The Polynesian., 1841-07-03

ship shall be declared free throughout all
the dominions subject to the King of the
Sandwich Islands; that the members of
this religious faith shall enjoy in them all
the privileges granted to Protestants that
a site for Catholic church shall be given
by the government of Honolulu, and that
this church shall be minisered by priests
of the French nation; that no French
man, accused of any crime whatever, shall
be tried except by jury composed of
foreign residents, proposed by the French
Consul, and approved by the government
of the Sandwich Islands and that French
wines and brandies shall not be prohibit
ed, and shall not pay an import duty high
er than five per cent. I'D ralorem.
The author of the first Of these PAM
phlets thinks, that, in this proceeding, in
Justice was done to the government of the
Sandwich Islands and to the American
Missionaries. Ane we must say, that, as
we understand the subject, we think so
too.
1t is very clear, in the first place, that
the precise point of the controversy, which
had existed for short time before the
visit of this ship, and which caused and
was terminated by it, was whether the gov
ernment of the Islands s',ould be compelled
to permit French Catholic priests to propa-
gate the Catholic faith and worship among
its native subjects, or should have the pow
er and right of preventing them. Wisely
or unwisely, that government had en-
braccd the Protestant form of the Chris
tian religion, and had decided that in that
form, and in that form only, this religion
should be presented to the reason and
fears, and immature and unspirltual, but
advancing civilization of its people. 1t
admitted, therefore, and even invited
Protestant Missionaries, and it eXclud-
ed Catholic missionaries. The French
were pleased to think that this govern
ment had no right to choose between
these two forms of Christianity, and went
to war to compel it to let in one as freely
as the other. That this is the sum and
substance of the whole difficulty between
the parties, will appear from very brief
review of its origin and course.
1t seems that in July, 1926, His Holi-
ness, Pope Leo the Twelfth. constituted
Nj. Bachelot, a French Jesuit Priest, Apos-
toIic Prciect of the Sandwich Islands
and that, in the following November, that
person sailed for the Islands, taking with
him another Catholic priest of the same
order, Mr. Short, a subject Of England
This was several years after the Ameri.
can Protestant Mission had been success.
fully established. The object of this eX'
pedilion, it is admitted on all hands, was
to propagate the Catholic faith and wor.
ship among the native inhabitants. These
priests arrived at Honolulu in July, 1927
1t happened that at that time the Kins
was minor. Perhaps it is not quite GER
tain whether Boki the acting governor o
that island, or Kaahumunu, the widow o
the former King, was the constitutions
representative or regent durng the minor
ity. The governor is said, by the write
of the second of the above pamphlets, tt
have desired the priests to land and re-
main, while there is no doubt that kaa
humanu resisted it, and expressly com
manded the captain of the vessel, in whlcl
tboxy con,o to taka thom nwov He allepp(