The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-10-17
Revival Of M~OrlnOnisln.


- Modern Knight-E rrant' in the Field.
While stopping for a day or two last week, at Maka-
wac, East Maui, rumors reached us that a grand fill
clustering, privateering. or some other mysterious
scheme, was on foot at Wailuku, which lies in full
view on the opposite side Of the valley, some sixteen
miles distant. Soon other reports came i'll that n Sc
cession flag was flying there, that meetings were daily
held with closed doors, or rather that the building in
which the meetings were held was guarded against
interlopers, that persons were being enlisted for secret
service, sc. These reports were hardly credible,
yet hearing them reiterated, We FASTENED over to
WailukG to learn their truth or ialsity. Reaching
Kahului, We found they were generally believed,
and We were assured by persons who had seen it,
that q strange ensign, supposed to be a secession flag,
had been displayed ut Waikiki. This dag part of
the story rather stirred up our loyal blood, and
McClellan's soldiers never longed for "A shot at the
rebels more than did We for Il glimpse of the
supposed secession bunting. In company with j. ID.
H~avekost, Esq, the worthy tax collector Of "ailuku,
We remounted our horses, and spurred them up IN
double-quick time. On arriving in the village, We
found that "a Mormon meeting was in session and that
a no less important parsonage than Capt. WALTER
NJ. Gibson was presiding over it, The Captain
Gibson whom most of our Honolulu readers will
remember. In company with Mr.. Chas. Gray, of
Honolulu. We Immediately proceeded to the Mormon
Westinghouse, which is located 4 few hundred yards
south of the Protestant church. As soon as our APP
proach was observed. there was "A busy stir among
the natives lounging about, and a general stampede
for the entrance; but with the salutation aloha, we
pushed our way through the door, which had become
filled with natives, though We met no resistance from
them in our entry.
Walking up TO the table. which was at the farther
80 o. CT - Al
III. L. Eddy seated behind it, whom we accosted. and
took q seat beside them. This building holds per-
haps go persons. and Immediately after our en-
try, the natives crowded in till it was densely filled,
mostly with men, there being but three or four
women present. On expressing our surprise to Capt.
Gibson at finding him here. he replied that he was
equally surprised with his present position. We then
asked if there was any foundation for the report that
We had heard that he was = Mormon. Without
directly answering the question asked, he answered
that he had come here rs the friend Of u poor and
despised class Of our population. that his sym
pathies were with them, that this was q Nor
mon gathering. and that the audience consisted of
delegates from the Mormon churches throughout the
group-some having come from each Of the islands,
Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui and Hawaii
and We may here say that during a residence of
twelve years ON these islands, We have never met in
any assemblage so many intelligent natives, whose
appearance and faces bespoke u superiority over the
masses. We were not aware that there we're a hun
dred Mormons on the group.
We stated to Capt. Gibson that We were surprised
that he did not, during hi, stay of two months in
Honolulu, diyulge the fact that he came here as a
Mormon, and not as we had supposed simply as q
traveller on his way 10 China and the East Indies, as
he had. in conversations, given us to understand.
IL -.rIf.l tb,r Ia hni nj rurrrsaly p,aja m c,p-
cealment. that there were gentlemen in Honolulu
who knew the fact, naming Mr.. Bates, Mr.. Damon
and Mr.. wyllie. We said that we did not believe
that either of them or any one else knew it. He then
went on to give US a chapter in his history, how in
crossing the continent be arrived at Salt Lake, and
was there taken seriously i'll, that during his sickness
Brigham Young sent for him, received him into his
house. nursed him and paid him the kindest atten-
tons during his stay of six months in Utah. The
result of his sojourn there was a change of views
regarding the Mormons and their religion as q sys-
tenn of social polity, on which latter point he had
much TO say, and expressed his belief that no other
system was so well adapted to the Hswaiians in COM
mon with other Polynesian races We may here add
that during our conversations neither Capt. Gibson
nor Mr.. Eddy admitted that they were members of
the Mormon church and We have since been in
formed by DR.. Long, u. :. Consul at Lahaina, that
Eddy distinctly denied 10 him that they were
Mormons.
On the table was a considerable amount Of silver
which, as We learned from the natives, was
obtained by selling 10 them ONE blanks which also
lay on the table, and which We understand were
printed at the Government Press in Honolulu. These
blanks are filled out to constitute elders OF other
officers or members Of the Mormon church.