The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-08-06
$50 = ,he pacinc Com. Advertiser.l

4
Iconespondence Of the Pacific CON- Advernserl
Mn. Ep1rd:II have read with no ntIie 1
the discussion of IS Punahou College ana'rs ~ yo-
naner. The editorial in your issue OF june . : =
bodied, in my humble judgment, the opinions = ~
tenths of the foreign community OF tnese
missionaries Of the A. B.. c. +. N. themselves ~
idea is prevalent that there has been gros' "'
management Of our English educatienai aPPhan0s
After long years Of patient hope ana enor. - "0'
two good English schools and material enough 70 SUE,
tain both ia an onward course at once highly uselui
and ho.iorable to all. Il
Both these schools, Strangely enough are oe'un'
-s,thouph we distressingly need one and womb
o,adly sustain both. Whilst, instead, we are offered
q . college, and assured that we !" need" 1t; ana ye'
this community have never demanded q college.
Thew have never been sensible of any such want and
THAT il more. they seem not at all convinced OF the
necessity to this day!
The remarks of S. N. Castle, Esq, in q Late num-
Der of the advertiser, were very well, bat l cannot
see that they touch the issue presented In the edito-
rial which introduced this discussion. 1t is not ne
cessary to charge ss dishonesty either in motive or
action. upon those who have taken the lead IN the e-
Enlistment of s.Punahou College" But it is patent
to all that a grievous error and q damaging injustice
has been committed in depriving this community Oh
those superior English schools. The motives OF tne
operators in this huge blunder were doubtless pure
and right. Nevertheless, the error is none the less
an error, and the destruction of our excellent SCHOOLS
is none the less felt and deplored. From the begin
ming our course has been a perpetual tampering that
would not let well enough alone.
But the plea is, tive needed a college" Doubtless
some so supposed-the original idea as is well known
having been imported from Boston; and de gustibus
non disputandum est, the proverb well says; YET were
the question of 6 need" or no need submitted to our
community, we should be found, it is to be feared,
singularly insensible to our own necessnies! Inc
fact is, we need a " college just as a coach needs a
fifth wheel or q horse a fifth leg, and no more NE
have no use at present for such an institution and we
say emphatically that in the Judgment of good and
wise men, a greater humbug has rarely been attempt
ed than is found in this idea of u Hawaiian college as
a present necessity. But there is " material enough
in ABUNDANCE it is said. In reply it need only be
said that the existence of the stmaterial' would prove
the g necessity averred. But where is your : ma
.erial?' Show it to US, we say. There are q
thousand foreigners on the islands" we are cooiiy as
sured. Suppose there are, and no English schools 10
train their children to boot, by what method OF
arithmetic do you make out an adequate supply OF
:. material" for a college whose ~N e"dow-
ment Is 10 aDSOfO &OO,OuO WIN u
prospective addition of $4,000 more? We have
none so illiterate that with these terms, he cannot DO
his own ciphering. But for simplicity's sake let US
put the proposition into form.
GIvEN-a thousand foreigners Uith no preparatory
English schools to provide 6 material'' for a college
,chose minimum of endowment is $4,000 besides
buildings!
But : we must have a college to prevent our young
men from going to the United States for an educa-
tion.' Very we'll; but if l am correctly informed
the tip of your finger would hold all the young men
it has prevented, hitherto, from seeking an education
in the United States and, moreover, a one-horse
wagon will hold all that will be likely thus to be kept
away from the fatherland for a decade of years yet to
come. Such is the opinion of those who have the
means Of forming correct opinions in the matter.
But { people in the United States will endow moth
ing with a less imposing name than college -
Well, let them endow a g college then, but with the
understanding that it is to be an empty name, n
shadow without the substance, a head without a
body! Meantime give US back our English schools,
we saw. the schools of which we have been so un-
Justly deprived; that, though our children may never
rejoice in the privileges of an endowed college,"
they may, nevertheless, have the means of securing
a fair education in their own vernacular.