The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-04-16
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURDAY,. APRIL 10.

Bishop might be, still his appointment would be
an act Of injustice 70 otheIs, who, If . clergy
man were appointed, had superior CLAIMS. NOT
could We believe that His Majesty, under the cir
cumstances, would make such an appointment.
50 fully is he informed Of the origin and progress
Of the public schools in his dominions. But We
will state more directly the facts in the case, and
let our readers judge for themselves of the justice
Of our remarks.
FOrty-four years ago March, 1920 the first
missionaries landed in this Kingdom. and have
been followed by enforcement from time TO
time, till the aggregate amount of labor bestowed
has reached nearly or quite two thousand years.
They found the people in ignorance, in bar
barism, and almost nakedness, ready indeed in a
measure for improvement for the great Kameha-
meha, : most enlightened Ruler for his age and
country, had left with the people, especially the
chiefs, his spirit Of progress but still the condi-
ton of the nation was substantially as stated.
The missionaries reduced the language TO writing
and as far and as fast as possible published school
and other books, and established schools. They
erected school houses, the Hawaiians aiding them
with their hands but they supplying the funds
necessary for the purchase Of such foreign mate
rials as were required, as materials for doors and
windows, &C., as well as school books. Thus
they went on for twenty years till the land was
filed with school houses and schools, with twen-
~ thousand children in them, a very large num-
Der also of the adult population having been
previously taught to read and write SO that a
larger proportion of the whole population could
read and write than of most of the civilized
countries of Europe or of some of the States of
the United States. Up to this point the whole
system of public schools had been reared at the
expense Of the American Board and by the per-
sonal labors Of the American missionaries. They
had reduced the language to writing, had eircu-
lated some fifty thousand copies of the New and
twenty thousand of the Old Testament, and writ
ten and compiled and translated some seventy
different works, amongst which were Worcester's
Sacred Geography, Universal Geography, Geo
graphical Questions, Scripture Chronology, and
History Of Animals Of the Earth with a chart,
History Of Beasts, Hawaiian History, Church
History, Mathematics embracing Geometry,
Trigonometry, Mensuration, Surveying and Nav
igation, Colburu's Algebra, Anatomy, Wayland's
Moral Philosophy, Colburn's intellectual Arith-
metic, Tract on Astronomy, Maps Of Universal
Geography, Maps oi Sacred Geography, Keith's
Study Of the Globes, Linear Drawings, and also
various primary school works.
At this we'll developed stage of the Hawaiian
school system, the deficiency of funds in the
Treasury of the American Board. compelled it
to withdraw the pecuniary aid hitherto extended
10 the common schools, and the Government took
them up, continuing them in a great measure in the
personal care Of those who had by their toll and
money reared the goodly structure. Upon the
death of DIR. Armstrong, the King, his late Maj
esty, stated to a gentleman to whom he was re-
garded as Offering the position, that under
circumstances it was the settled policy OF
the Government not to appoint any Clergyman to
the vacant post The Government being vir-
tually the same now as then, stands therefore
pledged in this matter to the policy of the late
If any clergyman were to be called to this
post, surely justice requires that he should be
selected from amongst the competent men by
labor and at aohOse expense, the whole sys-
has been inaugurated and built up, and not
comparative stranger Of eighteen months resi-
ience. If a clergyman is to be selected, whose
name is more appropriate than that of w. =.
Alexander, the pastoral bishop of Waikiki, or
others who might be named, whose life-labors
have been bestowed to promote the prosperity of
the people and the schools? That these labors
have been appreciated by the Rulers, we have
only to refer to the very emphatic language of
late Majesty in reply to the remarks of Mr..
Castle, upon his presentation to him for the
American Bible Society, of a copy of the Holy
on the Goth of May. 1857, which
were published in our paper of May 9th, 1857,
in full, with Mr.. Castles address. 1.-THE account
is too lengthy for republication here, but we can
find space for an extract of Mr.. C.'s address and
Of His Majesty's reply in full:
EXTRACT FROM Nh. CASTLES ADDRESS.
OF its power TO bless and renovate, your Majesty has occular
demonstration in the condition OF your own people. Scarcely
has a generation passed away since the first glimmering of its
fell upon these Isles. shrOuded in the long night Of ages.
What we're they then! Barbarous, benightei, without any
Of the true God, without schools, or books, or
sbose bloody rites mingled. at times, the cries Of human victims
gods upon whose affairs flowed their blood What are they
Barbarism and darkness have fed away. The true God
; known and worshipped,H schools, and books, and churches fill
he land. Upon their affairs smoke no bloody sacrifices, but
..uional Government and just laws have arisen for the mutual
,eneht Of King and people: How great the change In vain
,ryf period Of time which has elapsed during its progress.
HIS MAJEsrT's REPLY.
Thu volume YOU present me in behalf Of the American Bible
a-rty, and the letter xulr which 1t IL accompanied 1 receive
With a mingled feeling of pleasure and reverence. When /
cmember the moral illumination and the sense of social pro-
1r.ety which have spread throughout these islands. in proper
ldmire aud respect the human agency through which Provi-
has effected us benign purpose. But Of all the members
Ind myself in communication than the Secretary, whose labors
won for him a name among Christian phiIanthropists
Which might excite a world TO emulation.
I will not attempt 70 echo the tone OF fervent admiration and
with which you allude TO the happy changes effected
~ ~. dissemination Of Gods Holy Word. But from the posi-
ION ] occupy, the facts meet me which ever way 1 turn my eyes.
- 1911 thar xEre uEn q. and lns-IipF Il q