The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-09-10
PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10.
UovoLrLU, Sent. 9Th, 1854

HoxoLULU, Sept. 9Th, 1864.
MR. EprroR MIR. Bonds communication, print
FL in the last issue Of your paper, shows that His
Majesty was misiuformed about his (Mr. Bond's) ac-
t;ou IN the recent election. aud also about his views
IN reference to the annexation Of this kingdom TO the
United States, some years since. | think II just 10
His Majesty 10 say that I have no doubt he was
equally mj=informei in reference to the views Of the
missionaries generally at that period upon that sub
jser. and that He would not have made the remarks
which are published - His, had he not been mjsin-
frmeI Justice to the missionaries also requires
that il their views and actions have been ~misaPpre-
henJed and uisstated. the fact should be a. widely
known ~ is counterpart has been.
For m.ny years l have been personally acquainted
With all OF the American Protestant missionaries
upon the islands. md I think pretty generally. with
their views upon this subject. and I know Of no one
who has not preferred the continued Independence Of
the Hawaiian Sovereignty to annexation to the United
States or subOTiinatiOn in any form TO any foreign
power; but il the last refuge from outside annoy
ances and pressure Was only to be found under the
protection Of some more powerful government, then
they doubtless would have preferred that government
70 be the UnHtei States.
They came to promote the moral aud religious in
terests Of the nation, aud the continued independence
% the nation they have regarded az more favorable
10 the promotion of those interests, than subsection
or annexation To any foreign power. They have
favored independence as long as independence was
possible, and they DO SO now. When this seemed no
longer possible, then. as ia their Ois0. union 10 the
United States would have been more favorable TO all
the interests for which they specially labored. as
well a. TO every material interest of national pros
perty, they would have preferred such g union, but
only ns a deTEisr resort, TO a union with any other
country. / violate no confidence in saying that Mr..
WyIIie freely stated 10 me many years since that
such were his views, for which he gave unanswer-
able reasons, which were communicated to and APP
proved by Lord Clarendon. then, Il / mistake not,
Her Il. VI. Foreign Secretary.
Such, too, were the views held by Chief Justice
Lee AMI others OF the highest responsibility, and as
true friends TO the continued independence of these
islands under the dynasty OF the kamehawehas. rs
were or are anywhere to be fund;-but il is true
that the Sovereign and his chiefs through long years,
had endured annoyances and submitted because
they must) TO what they deemed injustice from those
who were stronger than they, till they were wearied
out. What these annoyances were, is sufficiently
we'll known. and I have no desire TO call them up.
Suffice it to say, that many at least felt them to be
So serious and threatening that-but for the prompt
and favorable response Of the u. >. Commissioner,
the Hon. Luther Severance, TO the anxious inquiry
of the King, whether, in case OF an emergency then
feared TO be imminent, the u. :. Government would
throw over this government. feeble in physical
POWER u strong III is VI TlHuts me
Bgis of its protecting arm,-they do not believe
that the Hawaiian banner, the symbol of the SOve-
reiguty OF the Kamehamehas, would be floating over
the land to-day. But the exigency did not come,
and not n few firmly believe that il was warded off
by the reply Of the Hon. Mr.. Severance. | allude to
these facts because they are known, and because the
knowledge OF them is necessary to vindicate the mis-
sionaries from any suspicion OF ~disloyaliy to the indie.
pendence of the islands.
The Hawaiian Government and people have never
had more true and disinterested friends than the
urn.~ .Iu, Arsa ku.- Ioa.ro - Erlr fn tho
entire independence of this kingdom; but second, if
this for aBy-reason cannot be retained, then they
believe that annexation to the United States would
be better for the prosperity of the islands, both moral
and physical. than to be united TO any other foreign
power. And Why should they not, il the first must
he sacrificed to outside pressure, prefer the second.
They are American born;-as Americans, and first in
the beid, they have given letters and christianity TO
the nation; American commerce has been paramount
10 all others. and done more to bring material pros
perity TO the country; American territory stretches
along our borders nearer than the territory of any
other nation; and Hawaiian produce in the main
must End an American market. Ii they did not pre-
fer this a. n deTRIer resort, they would be recreant
to the land that bore them, aud to the land of their
adoption; for. ReEt to national independence, it must
seem TO them that INSTRUMENTATION would promote
the very lest interests of the Hawaiian people, and l
honored MIR. Wyllie and Lord Clarendon for their
impartial opinions on this same point, similar in can
dor to n letter from the Earl of Aberdeen, read 10 me
tgsaty years ago by General Miller.
Whatever c sc may be said of the American mis-
rfouAtIeSS IL cannot Uc lIutn!uiy Salu TINT my ~
not the fast friends of the independence of the
Hawaiian Nation under Hawaiian SOve-eigns, and
they have done nothing TO create any emergency
jeopardizing Hawaiian independence. If they think
mistakes are made. they love the whole people, rulers
ard ruled, too well not TO regret and deplOre them.
What | have said has seemed 10 me to be required
in the interests of justice. Ii has not been said in
any boastful spirit, whether as it regards mission
aries or Americans, or TO disparage or undervalue
what others have done of whatever nationality
Respectfully yours, SAM'L n. CASTLE.
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