The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1865-12-30

We have received the following letter from
Rev. I. y staley. d. D., Bishop Of Honolulu,
and We print below it some extracts from a let
ter in the London Daily Ners for October %,
which show in what light the labors Of Bishop
S;aley are regarded and represented 10y an Eng
lish Bishop, who is creating the impression that
the American missionaries have done only harm
10 the people Of the Sandwich Islands.
LETTER FROM TIE BISHOP OF HoyoLrLr.
To The Editors Of the EreHing Post
l observe in your Issue OF November 8 some
remarks Oh my address " the Church Of the In
carnatiOn last SUNDAY night. Allow me to saw,
III reply, that ! have ever borne willing tesIi-
mony, both privately and in print, 10 the ines
Unable benefits conferred upon the Hawaiian
Islands by their first evangelIzers. In the dis
course YOU have done me the honor 70 notice. |
fully recognise those benefits. 1t i surely pos
sible 70 believe one form Of Christian worship
better adapted u a particular race than another,
without any want Of charity to individuals. The
immortality and superstition Of Hawaiians CO.
existing with q profession Of Christianity, and
the rapid progress Of ROmanism among them,
are too notorious To need proof. And / was led
10 express my opinion that among the reasons
for these facts might be the want of a more OBJ
~jectiye and l%ituTgical worship than that with
which they had been familiar.
In this view, your well-known writer, the
81 . II. Dana. Of DJ>CJH- cJllClleS- SPEAK
ing of the islands in one Of his published letters,
he says -. found that many who agreed with
me III a high estimate of the good the mission
aries have done, vet felt the defects Of the public
worship, and one Of the missionaries told me
that he had long thought changes must be made
IN the direction of the ritual and liturgy Of the
English (EPiscOpal) Church"
To remove the apprehensIOns you express as 10
there being any English = . political intrigue" in
this mission, let me state the following facts
The conservation Of a Bishop for Hawaii by the
PrImate Of England. in December, 1851. was
analogous 10 that Of Bishops Provost and White
tor this country in 1856 an act OF Parliament
dispensing with the patent OF jurisdiction from
the crown, "a well as with the Queens mandate
Tor the conservation. IN the instance Of political
sees beyond the empire that the mission was
undertaken IN the expressed hope Of cooperation
with the Protestant Episcopal Church Of the
United states; that among our warmC>t friends
IN the islands are American citizens that. every
Sunday. from the first day Of our arrival till
now. prayers for the President Of this great ma
tioH have been offered mp IN orr churches, and
the thanksgiving days proclaimed by him OBJ
served 81 duly among u Hawaiian EpiscOVa-
Hans, ~ IN this land even the prayers for Con
gre>>, and that for time of war, being made
uSe Of. and the American legation attending.
Let me further say that when in Nav last,
news arrived az Honolulu Of the death Of the lat.
hmented President, IN les than some thee
hours = crowded congregation Of Americans and
'eH-A s<-4l4'le'l - nv Gil Within the walls OF
our humble church 10 acknowledge the chasteu-
ing hand Of God in that fearful visitation. the
communion table and all around being draped
IN black, the Dead March in Saul PLAYED on the
organ by one Of my clergy. and a selection Of
peniten;ial psalms, with the collects from the
funeral service, said, followed by the prayers for
the new President, for Congress, and for a time
uf war.
At this moment | have two wcll-knOvn Amer
lean clergy working in the islands. under nv
.--alTu-. - u .
ing over which | had, in view of those important
relations subsistIng between this country and the
Hawaiian group. which YOU 50 accurately de-
scribe in your article. was 10 obtain more
American clergy, to be in part maintained by
rhe Episcopal Board Of Missions. At Phiiadel-
phia, after hearing my address, the Bishops
unanimously resolved 10 aid our infant church
- by every means in their power" Another
object near my heart is 10 erect at Honolulu a
decent edifce in which American Churchmen
may unite with those from other lands in w0r-