Carl Völkner

TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF THE REV. CARL SYLVIUS VOLKNER.
We copy the following obituary notice from the Southern Cross of the 9th March :- ',
Mr. Volkner was one of the best friends the Maories ever had. He was an earnest and zealous preacher of the Gospel
to them, and while endeavouring to inculcate moral and,Christian principles into their minds, ho was not forgetful of his duty to his adopted country, and that his sacred
calling did not exonerate him from endeavouring to subdue any feelings of political ascendency on the part of his
hearers. His teaching to whom was that it was their inevit-able destiny to submit, and that, however successful they
might be for a time, resistance would ultimately lead to their discomfiture.
Mr. Volkner was a native of Cassel, Germany, and a student of the Homburg Missionary College. Ho came to New Zealand about eighteen years ago as a catechist, in
connection with the North German Missionary Society.
Alter residing here for »orno timo ho separated himself front
that body, and having made the acquaintance of Bishop
Selwyn was offered an appointment as missionary under
the Church Mission Society, and his usefulness then be
camo more clearly developed. Ho first commenced his
labours at Taranaki, and then took up his residence at Ko
hnnga, Archdeacon Maunsell's station. Ho also pursued
his calling at Tauranga, and Opotiki, at thoelatter of which
places ho eventually settled. Mr. Volkner and his wife were resident there when the war broke out on tho East Coast, and, for the safety of his wife, he removed her to Auckland, and faithfully con-tinued his ministrations in solitude. At Tauranga
ho preached to tho natives in thoir chapel, to the troops in camp, and when the former gave in their submission he was i
consulted by some of them with regard to a wish they had expressed to emigrate to Rarotonga. The deceased was married in 1854 to Emma Lanfear, sister to the Rev.,
Thomas Lanfear, but had no family. Mrs. Volkner has been residing at St. John's Colloge since she left the mission station at Opotiki, and would have returned there with her husband, who was desirous that she should accompany him, were it not that his friends strongly advised him
against it.Rev Volkmer joined the Church Missionary Society about j
eight years ago, and was ordained n deacon by the Bishop off Waiapu on tho 3rd June, 1860, and priest within the last ;
two years. His age wt¿ forty-six. He was esteemed as i
an intelligent and Christian gentleman by all who knew j
him, and his loss will be severely felt in the cause in which j
ho was such a zealous worker. ¡ '
The members of Mr. Volkner's church, whom ho had I
lived amongst and taught for years, and to whoso fidelity he ;
had trusted with unshaken faith during the war, stood by ;
consenting to his death. His death had been determined ;
on before his arrival, and preparations made for his'
execution ; and although his congregation did not actually;
lay hands upon him, thov were aiding and abetting. AVe '
leave this fact to speak for itself. After tho horrible!
cannibal feast was done, tho head was put through tho pre-*
serving process well known to Maories. . The Rev. Mr.,
Grace and othor Europeans wore then brought forward, and '
the fanatics commenced their journoy southwards.
The natives give two reasons for Mr. Volkner's murder.
One of these is a special reason, and one ia general. The
special reason is that tho Opotiki natives had been told that .
Mr. Volkner reported to the Governor that they wore car- '.
ryiog on a secret correspondence with the rebels, through !
nn agency which, for the present; wo refrain from mention- '
ing. The general reason is this : that they attribute the .
war to tho missionaries. They say they carno first to the country and bought land ; that tho Government carno next,
and tho missionaries used their influence to buy land for the Government ; and that from this cause the present war sprang. The fanatics declare, therefore, that they will murder all missionaries.