Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1853-11-05
For he Polynes,an.

MR EDITOR IL find in the New Bedford
Mercury Of Aug. 10Th the following, among
other things about the Sandwich Islands.
That is a curious civilization which
leaves race exposed to the ravages Of the
small pox We do not understand how the
philanthropic men who have, at such risk
of health and expenditure of money, been
engaged in the amelioration Of this race.
should forget DIR. Jenner and vaccination.
The meanest children, in the most crowded
cities of Europe and America, are protected
from what was once the scourge of the civil
lied world, and those for whom no great
general endeavors are made, share In tho
blessings of the great physicians discovery.
Could not the poor islander have had pro-
phylactic as well as priest, instruction In
the art of preserving health, as well as in
struction in religion and letters We hope
that these remarks will not be understood
to depreciate the efforts and sacrifices OF the
missonares-we only mean to say, that
such efforts have had an unfortunate termi-
nation, and those sacrifices are very mea-
gerly rewarded"
Poor missionaries, what load of sins they
have to answer for No doubt the small
pox, and all other evils to which flesh is heir
to, at least at the Sandwich Islands, can
be traced directly either to their sins of
omission, or Of commission. Ifthey vaccinate
and the people die with the small pox, 1t IS
owing to their presumption and folly IN at
tempting to do what they are ignorant OF, and
what belongs to the regular faculty. lfthe
people die without vaccination, it is because
the missionaries have :" forgotten DIR. Jenner
and vaccination" No doubt, it is in some
way the fault of the missionaries. How
could it be otherwise , Even rum and IL
centiousness, which are sweeping off tho
people must be laid at the doors of the mis-
sionaries. for laws and restraints you know,
always increase these evils. Let people 1--we
as they list, as they do in Fill, and they
will be very good and happy, even in de-
vourng one another. For missionary civil
cation has not blighted their fair homes.
The good things which the missionaries
have accomplished, what do they all amount
to Since we learn from this same writer,
that, "The race, which for years they
have been converting and civilizlng. has
dwindled under their management into final
extinction" What a pity the poor people
had not been left entirely TO the converting
and civilizing influences Of comlnerce-to
unrestrained indulgence In rum and lcen-
tiousness. There would then, doubtless,
have been some hope of saving the race.
At any rate, if not saved, instead OF being
DESTROYED by the mangling 60 management
of the missionaries, kinder methods Of ex-
termination and more speedy processes OF
DEATH" might have been their happy lot,
which this writer greatly prefers.
But to be serious-the missionaries have
not 's forgotten DR.. Jenner and vaccination"
They have made repeated attempts to in
troduce vaccination throughout the ISL
ands, and have succeeded perhaps as well
as could have expected, considering the
ignorance and consequent apathy of the
chiefs aud people on the subject. Thou
sands vaccinated in former years by mis-
sionaries have escaped unhurt from the
pestilence. And it is doubtless vaccina-
ton which has prevented the disease from
carrying its ravages throughout the group.
"It Is curious civilization" saws this
writer, (which leaves race exposed to the
ravages of the small pox.'' a private letter,
Just received from the interior of n. York
State, contains the following sentence. "She
hurried away from here on account of the
small pox which was raging in the village"
What 50 curious civilization they must
have up there IN New York, even under the
caves of their Universities
But what would become of the army of
grumblers, if they could find no one hated
object, or thing upon which to lay all the
calamities of the world Sc A noted aboli-
ton writer" says late paper. traces the
yellow fever in New Orleans directly to
slavery" What more natural than to Law
the rayages of the small pox at the door of
the missionaries. Can you, Mr.. Editor, find
a better cause for this calamity
Az INQUIRER.
MANNERS or THE TURKs.-In a new work
lust published In England, entitled Ram