Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-06-06
The Sandwich I.land.-rhslr Position ana crow

Ing Observation-Disclosures of the French.
| The Sandwich or Hawaiian Islands were discover
ed in l77S, by Captain Cook, who gave them the
name by which they are generally known, in honor
OF Lord SANDWICH, then first Lord of the British Adj
miralty. They lie about 1900 miles from the mouth
OF the Columbia river and in the direct track of
sells going from San Francisco to Canton or the East
Indies. The total of the Islands is about six
thousand square miles, of which Hawaii contains
four thousand The population is estimated at $780,
900 at the highest, and $4,000 at the lowest. The
native portion of the population is rapidly decreas-
ing, while the foreign is Increasing. The foreign
trade of the Islands is chiefly in the hands of the
Americans. Oahu is next to Hawaii, the largest Is
land of the group and, commercially and politically,
is the most important. Honolulu the seat of gov
ernment and the most important town in the group,
being situated the Southern coast of the Island
This town contains about twelve thousand nhabi-
tants, of whom two thousand are Americans, compri-
sing the greater portion of the foreign population.
When discovered, the Islands were under the
troll of petty chiefains and had great many rather
strange and heathenish customs, but were, withal,
fat, contented, and reasonably happy; perhaps as
much so as if they had known how to read newspa-
pers and wear breeches However, after some fight.
ing in which several naked gentleman got killed,
one KAMAMEHA made himself King over the whole
group, and has been succeeded by two other indi-
| viduals of the same name, the present King being
called kAMAMEHA III. The Islands are really under
the rule of the missionaries certain numbers of whom
arrived from Boston in March, 1920, and commenced
outstanding the Islands In 1910, written con-
stituton, modelled in many of its features after those
OF the United States and Great Britain was adopted
by the King and Chiefs through the instrumentality
OF the missionaries, and publicly promulgated. The
independence of the government is guaranteed by
the United States, France, and Great Britain. 1t
would seem that, in treaty made with France and
Great Britain it was stipulated that the duties on
wines and sprituous liquors should be OPTIONAL pro-
vided 1t should not amount to prohibition. The
government laid duty of five dollars per gallon up
on wine and liquors, ale and beer included. Upon
the representation of the British government, the
duties levied upon ale and beer refunded, upon
the ground that they did not come under the de-
nomination of wines spirituous liquors. The
French then contended that, as they entitled
TO be treated we'll the most favored nations the
duties levied on their wines and brandes should be
refunded They also claimed that their missionaries
should receive the amount of support from the
government that is accorded to the Americans and
English. They also claim representation in the
cabinet: of the members of the present cabi-
net is English and another American, hence it is
contended that one should also be Frenchman To
these and other claims, the Hawaiians seem unwil-
ling to assent alleging that assent to them would
be inconsistent with the government and the French
have threatened to resort to force 1t is said that in
the event of hostties the Hawaiian authorities have
cclr +oh O;c 4ho
selves under the protection of the United States.
We do not think it likely that in any event these
transactions will lead to a rupture between France
and the United States In the first place. it is not
likely that the French will proceed to any immediate
violence; and in the second place. the United States
is only of the guaranteeing parties being joined
with England and France, and in this case she
would, of course act in concert with England, in
opposing any unwarranted acts of the French au-
thorties in the Pacific. 1t is true that the greater
number of the foreign residents Americans, and
that our interest in the Islands is greater than that
of any other people: still have interest in the
beer and wine squabble between France and Eng
land. we likely to make national question
out of the clerical difficulties between the French
priests and the Puritan cergymen One way or
another, American influence is bound to predomi-
nate. Somehow or other the native race seems to
be rapidly disappearing throughout all the Islands
of the Pacific and it is likely that in twenty years
mere the native population in the Sandwich Islands
will not amount to $4,000, while the Americans and
their descendants will be nearly twice that number
A large trade must in time spring up between our
Pacific coast and China and the East Indies and
these Islands are the only group that can answer
the purpose of halfway house, especially for steam
ers, to which they would be invaluable as deposto
ries for coal. They would then become essentially
American in character and would be equally ours
whether annexed Or not but as the case stands now
with miserable population composed of chiefs and
kanGkas, or serfs, with puppet for King, and mis-
sonaries for cabinet minister's much better
without them, especially they are over two thou
sand miles distant from San Francisco.
| The New York Senatorial Elections.
The recent Senatorial election in twelve districts
in New York, to supply the vacancies created by the
resignation of that number of Democrats has result
ed in gain of four to the Wings. This will give
the Wings sufficient majority in the Senate to
BILE them to pass the S9,000O00 Erie Canal enlarge
ment bill, which the twelve Democratic Senators