Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-08-19
The Sandwich Islands,

These islands. always an object of great in
tercSt in this country, are of lat" becoming
%douhtly 50, from the interesting movements
going on in them, their position relative to
our Pacific states, and the possibility if not
probability of their becoming before long, II
portion Of our republic. We give below the
first Of a regular series of letters promised
us from Honolulu. Our correspondent is in
Il permanent and responsible position in the
Islands, and possesses unusual facilities for
procuring information. His letters will be
found interesting and valuable in II very high
degree.
(CORRESroNDENCE or THE FREE rRESS.)
lIoNoLrIr, OAHU, June l4th, 1888.
| have nothing very important in the shape of
news to send you by this mail. Between seasons the
harbor of Honolulu is pretty empty and mercantile
business very dull. Our Legislature is drawing to IA
close after IL rather long session. They have not
despatched II very great amount of business, but
perhaps as much as is usually done in the same time
by some larger and wiser representative bodies
which we have heard of. The mass of the native po-
pulation, and the native representatives of the
masses, are very naturally, unused to exercising
their minds on political questions, and occasionally
develope strange views Of the powers of laws and
government, ltcould not well be otherwise. 1t is
little more than thirty years, since II common native
had no rights whatever. He could not be sure that
the pig he had raised, even if he had il cooked be-
fore him, was his own till he had swallowed it. If
chief, or chiefs retainer, fancicd it, it was taken
without ceremony. From such Il state, and the con-
fused notions of personal rights, the limited range of
faculty, and the subscrvicnt feeling, that belong to
it, one generation could not be expected to free any
people, The new constitution, something of a medley
of monarchical and republican principles, is in most
points pretty well adapted to the anomalous state of
the people, hut probably confcrS on the masses more
privileges and more responsibilities than they are
prepared to appreciate or to bear. Yet with nations,
as with children, youth, and slaves, there seems to
be but one way of educing strength of character
and the power of self-support, VIZ, to throw them
onto their own responsibility and make them feel
that they must learn to swim-or sink. The charac-
ter of the Legislation at present depends much upon
the white members of the two houses, though there
are several quite able and sensible men among the
natives. All have to be pretty careful not to lcgis-
late too far ahead of their constituents, The Lower
House serves the purpose of II good political school,
and while they frequently make awkward work of
legislation, they improve with each years practice,
The general meeting of the Mission held annually
at Honolulu, closed a week or two since, Last week
the annual fair of the Agricultural Society came off,
This society is quite useful. Its exhibition this year
was not so large as that of ISL, but in the quality
of many OF the articles there was decided improve.
mcnt. The reports were numerous, and for the most
Q ---s tt ~ " - 4
transactions, so far compare favorably with any Of
similar size in the United States. They will proba'
bly, become more valuable from year to year, as Sug
gestions become experiment, and experiment become:
experience. There are probably few places in th'
world, ofequal amount of arabic surface, where Sc
great a variety of agricultural products can b'
raised, as these islands, though perhaps few reacl
the perfection that they do in other countries. Ae
cording to the elevation, and the exposure to, OF pro
lection from. the trade winds, a large proportion o
the products Of both temperate and torrid zones ca