The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-11-09
Inc Charges Against The WcAleyxn Mlssisn-
aries at the Feejee islands.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK HERALD.
SALEM, Nov. 4, 1855.
Having lately returned from trading voyage t, the
Teece Islands, my attention has been called 70 com
nunlcanou published in the columns Of the HERALD
the ieih Of February last purpotng have been writ
tsA at those slanas, and signed David Stuart giving
long list Of and crimes committed by the No
lives against the whites residing there also charging
the gah Wesleyan missionaries with being accessory
10 and instgatag many Of the atrocities infinitely Do
tailed. Feeling assured that such communication would
never have found admission to the columns Of your paper
bad yoa boon aware OF the contained, take
sh the earliest oppor tuniy afforded me- Of replying to IT.
and OF vndcang the character of body of noble minded
md self denying men. have been engaged In trading
White resident Is wen known to me There Is no person
living there OF that name. am wen Asurei Ia my own
mind to the identity Of the writer But since he has
chosen to shield hmso under false signature, Ia nos
for 10 pubhsh his name
AFTER some preliminary statements regarding the wars
between the natives and the nAssacres OF shpwrecked
mariners your correspondent Says
About time few English strangers arrived at Ties
Islands i sydney ana a and na go0a nsa hsrn pre-
There being no one amongst them who was scentih;
parenty men some education teach our
children and % instruct and endeaver as far possible to
He then goes state, In substance that soon hav-
ing the satisfaction OF seeing benenc,ll results flow from
this ncpient missionary scheme and believing that
natives would readily embrace christianity properly
Bsructed they he white reedents) did what lay ia their
power procure missionaries reside at the Islands
aud soon had the ple ssure OF welcoming three holy
hthers Of tho Catholic Caurch IRON France, whose sub
sequent arduos and .ndeatgabio efforts had been pro
ductyc OF d urh good.
The " this statement regarding the establishment
OF missions a. the Islands, Will De apparent, when
saie ha, cse persons ~hoa your correspondent de-
srrioss sdvrntnrels from Sydney, seeking and
cepng employ rent from the white iesients ~ teach
for their chlifon," from London, in tS3i
accredited n4ssicnsrles rom Loadon weoleyan Mis-
sonary Society, which 50 efy has continued 70 support
and steadily increase their missionary establishments
there At TIRE tin o. their arrival there were bot o1r
or I've whites residing at the group aud they were
living IN the houses VI The native chiefs. Taere
scarcely any TRACE there, owing to tue Gamma
bAnsm aad ierociiy Of nstives for however
exae geTaied the statements Of your correspondent
garopg the oruelies and crimes OF the natives AZ the
Dr. sent day they uBdoapedy 1T tina. tine
ard s principally owing 20 the civil zirg and CHRISTIAN
wing influences OF The Wesleyan missionaries for the
space rtytwo years that the present trade has
grown up here tina. white nave been able 10
resort there IN such numbers IS to call themselves
Toe writer Of the letter referred to did not 60 70
Islands for many years subsequent " the establishment
rersons vag there Who prior to their settlement
Thus Will be that the assertions OF your cores
poz dcn Of their having come there as adventures from
Sydney ana OF their having been employee by the whites
70 teach their chdren incorrect. the children 0.
the whites mad any regular instructors until 1850
wheE, 10 u arequeat from OF tue Leading
vi tie gesid,nis, teacher rom London oy
The London SoceS for that purpose and 10 perform
hE Tbs auty solely at tue expense the Society; the
ahe support OF the teacher.
me Of your correspondent regarding the
French cstho ic missionaries having 10 the Islands
the request OF the whites and OF tine favor and est,
NATION ia which they nei, are equally erronc
os hey arrived at the Islands in 1885, twelve
years subsequent TO the establishment Of the
Wesleyan missions And however estimaoie they
may be H. heir private chsrnoter, they nave Dad very
htlo success mnku cgavers 10 their Roman la.nntc
doctrines. While the We,leyau Society have mission
stations At nearly 81 the prac,pa towns in toe group tue
Frepca priels lave bat sat0n, watch is The
Inland Of oyaler believe trey have also lay teacher
af RewR The assert Of your correspondent ha, the
vhirs prc.srred 70 nirus tho education OF their csdfea
% ,hc Ere1ch priests s also With the excgp-
ZION VI two or taree, among whom s the aul1or OF .ne
statement tasir religion decidedly unpopular with TIA
CT the whites and tbe schoo a. Levuka lthe town
where The Whites resde sun uaee. the ccHtro 0, the
Wesley an teacher.
And now follows series Of sstencnts from your cor
respondent regardeg tae character and actions OF tbs
Wesleyan ussiunaries so utterly untoundet that Il mus
excite the Indignation Of every well prncpled mind
He lescsee them a. the rsteators OF many If not all
me crimes OF the natives ncng ID IN 70 plurdcr and
nArsscTe the whites particularly the Americans; this
assigned being revenge for having been dismissed
from among the wbss hopes OF gGtn fro monopsizug
lhe traffic With the ratves, AMI hatred OF the french
priests, ard jealousy Of .he.. inf epce.
My previous remarks regarding the first aud last OF
these sufficient 20 shov that no such feel
ings could exist vii speak OF the charge Of hostility TO
Americans, ane trailing and rsfcspg with the natives
the whole OF which statements are az unfourded Is those
which have previously noticed. have en- Dyed an 10.
innate acquanA with nesry all tue members Of the
nisson establishment 1T the Islands fsr the past ten
years, and take pleasure In saying that never met
with body cf men who appear 70 hold Americans aud
American institutions In such high estimation ~ the
gentlemen question. n " uniformly speak well O.
then and always ready and wiling TO assist any aud
- % 'aers er ,os 'a S,v ,ee,
scknowiecge many acts OF courtesy and ndness o. their
hands. And II IL well known and acknowledged by the
whites NJ these Islands. that the missionaries
ready ard willing accommodate and oblge them, when
in e power 70 do And she ud the paper containing
kIsncs-u n probably w.ll-n wiz nowhere cause
geaser indignation than amone that very community Of
white residents IN whose behalf correspondent pre-
tends 10 write for although some III feeling has been
Ill and express by some OF their number yet OF
-:.sa. .epd be guiIyd endorsing statements Of this
Ihsve always found the missionaries. one and oil,
evincc the Erea,es interest Ia the prosperity OF the
American TRACE at the Islands, and have often heard
proa,sb to ensure ,s continuance q they believed and
hoped that the prospect OF acquiring property might atm
uate The natives 70 sxerton, and tend 70 promot habits
n civilization and industry among them The truth OF
this nent will be readily corroborsted BY number
a respectable shpmasers AMI others, in Salem an ~
vicinity, no have a. various times been engaged Ia Toe
Among them ever knew ALI missionary ~ the kAn1s 70
cndcayor TO Influence any az the natives against Amer
cans or the American trade sod they hAye not the
contrary erfeavored 10 the cxtcrt Of their pro
mote A. i0~r % respondent syes himself American
@r.sr. be doe. DOT and for some years has not done
any business there There are number OF the whites
residing there, sho with prsesosthy industry and ezsr
uor. have built Tor themselves several decked be..-
with there they visit tue different isla1is u
she group for Tie purpose Of traaing with the
natives, selling the produce which they procure
vessels us6itE there, and thus earn FOR them
selves honest ana pectAle hveatoi But 80 far
are The stands from aaording those splendid ayenres 70
fortune which your correspondent 50 graphically ss
cxbex there IL Of them ~ the prevent day, tacr
years Of exerton. who cal himself worth fvc thou
sand dollars. II this Is Of those who have devaed
their ne time aud eKertion 70 the nc-~nulsiion OF
property what becomes Of The stersets OF your cor
respondent reesroing the RAPID or&res acquired BY The
mssionarieks Nor the small gro q of traders at
ell osing 10 ibe danger 0f irsc1x tcnf tao natives or
the insecurity 81 property, - fearful "a es 81 David
uart 10 the contrary Lotwhssrncrs. will noi speak
Of Affairs when toog psct twenty thirty years back
when canpas asn and cTinc sers TIE among the m
nvcs and before the nsesnce o the Wesleyan mission
aries mad begun peciuce beneficial eject npon the
native character. U he occurrences Of that perof
have psrona xnowledse but with the whole course
81 aisrs curing the past ten years vel acquainted
Daring this period there have been the average from
forty TO any whites residing 81 tie ISLANDS mostly all
the town o. i~orxs on the island Of 0valeu They nave
shout ffceD decked boats, built By themselves varyng
from three 10 Eesn tons cacscity which generally
manned By three persons-sometimer ~ onlv tso Nt1
these beats they WRIT every Part of Toe group traang
natives. sometimes being ab&eat tasr