The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-06-12

and so TO undermine the very foundations Of civil
government. Hence under many of the strongest
systems Of government, and among the most en-
lightened people, ayOwed Atheists are legally dis
qualified from sitting a. jurors and for giving
t~-iin0uy in courts OF justice. ola the ground that
Iisy r,l.i!f MT feel the binding force uf an oath,
amt a.-' br-iu~s the moral obliquity which such
IcEsJEs manifest proves that tiie laws Of evidence
and the nature OF testimony are not duly aTpre-
ciItei by them. II such objections are valid as
against the fitness OF an Atheist 10 give testimony
between man and man. low much les l. such an
one worthy % be entrusted with the making and
administering Of laws. What with such a man
Is the binding force of an official oath? lie who
fears u offend the Ruler Of The universe. and has
n constant sense Of personal accountability 10
Him. mast b. more trustworthy than the man
VINO cherishes mo- such refining and ennobling
faith and who feels no such guiding and restrain
Ing influence.
If this be true. does it not follow that the more
truly revereDtial and devOut the rulers OF any
people, the stronger are the guarantees for integ-
Tiry. hOnJr and faithfulness in the discharge Of
official duties? II, then, riety IS not Of itself q
sufficient qualification for ufhce, it surely does not
di-qualify any one who, in other respects, IL fitted
To- ofice.
That fear of God which Is the beginning OF
wisdom tends not ~ make any man less shrewd,
less prudent. or less efficient. IL is no antiquated
theory which the wisdom of later times has dis
carded, but n practical truth, Endorsed by the
experience of nations IN every age and under
every form Of government. I" When the righteous
are in authority the people rejoice but when the
wicked beareth rule, the people mourn" For
righteousness exalreth a nation but sin is a re-
preach tn any people"
The Priest Of INDIAN also advised the great
l~aw-giver and ruler Of the 1sraelites t. appoint
rs his subOrdiDates in Office men Of truth. From
the rulers OF thousands down 10 the rulers Of
tens, he thought il important that they should
all be men of veracity honest in their purposes,
sincere in their pretensiOns, and faithful in full
filling all their promises. Mutual confidence,
the cement of society, loses its cohesive power IN
an atmosphere where falschOOd abOunds. And
the more conspicuous the position. and the more
extensive the influence Of the man whose word is
worthless, the more damaging Is he to society.
The lack Of sincerity and candDr among states
men and politicians, so far from being cOmpara-
lively excusible, Is more culpable, by as much as
the example is more perniciOus, and greater in
terests are involved. That was an immortal
utterance Of the French King, who said If
truth were To be banished from the world, it
ought still to find q residence in the breast of
Princes"
Honesty is the best policy not only for the pri-
vate citizen but for cabinets and councils, for the
magistrate and the monarch.
Nor did the sage of INDIAN forget to add
that rulers, from the highest To the lowest, should
be men hating oOretOUsHesS. Not merely unset
fish, but hating cOvetOusneSs. Not only shaking
their hands from the receiving and holding of
- 49, ~N s' '"FT 49,
ly, would offer them. The man who takes office
solely for the emOluments, and who thinks it
clear gain to do the least allowable amount of
work for the largest prOcurable pay, is not a man
hating cOyetOusness. lie who ~jeopards public
funds in private speculatiOns, has not n very
strong hatred OF covetousness. lie who thinks
that the public owes him n living, and has de-
generated from a man disposed To earn bis daily
bread, into Il political beggar, and n confirmed
office seeker, Is not ordinarily, a man hating
cOvetOusness.
Alas for the people among whom genuine, old
fashioned patriotism has died out, and 4 lust Of
power and u greed of gain are the motives and
mainsprings To political activity.
Who will doubt now that this Priest of Midi
an, urho meddled uriM politics, was Il wise coun-
sellOr and a iar-sighted politician? Who will
question the wisdom of Moses in following the
advice of his excellent father-in-law? Blessed is
the king vino has such cuunsellors; and blessed
are the people who, through anybOdy's iniu-
enee, are provided with such rulers. Does this
enumeration of the elements of fitness in Office
holders seem to you Incomplete? ] remark that
the more The adrIce Of Jdhr0 Is studied. the more
clearly IL shall appear that, within the compass
of these general statements, many items of fitness
are implied which are not distinctly announced.
Thus the man of ability, fearing God; the
man of truth, hating cnvetOusness, Is necessarily
a faithful man. For If he is Il man of truth his
oath of office pledges him to fidelity. And If he
fears God he will strive, as in His sight. rightly
to perform every duty, and To perform 1t from
the proper motives. However high OF numerous
his titles, he is not an honorable man who is
content to serve less faithfully in a public caPac-
ity, and for Il high salary, than he would serve
private parties for less pay.
Not less obvious is the Inference that they who
fear God, and are men of truth, hating cOvetous-
ness will be character zed by that love Of justice,
that honesty in interpreting the laws, and that
prOmptness n executing Il ZEN, which are essen
tial to fidelity. Nor less earnest and active will
such rulers be in redressing wrongs, in relieving
distress, in equalizing the public burdens, in
anticipating and guarding against coming evils, in
promoting knowledge, virtue and industry, and
in striving to secure all the elements OF peace,
progress and prosperity.
And this leads me finally To remark that, in
such Il kingdom as this. The rulers should Be pre-
sniHentIv PARENTAL. Both by example and
precept, promoting temperance, int hgeHce, m
dHSfTy, and seLfoOHfrOi, they should. in deal
Ing with a nation Of grown up children, sup
ply such restraints 10 vice. and such safeguards
To- virtue, rs every judiciOus, God-fearing
father feels bound to throw around his children.
Among such Il people the largest THIRTY 10 do eriI
may b. a license n SeI- GcsfTUcfioH. The charter
iHg Of rice may be signing The death tCdrrdnt Of
spoiled by letting them do as they have Il mind
10. So surely may the obedient subjects of this
sovereignty he ruined by removing from them the
hand of parental authority and the wholesome
restraints of moral law
From the shadow Of such an impending disas-
ter may God preserve this remarkable people. the
record of whose peaceful political progress must
form one of the most interesting chapters in the
yet unwritten history of civilization.
With gratitude for the past and hope for the
future, be this our utterance of picty and patri-
otism to-day: From every evil, physical and
moral from every calamity to person or proper
ty from every error in doctrine or practice,
(,1H xure ghc uspufg and (,oH <Dy.s y6r hIuU