The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-12-16
The Rise, Progress, and Destiny ofth Sand
witch Islands.


The snivals from California now bring us, also, |
more rapidly than at any former period, news from
the growing and founshing kingdom Of Kane
hsmehs, who holds his court with ell the forms
lity of European monarch, in his palace at Homo
lulu Our columns present extracts from two jour
nals-the Honolulu Times and the PotynesiaR =
the former being the organ of the extreme liberal
party, and the latter the official journal of the go
vernment. The Times, however, does not demand
any thing from the king that can be construed as
exigent. Its object appears to be to obtain an in
crease of liberal measures the part of the kings
party, which may tend to advance the general
prosperity of the territory and inhabitants, both
tive and foreign, of Hawaii. To this end, we find
it urging the government to adopt such wholesome
reforms, and such lines of policy, as may encou-
rage emigration, and permit foreigners to share in
the formation of the local rulers aud Of the laws ge-
nerally. The Poiynssian does not oppose any
plainly judcious movement, but is conservative in
its character, and claims, with no little justice,
that the improvements made in the laws, and in
the extension of the franchise, together with other
important public acts, are all satisfactory proofs of
the desire of the king bless the people at large
and to Increase the Importance of that gdOm,
| which is now beginning to take high position
| among civilized nations.
| When Capt. Cook, the celebrated navigator,
| discovered the Sandwich Islands, he found them
| occupied by barbarous but cheerful and con-
| tented people. The spirit of American missisns
became animated by the accounts given by the
navigaiors; and, about thirty years since, the MIS-
sionafy Herald, published monthly in Boston, be-
| gan to give us records of the first steps of the
| islanders from the barbarian to the civilized state.
| The monthly concert of prayer, in Presbyterian
| churches, has been uniformly devoted TO the pro-
gress of the Lords work in that region. Thus
| the public have been made acquainted with the
progress of religion and of education, coorcd after
the fashion of missionary writers, but still saffi-
cienrfy clear for the jsdicous reader TO form
rect estimate of the real progress of this interest
ing people In the early stages of that society,
then passing by transition state, into hurried
| contact with the civilized world, the first result
was, as usual, a band-in- hand race between vice
and religion. AS churches increased, hospitals
were needed. As the school house indicted the
youth of both sexes into the decencies of civilized
life, il carried them through the inevitable gate
way of debauchery and folly, as a probationary
ordeal Of a passage from state of nature TO that
\ Of art. The whaeships of Nantucket and New
] Enplsnd generally furnished many a guide to the
simple islanders, and accordingly, at one period of
| the history of these islands, the hearts of the
missionaries almost sank within them at that very
natural condition of society which could not but
be exhibited under all similar circumstances.
The mercantile poheer-tbe pc dlar and the SUPER
cargo-are the true missionaries of civilization.
! These men prepare the path for the commercial
man, whose enterprise will convert idle into a
busy population and who will te ach men that the
/ true way TO tighten labor is TO love it, As soon
as the Sandwich Islands became important, in a
commercial point of view, the general moral pros
peniy began 10 keer pace with the commercial
/ progress; and now we find that the American
/ missionaries are congratulatng themselves for
having established in the Sandwich Islands as ex-
celent government as that which the English
missionaries boat as the product Of their labors
in the Society Islands. The spiritual domination
Of these two brilliant island clusters Of the Pacific
are divided between the clergy of the United States
and of England, and both groups have derived
much temporal advantage from the earnest labors
OF the respective missions. II is however, to the
IsmmrIc r.. 'nst has been introduced into
torian must attribute the origin OF those great
changes which have marked the progress of so
ciety from its chrysalis TO its present condition.
These missionaries who have effected most good,
/
business motives Of men; and we End that it is by
temporal, rather than spiritual teachings, that the
king, Kamehameha, is persuaded to pass thirty
substantial laws in the course of single session
Of his Assembly, and to enter into a long and inn
portsnt numerical treaty with the United States,
as il will be remembered he did on the 10th of
December last year.
Yet, without touching further upon the origin; or
I NJ Al a al NJ III
Sandwich Islands to a high and very promising
position, may be assured that the king has only
to initiate the Rbernity to foreigners that has cha
racterzed The success Of other nations to establish
apower Of no mean importance in the civilized
world. The time is approaching when the Sand
witch and the Society Islands must be important to
the whole civilized world. They have the very
centre ports of the wotd-stand like midway ha-
vens between the two great continents Of the earth,
and each day will add to the glory of their posi.
ton. The great revolution already effected by the
discovery Of Cslifonis-the establishment Of that
territory as one Of the States Of the American
Union-the consequent trade about to be opened
with China, and, indeed, with the whole Of
eastern Asia, force into commercial summit these
hitherto unimroriant islands. Already nave com
mercisl interchanges been comparatively great;
but with the increasing liberality Of the Hawaiian
government, the tide Of immigration to Honolulu,
and to the other Hawaiian ports. will be assuredly
large, rspid and beneficial AS this food Of hu.
msnity pours itself along, increased commercial
activity will be the result, and our ships, their
way TO India, China, and, eventually, TO Japan,
will make the harbor Of Honolulu one Of great
hustle and importance.
There is now project on foot to make Honolulu
i a CITY This anne ira IN he a wise eucgeston IN
that rort were dienifed with local city govern
ment, IL would increase with great rapidly. The
| progress Of the place would be more quickly adj
vaDced than II possibly can be uader the pre-
sent system. and IL would soon take high rank
LII.