms and set up thatched huts.
   
• Te Whiti was arrested twice more for various charges including accessory to forcible entry, riot and malicious injury to property.

Reconstruction 

• Parihaka was rebuilt beginning in1889.
   
• By 1896, systems of water supply and electric lighting had been introduced at a time when even the city of Wellington was without electricity.
   
• Government still viewed it with scorn, Seddon claimed Parihaka encouraged Māori to led “lazy and dissolute” lives. He vowed to destroy “this communism that now existed.”
   
• Te Whiti and Tohu both died in 1907, but the faith they established and the spirit they engendered has survived them to this day.

 
 

Consequences of Parihaka

Direct Consequences
By 1881, Māori had been defeated, largely by the advantages the European had, in terms of numbers of professional soldiers and better war technology.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Wider Consequences
Historians agree that the impact of the colonial experience in Taranaki, including the invasion of Parihaka, for Māori has been severe, and that a post-war syndrome has developed.
 

• Generations of Māori were brought up to believe that there was no future in being Māori.
• There is a distinctive lack of te reo Māori speakers in Taranaki.
• Traditional knowledge of land management and genealogy are critically short.
• Many older Māori in Taranaki tell of being told not to speak Māori, and to try and become Pākehā.
    

Cultural and social impacts of the confiscation are still being felt today

Parihaka Legacy

Waitangi Tribunal

• Waitangi Tribunal Report 1996.
   
• Hailed as the most important report issued by the Tribunal.
   
• The Waitangi Tribunal stated that the claims made by Taranaki (of which the story of Parihaka was included) could be the largest in the country.
   
• The Tribunal concluded: “Taranaki Maori...were denied their rights of autonomy, and as British subjects, their civil rights were removed. For decades, they were subjected to sustained attacks on their property and persons.”

Remembering Parihaka

Memories & Legacy

• Art Exhibition 2000: Parihaka: The Art of Passive Resistance.  

• NZ singer Tim Finn and the Herbs created a song about Parihaka.  

• Poetry has been written by Hone Tuwhare & James K Baxter.
   
• Petition led by Tariana Turia – Parihaka Day.
   
• Parihaka International Peace Festival 2010. 

• Artworks by Colin McCahon
   

Parihaka Memorial

• These are the words on Te Whiti's memorial at Parihaka:

 "He was a man who did great deeds in suppressing evil so that peace may  

reign as a means of salvation to all people on earth."

Other Quotes

“Te Whiti was a coward, safe in the rear goading the poor bastards on. As an old soldier I don’t like it. Parihaka has been grossly over-publicized – today he would be head of the biggest advertising agency in the country. His movement was political, not religious, and it is communists and anti-European troublemakers who try to keep it alive. Parihaka should be forgotten.”



- Interview with local farmer, J.S Stronge January, 1973.

“It is not my wish that evil should come to the two races. My wish is for the whole of us to live peaceably and happily on the land”.

- Te Whiti o Rongomai

Revolution

Revolution Spreads

• While Louis was still king, the damage to his power and authority was severe...
   
• As news spread, provincial towns pledged to obey only orders agreed to by the newly formed National Constituent Assembly.
   
• Rural peasants reacted by:
• Looting grain stores
• Attacking châteaux
• Seizing feudal documents
   
• Attacks on landlords came to be known as the “Great Fear”.

The August Decrees

• August 4th 1789.
   
• The National Assembly passed decrees including:
• Church tithes were abolished
• All tax privileges relating to land or persons were abolished.
• All citizens were to be taxed equally.
• All citizens regardless of birth were eligible for all offices – church, civil or military.

Church Land & the Rights of Man

Declaration of the Rights of Man & Citizen

• All men are born free and equal
   
• The main rights are liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression
   
• Power (sovereignty) rests with the people
   
• Freedom of worship
   
• Freedom of expression
   
• Speech/publication
   
• Taxation according to means
   
• Freedom to own property

Nationalisation of Church Land

• They took responsibility for looking after the clergy, and, for helping the poor.
   
• Bonds were sold to people as currency against the land and 400m livres were generated.
   
• Under financial pressure, in Nov 1789 the National Assembly seized all of the property of the church. 

Reform & the October Days

The October Days

• The king protested the nationalisation of the church.
   
• The assembly decided they could take Legislative Power (Making laws) while the king took Executive Power (Ruling the Country).
   
• The King refused to approve any assembly decree. 
   
• A hungry and angry mod descended on Versailles, the King was given no choice but to accept the decrees and go to Paris with Antoinette on 6th October.

Voting & Tax Reform

• Three tiers of active citizens were made but favoured wealthy men at higher levels.  
    
• But 61% of Frenchmen could take part in some lower level bodies (compared to 4% in England).
   
• In 1791 the new tax system had three parts:
   
• Land tax, for all land owner
• Movable goods tax
• Commercial profits tax
   
• these benefitted the poor, but were inefficient and poorly administered.

 Economic, Legal & Church Reforms

•  Free trade in grain throughout France was introduced, without customs duties.
   
• Workers’ guilds were ended to allow easier entry, and the Assembly outlawed strikes
   
• Justices and courts were standardised to make the legal system universal.
   
• Church was reorganised and democracy was applied. Corrupt practices like absenteeism removed. 

Constitution & Revolutionary Wars

1791 Constitution

• The Assembly aimed to establish Constitutional Monarchy.
    
• A legislative assembly would have 745 members – elected every two years. 
   
• The King appointed ministers and military commanders.
   
• The King could have suspensive veto, except financial and constitutional matters.
   
• Waging war required agreement.
   
• The King was subordinate to law. 

“…so monstrous that it can not survive for long.”

- Marie Antoinette on the 1791 Constitution.

Émigré & War

• Many elites unhappy with reforms left for countries like Austria and opposed the new France.
   
• Austria and Prussia declared support for the King, also worried revolution may spread to their nations.
   
• The Revolutionary War, including also Britain and Spain, lasted 10 years, resulting in the death of 1.4m French.

Execution & Reign of Terror

The Execution of Louis XVI

• Amidst war and political tension, a radical Maximillian Robespierre, suggested changes. 
    
• The Assembly split into radicals and monarchists, Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette were arrested, and a new Republic announced on 21 Sep 1792.
   
• They were both executed following trial in January 1793, Louis shortly after and Marie Antoinette in October.
   
• The Republic now had to fight external and internal opposition.

Reign of Terror

• In 1793, Robespierre led Committee of Public Safety oversaw 300,000 arrests and 40,000 executions, of those who threatened change.
   
• Church power was curtailed.
   
• Eventually Robespierre was arrested himself by the National Convention for going too far.
   
• A new National Convention struggled to create a new order.

Long Term Consequences

Constitutional Change

• The 1795 Constitution created an Upper House (250) and a Lower House (500)
   
• A new Executive called the Directory had power to appoint positions.
   
• Without addressing economic conditions the new system was weak.
   
• As the Army grew, and with some military success, Napoleon seized on the chaos to stage a coup and declare himself Consul in 1799
   

[Note: You will should have notes here on Napoleon's rise to power]

 

Long Term Consequences

• The changes in France influenced Europe for years.
   
• After the Napoleonic Wars the Congress of Vienna divided Europe into clearer states.
   
• Nationalism and democracy eventually spread in the following 50yrs.
   
• Social and economic reforms happened throughout Europe.
   
• An emerging bourgeoisie class gained power from the monarchy.
   
• The power of church was altered.
   
• Despite continuing poverty, fairness and equality became important goals.