The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1860-11-22
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER %

which had been published in the United States.
impugnins the morality of the Shipmasters en-
gagged in the whale-fshery ia the Pacific. and /,
which We made allusion in condemnatDry terms
in November, 1857. Recently the same letter
has been circulated in Honolulu, and . copy sent
u most Of the shipmasters in port and the resident
foreigners. The letter OF DR.. Gulick is accom-
panied by one written by his brother Theodore,
and with a list of whaleships classified a. brothels
and chaste vessels. Were the statements made
in these letters perfectly true and susceptible Of
proof, their publication would have been very in
discreet. But several of the shipmasters named
being now in port, We have had opportunity 10
inquire the truth, and are informed that at least
Two vi the vessels in the list have not been near the
Caroline Islands, while with other ships named.
native females have always been prohibited going
on board, and ii they ever gained re ships deck
for lewd purposes, 1T was without the captains
knowledge and contrary to orders. Ii this is SO,
then the circular conveys an erroneous impression,
and contains false statements for which its au-
thors are responsible. 1t is u serious thing to i'm
pugn by publication the private character Of any
person, even where the facts asserted can all be
proven.
In the circular We find the following report
/" Ascension Island Shipping List January,
lS60-schooner Emerald, Lambert, Fairhaven,
Prostitutes allowed" Now the schooner Emer-
aid, of Fairhaven, nerer has been ,chaLHg in the
Pacific, out was, in January, 1860, ut the island
Of Ascension IA the Atlantic ocean, near 81. He
hHa,-quite Il different place from Ascension Is
land OF the Caroline group. But what are the
public to infer from this misstatement D.? Perhaps,
that Mr.. Gulick took the New Bedford Shipping
List, and seeing the good schooner set down at
:" Ascension Island" on the 3lst of January,
1860, thought to swell the catalogue by putting
her in the list. If the rest of the list is made up
OF such . facts as the one instanced, the Chris
tan public will know just how much reliance to
place on it.
The circular of DR.. Gulick conveys the idea,
that the captain of each ship named knowingly
permitted all that is charged, and that he him
self is guilty of the acts. Such a publication is
wrong and injurious, if not malicious, in the eve
oe the law. Let us instance the case of Capt. Grin
nell, Of the ship Arab, who has called on US and
given Us the facts. lie states that his ship arrived
at Covell's Island, and lay off and on to procure a
few supplies, that he and his wife went on shore
and spent the time with Mr.. and Mrs. Doane,
missionaries at that island, and the next day re-
-iA- ~ bAC NocC anu cAlltA b.-lh- VII inquiry
he learned that two females had been smuggled
on board into the forecastle, though contrary to
his orders. This is the foundation for the charge
made against him of permitting prostitutes
aboard, and publishing his ship TO the world as q
g floating brothel.' Can we conceive Of any
thing more malicious or injurious to the charac-
ter and reputation of any man than such an I'M
qualified charge. Capt. Grinnell feels deeply in
jured by the McSSrs. Gulick's uncalled-for publ
cation, as well he may, for all who know him
personally, know that his character stands above
such charges, which could only have been brought
against him through Ignorance or malice. His
case, however, is the case of others. We are as
sured by Capt. Randolph (who is also implicated
in the circular) that he is not aware that a female
on board his ship at those islands except
Mrs. Roberts, who with her husband visited his
on board. These cases show that the Mcssrs.
must have been misinformed in some in
stances, and that their charge is too sweeping.
They, no doubt, intended only to specify those
whom they knew to be such, but have evidently
been led into error, and made statements which
the facts cannot support.
But we 20 further, and assert that they have
10 right, either under the law of God or of any
ode Of morals, to publish to the world the names
Of any ships or captains, whom they may sus-
of immoral conduct, even if the facts are as
hey represent them. The same immoralities
throughout the Pacific, they exist in Homo
.Ulu, in San Francisco, in New York and in
liverpool. But English missionaries in the South
'acifc, have never felt themselves called on TO
publish the names of those concerned in such
Surprising Mr.. Damon, our worthy Sea-
mems Chaplain, should undertake to set him =
elf up as Il censor of morals in Honolulu |
5 they have in Micronesia. There have been, I
urIng the past week, some sixty or seventy I
hips at anchor in our harbor, and n very u
consideration would induce the boat boys J
D report To him every case of moral delin- h
uency occurring in the harbor. Would he have /
ny right to 20 and publish that such and such a t
sanctions such proceedings on board, j
r that his ship is a - floating brothel?'' Or I
Mould we seek to reform the morals of Honolulu y
by publishing in the Commercial Adrertiser "
list of such persons as we might suspect, or =
ublic gossip report to us as living in unchastity ,
would such a course be justifable. or tolerated, ,
ven by the more moral portion of the commu- I,
Or would the New York O5Serrcr or In il
pendent have any right to single ont and publish II
le names of the captains or vessels in that port, Il
n board OF which the sane things are constantly
)ne? Does 4 removal of the scene from the n
inter Of civilization TO the center of paganism VI
istify the resort TO measures which the laws of n
,ery country condemn? BY no means. We SC
I'D that DR.. Gulick has M right to publish, OIL
ere or elsewhere. what would not be iustifahle Ut
applied IN private individuals. ,
But. while we speak thus firmly in respect to !
lie moral right of such publications, we sympa- :;
ize with him and his CO. laborers in the work in :
hich they are engaged. In prosecuting it, they =,
the same Obstacles which are met in the =.
.udwich Islands, which are encountered in
cry ,.Irnrt missionary station. and we may add