Polynesian., 1845-01-18
BY "A u
correspondence between IL. NJ. Secretary
Of state ana the Consul of France, relative
to the case of Able Castan, a French
Priest. (Continucd.)
Il Il u K r.
ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE.
Honolulu, 18th. December, 1914.

W. bo'h' i'StCiII)t1, 10 1
Sir,-Your commands respecting the COM
plant of Able Castan, Il French subject,
(called in native dialect B~arcnaba) and the
accompanying documents, nave been duly
received at this Office.
Itappcars from the affidavit ofKahauolono.
Judge at Eva, that on or about the first dav
of the present month an alteration arose i'm
the public highway, between Auwaipuu. a
native man, and Makoc his wife. 1t appears,
also, that the building used as a school house
by the Able Castan, is near the public road,
and that the place where this matrimonial
disturbance occurred was very near that
part of the public road where the AbbG's
school house is situated. The school. it
seems, was disturbed by the noise growing
out of this dissensiOn. To quiet it, the Able
Castan went out, and, as appears from the
testimony, instead of using friendly words
of remonstrance, instead of telling the two
natives they ought to manifest a more Chris
tian spirit towards each other, bear with and
forbear towards each other, as good married
people ought always to do; instead oftelling
them he was engaged in teaching children
to become useful subjects of their King, and
that such quarreling was likely to set them
" uuu Authpi hc uSCu tSliiiS VI uDIup re-
proach and authoritative command, c%alcula~
ted to arouse the resentment of the two
already angry natives, who told him (what
was very true though at al, times UNI
civil), that the public highway was theirs,
and that they had an indeteasible right to
quarrel therein. This, it would seem, was
commixcd with some Billingsgatc on the part
of the natives towards the Able, for his inter-
ference; a species of recompensc which all
kindly disposed persons meet with, in all
countries, when they interfere in connubial
quarrels.
Now, had the Able gone out in a c%oncili-
atory manner, he would undoubtedly have
reconcilcd the breach between the two ma
~tivcs; he would have impressed them with a
proper reverence for his person and charac-
ter; he would have set them, in his own man
ncr, an example of peace and good-brccding,
and have avoided the cpithcts hcapcd upon
him. Yet it seems from the testimony that
he did not do this, but rather laid himself
open to the abuse they gave him. 1t is pre-
sumable that any man., whether clerical or
lay, whether a religious man or an irrcligious,
whether a Catholic or a Protestant, and
whether of one denomination of professionals
or of another, who, under the circumstances,
should go forth into the public highway, in
an open country like that where this occur
renee took place, and try, by harsh and UNI
cOncillatOry measures, to stop a quarrel be-
tween a rude native and his wife, would be
most likely to receive some uncivil rctort for
his pains. | know this would be the case in
the United States of America, and | believe
it would be the same in France or England,
among their yeomanry. Why more civility
should be expected of an Hawaiian native,
under the circumstances, than of a polished
Frenchman, Englishman or American, | am
not fully able to comprehend, particularly
when the gentleman who cXacts such civi!ity
does not set him an example Of Christian ur-
banity.
1t appears, further, from the testimony Of
the Judge at Eva, that the Able Castan, in
stead of bearing the rude rctort of this poor
Ignorant native, went to law with him by com
planning to a civil magistrate, and that he
caused the natives to be brought up for civil
punishment. A minister of the gospel ought
never to get angry, and ought to be the last
person in the world to engage in a lawsuit,
"A lltigious spirit is even improper in men OF
the world, and ] would take this occasion to
say, that when ministers of the gospel engage
IN civil or criminal prosecutions, except IN
extreme breaches of the law, or, when they
enter the arena of political strife, they de-
scend from their high and holy calling, and
for the time lose the character Of gospel min
listers. They have no right, under such cir
cumstances, to expect the reverence or def
crcnco that ought otherwise to be paid TO