The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-07-29
TH1 PAoIFIo
Commercial Advertiser.


or ss< BSaPd sf Edueatien 10 the Hswsiinn
LegislasuFe, 1883.
rcoo,iuaes !, SA1 sax
C0su4RATTyE VALUE OF THE FREE ScHooLs.-No
regular system Of free schools was established by the
government until the year 1S4l, although such
sclsoois had existed, and were supported, IN part by
missionaries, but mostly by individual chiefs, for
several years previous. In 1S41, the first school law
Vas passed; in 1876, the system was remodelled and,
vith some notifications, has been N operation ever
since. The instruction in these schools has been in
the native language, by native teachers, and has been
such as is common in such schools elsewhere, that is,
IL has been elementary, consisting of reading, writing,
geography, history, morals, vocal music, algebra, ETC.
Ii NAV now be well. after a lapse of seventeen
years to look back, observe the working of the sys-
tenn. and see what it has accomplished, and what
notifications. If any, are required.
Judging from the tone of a portion of our press,
our free schools are, in the opinion Of some, not
'worth. what they cost tc support them; the system is
\ s-ds4d Carcass and Of course ought to be buried
out of our sigat as soon as possible.
What then have our free schools accomplished: L
They have Taught the people to read their own
language. This will not be disputed. My lamented
predecessor, Mr.. Richards. stated in his report to the
legislature of 1916, that probably more than IO,UOO
u the population had learned to read at that time,
nd of course had made use Of books in the native
language, which he estimated to consist Of about
.ightJ different works In my Report to that honor
:tble body IN 1854, | stated on the most reliable data
IA my possession, that about three-fourths of the
populations, could read their own language; and this
- q greater proportion, as was shown in that same
Report, than can read in several of the <perican
statesL As q general thing too, those who c4n read,
can also write their own Language, and acquire some
knowledge Of figures. Hawaiians being expert at
imitation Of any kind; are generally good writer's
many of them even elegant; and there is no school
exercise, Hawaiian children delight in so much as
arithmetic 1t is safe to say, that TRANSACTIONS of the
works Of that remarkable genius, Warren Colburn,
especially his mental arithmetic, pursuing as it does,
fhe inductive method. has done more than any other
work, to awaken and discipline the native mind.
The amout Of knowledge acquired in geography,
history and morals, has not been equal, Hproportion,
20 that obtained in the other branches mentioned;
still il has been considerable, especially in those dis
tricts where schools have fourished most
OF what value the ability to read their own Ian
gusge, and acquire knowledge thereby, has been to
rhe Hawaiian people; how much ii has had TO do with
their advancement in legislation, social Improvement,
domestic comfort, agriculture, morality and religion;
and in fact every thing that pertains to their civlilza-
ton, the Legislature can judEe; and there is no body
Of men more competent TO Judge. For one, L think
they have had . most important and beneficial agency
in all these respects; and the nation owes to them
much of its prosperity for the last twenty years. Our
legislation proceeds on the superstition that the peo-
pie, at least a large portion of them, can read.
Otherwise there would be no sense in giving them a
printed Constitution, and laws; nor allowing them the
right of suffrage, or to sit on juries; and the expert
ment thus far shows that they can be thus governed,
and well governed.
A comparison of this nafien with others in this
ocean, may serve in some degree to show the value of
cur free schools. Place the Hawaiian people side by
side with others of the same color, similar language,
and habits; take. for instance, those of the Society
Islands, and which has the advantage: The latter
enjoyed all the appliances Of Christianity. for more
than twenty years, before they were introduced here,
and professedly became Christians, and many of them
have learned to read; but, if Il am correctly informed,
rhcv have had no re1ular svsfpm of free schools en-
bracing all their children and youth, and giving Il
common school education to all; and if l am at all
correctly informed. as respects government, wealth,
skill, intelligence and general prosperity,
they would suffer much in comparison with the in
Of this group.
In the Report of the Board of Education of the city
u New York, for 1856. an argument in favor of the
free school system of that city, is drawn from evidence
presented to the English House Of Commons, staken
from an able pamphlet by the Hon Edward Twisle-
ton, in which he attributes the superior skill and
success of American seaman over British to the
superior elementary instruction the former receive in
he free schools of the United States
After arguing that every advance of the United
States in the education of their people, unaccompanied
~ q similar advance among the English. distinctly
,dds TO the relative power of the former; Mr.. Twisle-
on adds, 90 But what I would press on the notice of
Ill Engiishmen, is the effect which the superior educa-
ion of the Americans now has, in giving an advan-
to the commercial marine OF the United States
our own. Ii actually appears that American
hips, In Consequence Of that superiority, not only
almost invariably, a decided preference
yer British ships, but generally n higher rate of
night" but the really essential point is this,
hat owing to iudici0us laws there has sprung up, on
he other side of the Atlantic, another nation, of the
anne blood, and speaking the same language as our
,wn, o race Of sailors who are equally skillful in their
and VINO are at the same time, somewhat
more generally intelligent, and sober than English
And il is found by experience, that this
together with somewhat of a similar differ
in the captains of the two nations, respectively,
ends to give a distinct advantage to their CONNER
iaf marine. Now, for mis- inferiOrity in the English
ailors there seems TO be only one adequate remedy;
nd this IS to take care, that our own system of
instruction shall universally, and in every
aspect, be just as good as in any one of the United
(See Annual Report of Board of Education
or City of New York, for 1867
Now, the same argument will hold here in COM
,aring the Hawaiian race. which has had a system of
rec schools, for seventeen years, with others in this
cean. as for instance. the Society IsIan1srs, Friendly
ISLANDERS, New Zealanders, who have had Christian
ty without q system Of public schools, not indeed in
to their skill as seamen, but in the general
OF improvement. Wherein the Hawaiians have
he advantage, in comparison, Is owing to the fact, in
great degree, that through our school system, all
he people are Taught, MOI less, to read and write
nd cypher a. least; and he the masses have been
perated upon largely through the press, aud can be
,overncd by a written constitution and laws.
That our free school system has contributed very
generally also. to the promotion of good government
> undeniabie. The very fact that the children, from
our 10 fourteen years OF age, are 80 generaliy coilec-
ed for, say two-thirds OF the year, into the schools.
nd there not only Taught, but subjected to some dis
ipline, and made to feel that there is such a thing as
aW. prepares them to become q law abiding people;
nd this is actually the character of our people.
learn to bear the yoke in their youth. Who
lears Of the natives taking the law into their own
Iands, or breaking out into riots, or rebellion against
be authorites2 When a native feels himself ag-
rieyed. his first thought is TO have recourse to the
If he gains his case. well; if not he stops
here, and bears his disappointment as well as he can.
Ie Is fond Of litigation it is true, but so long as he is
subject to law he is harmless. This law
biding disposition is no doubt, in a great measure,
wing to our free schools
While in California, last year, I often heard our
who are living there, spoken of in terms
Z high cemmendation, as faithful laborers and peace
bic, law abiding citizens; all able to read their own