Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-12-01
From the New Orleans Picayune.
The Sandwich UsIands.

Inc sandwich islands lie In the Pacific
ocean, in line nearly direct between San
Francisco and Hong Kong, in China. The
distance from the coast of America is about
one third of the way, say 2,400 miles to 1890
from the islands to the coast of Asia. The or
binary sailing time from San Francisco, in
good weather, is about twelve days. They are
IN about the same latitude as Cuba. and enjoy
one OF the most healthful and balmy climates
in the world. The islands are seven in mum.
Der, with an area of about 5000 square miles.
and population of about $4,000 natives; in
addition to whom there is a considerable and,
from their superior intelligence and energy, a
controlling class of foreign residents, who,
though numerically nferiorto the native classes,
and not by any means united among them
selves, influence the whole public policy of the
kingdom. 1t
One of the most marked phenomena in re-
gard to these islands is the decay of the origi-
nal population, which seems to be going on
wards to extinction. in ratio even more rapid
than that which marked the progress of the ex-
tinction of the tribes of this continent on the
access of the whites. Their number decreases
every year. Islands once crowded with inhab-
itants are nearly depopulated. Some of the
causes of this melancholy decline of gentle,
and at one time happy and numerous race, re-
feet little credit on the civilization which has
invaded and is expeling them, or to Christian
ity, in whose perverted name they are corrupt
ed, debased, and destroyed.
The law of nature seems to be, however,
that when savages, whether mild, like the Poly
nesian, or ferocious as the New Zealander,
come into contact with the frontier wave of civ
ilization, they acquire it's worst vices and be-
come victims, perishing speedily out of the
land. In these islands, of which, after their
first discovery, poets raved as newly dis
covered paradise, where the most beautiful and
gentle of races basked in perpetual spring
through whole year of howers'-sterner
races have set up harsher dominion, chang
ing the face of the country and ploughing up
the sea for gain-building great warehouses,
temples to Mammon; have turned the paradise
into workshop, and dug graves for the poor,
helpless aboriginals, too feeble to resist temp
tations to excess, too simple to join in the
great hustle for gain, and thus wasting by
whole tribes and families out Of the land. Il
will be a melancholy tale which an impartial
history must write of the fate of the Indians of
the Sandwich islands.
The islands will be- before many years, under
the control Of the white races absolutely. The
little remains of the aboriginal authorities are
SO feeble that they exist by sufferance of the
inferior numbers OF foreigners. 1t leans en-
tirely upon the intelligence of strangers, and
totters if that be withdrawn. 1t is tossed to
and fro, as the rival influences which seek to
direct it to obtain fuctuating control. The
ascendency of numbers, too, will be, ere many
years, with the immigrants, and of them the
greater proportion will be North Americans.
A recent letter from the islands, published in
the New York Erening Post, estimates the
annual decrease of the natives at about 8 per
cent. In ten years, without the Intervention of
any extraordinary or infectious disease, it is
computed that the whole native population will
fall to 10000. The North Americans will
reach that number within a shorter time The
time, therefore, is near at hand, advancing in
evitably from causes for which there is no check
when the government Of the islands must pass
in name and fact, from the heirs of the ancient
possessors, and become part of some more pow
erful government. In the lifetime of nation
the years are very few within which this result
must be reached and with race so rapid and
progressive as that which is thronging to those
shores from ours, it win not require much pa
tience to wait until the population becomes as
simulated to ours, and the transition to Ameri
can forms and American association becomes
easy and natural.