The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1854-04-01
ErSn tIac Sandwich Islands.
HuSoLULu, Jan 81 1854.


/, engaging in case anything occurs to molf
If them hereafter.
il The natives are Of course onl; in n Transition
e state. between savage lfJ and civilz ttlon, bu
81 a, think. far superior in most respects to th
unusual represent atoms made Of them The pre-
sent generation, at least must pass away btfor,
savage habits and vices can BE- altogether eradi
Gated. The introduction Of christianity has per
haps, done as much TO improve their character
. as the most s,ngune, among reasonable mel
as could have anticipated
In former times, lceniousness was prelom
innnt wee among them, and no such virtue n,
5 chastity appeared to ho recognized among them
I Even their language /; is said hid no term by
, which It could TO expressed, and it was with
the creates, dfiiuuliy they could be made t.
+ understand the enormity Of prostitution. The
marriage relation Gs it exists among christian
, people, was unknown. The sexes associated to-
gether as interest or fancy dictated, aud the
connection between them was liable to be ter
minated by the caprice Of the stronger patty
No one pretend. To say that the Hawaiian na
ton Is IN this respect entirely reformed The
Wiiuencc Of climate, old associlrinnl and the Der.
verse lncnatons common to al races still ex.
i-ts and produces is dcmor,lizng effects. but
Ill J, much has brcn done 10 improve the morals
Of the people and ra.e then from their original
drbascment The claims Of virtue are recog
nzed by public opinion ani i's ncquiremcnis
rracti.ed t" an extent not less gratifying. than
wonderful. when all the circumstances are con
-ldercd, This town aiforts no criterion bv which
the Hawaiian race should be Judged No sea.
port to which over two hundred vessels annual
resort, can boast Of the universal purity Of the
female p'pnltion md I!oroulu doubtless.
presents somewhat more than the usual portion
HT unit sh al {
commerce.
! The chio's are generally inte'liren, men. and
much superior to the great mass Of their race
kamehameha III is no, in anv manner. the least
sensible monarch who has occupied q throne and
MA conduct viii compare hvoribly with that Of
most his royal brotheren in Europe. and who
are more powerful and make greater pre'en.
sious
Prince LihOlho, the heir to the throne al.
though less than twenty one wears fase, ia a.
lnliY accomplished and intelligent IA most Of
young men at twenty tivr, in any country His
education which is of . superior order. ha. been
very much improved by travel in the United
States and Europe, and he speaks Aalrrican n,
huont'v and a. correctly as the most accom-
pIlshcd scholar
a few days since | attended the Supreme
Count OF this Ci,v, when Gases between natives
were on trial. The proceedings were all con
Quoted in the Hawaiian language. aud a degree
of good order anil rrorre,v prevailed, which
both gr,'frd and slrpri-pd me- The LAWYERS
witnesse- and jurors: and one of the Judges on tho
bench, were hawains After the evidences
in our courts. and in mannor =. maze ne
call them fnn specimens Of forensic eloqrpnce
Ore Of the mi ers Of the court interpreted the
proceedings of the c0rr, ~ thew progressed thrs
enabling me to conclude that slrcwdncss ne vel
as eloqurnce, WIS characteristic Of the native
iaw2ian bar The appearance Of juror. and
spectators was just such as might be expected
in one " our court. at home. Ttev exhibited
even higher degree of drrorum than / have
sometimes seen in American courts.
large proportion Of the Iitwai'n people
are able to read and write their own language
They have much fondnoss for kTowlede anl
will make almost anv sacrifice to acquire It. on
account Of the advantages it gives them over
the uneduca'ei. In 1852 here were five hnui
dred and ffty.fve free schools in tho KINGDOM
taught bv The natives and attended hv l54s2
pupils. The expenses If schools during the
same period was 500 e29,l raised chiefly bv
pr capita tax nfS2
All children under the aro # fourteen and over
the age of four are required to attend some
school selected by their parents or gn'rdinns
There ia one feature in which the Hawaiian
differ from ours In his report of April. II Is
)? the minister Of public instruction. savs that
cligious ia impaired freely. md without hirdronc
IN all the school. and that il il the policy Of the
government to have teachers whose religions
svmna,h'cS are in common with those Of their
p6renta placed under their instruction
The constitution Of the H,wnian kingdom de
clare. that alI men are "frreto ,ro,yhjp God. nc
cording 10 the dictates Of his ogn concjencs -
There appears tobe a strange Misrepresentation
on this subject in some parts of the United
States where the conduct Of The Amprlcqn mis
sirnnrics has been lcnouncrd as giosslv inloller
ant and prosCrip'ive The fact is that since June
II, 1890. entrre freedom OF religious rights has
existed in these Islands The intolerance mani
Tested 0y the public authorities during some Of
the proceeding years | am persunded grew
more ont Of the aggressive conduct of the French
government than the pruuptlngs Of the mission
ary influence. which generally restrained rath
e. thn" urged on the fiery zeal of the Regent
K ,humHnu Exceptions Doubtless existed, for
In what community or sect may you not find
gracpless hgots. ready to eXterinina'e with fire
and sword. all who presume to differ with theml
To Judge a whole class by the unworthy ex
ceptions il presents is the grosses, injustice.
But now whatever NAV have been the state
Of things heretofore. there are no religious con.
'rovPcies md qrnrrels to disturb the general tran
guilty Freedom NJ concience the right of all
men before ihe lhu has been firmly established
N thes. Islands for fifteen years and it is a mat.
ter Of inst pride that tn" force Of Amer ican exam
pie has Its full influence in producing such re.
suit I, is no business OF states 10 take religion
under their wings, it needs no such prop and al
waya hnurishes best when freed from tho cor. |
ruptng con'nrt Of worldly power. The United
States the Hawaiian kinpgom apl tn. republic Of
New Grenada stand alone before the world in a..
serng the glorious principles of religious liberty |
but may be hoped that the other governments
will not long hesitate in severing the unhalowpd
connection which binds church and stale togoth.
pr.
The difficulties Of the Hawaiian government,
with France, in relation to duties on di,tlledspr
;ts which are at the rate Ct five dollars on the
gallon seem TO have come to mn end, Mt least, !
the latter power has ceased to press its demand
for reduction. You may remember that 1t ia
tru'atad in the French treaty. that no prohibt |
tory lao shall be imposed m imports from F'ance
and her dependencies and that IT ia insisted on
the one hand 'ha, the duty levied ia virtually a
prohib tion while on the other, the Hawaiian AL.
'hor'ies point to the plain fact that largo impor
taiions Of brandy are made under existing duties,
notwithstanding the high rate. For my own
part so far can understand the controversy, !
am clearly Of opinion that France has been en-
firclv in the wrong Distilled spirits are. to a
considerable extent. imported into tho kingdom.
and while this is done, there certainly can be no
prohibition. nor anv jus: pretence that the rrovi
ell nj IN 70 or, ,oplvaypnnI 4 hp vi