The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1865-06-17

~ -" 49,
authority Of the chiefs" To believe this, the author
must have viewed Hawaiian. history only through
Hopkins spectacles. Let him ask the old chiefs
whether the missionaries sought TO weaken their au-
thority, or whether they dd not rather always incul-
cate on their people the doctrine Of submission to
rightful authority and reverence for law. They know
well who were their frmest friends when they were
threatened by treason and seditiou at home, or by
violence from without, from the days Of Captain
Buckle TO those of Consul Dillon. Ay. if We could
appeal to the saintei spirits Of Hoapili or Kaahu-
manu-, or hinau, how Indignantly they would re-
pudiate the caIunny.
Bat what the Bishop has III mind seems TO be = the
destruction Of the feudal system, which he evidently
regrets. That system gradually yielded TO the iutu-
ence OF our holy religion, Just rs slavery was gyadu-
ally abolished by Christianity in Europe. The mis-
siOuaries did not interfere with the ancient political
institutions Of the country. They were only TOO
scrupulous in abstaining from anything Ike political
preaching. But they taught the chiefs - 10 10 jus.
tIce and love mercy they told them OF the common
brotherhood Of man, and the common EatherhOOd Of
God, and OF a judgment at which all wrongs should
be righted. II was the power Of the gospel, spread
ing Ike leayen through the mass, which produced
this peaceful and b~euehcent revolution, and which
enabled the poor, dOwn-trodden serf 10 stand up - 4
man. The ancient system was Incompatible with
their further prJgress in civilization or Christianity.
The common people had " no rights which q chief
- was bound 10 respect The country was full Of
people who were heNO, l. e. dispossessei Of their lands
at the caprice of 4 chief. Three words from a new 10
a former b~oHotiki, ~ hemO &c" would dispossess 4
thousand uuoGending people, and send them houseless
and homeless TO find matGmabas in other valleys.
There was q time whep tax collectors went round the
Island ofOahu with orders to burn every hamlet where
the Inhabitants were not prompt in payment, without
regard 10 any plea Of sickness or poverty.
This is not said in q spirit Of deuunciation, or to
reflect upon that noble race o! chiefs, now almost ex-
tinct. Their faults belonged rather 60 the system
r,la- rh-ab +bav bod bpa, hpIprhr III, anI uhsab
had been sanctioned by immemorIal usage. On the
other hand, few, ii any. examples are recorded in
history OF a proud aristocracy wno5 ike them, have
voluntarily given up a portion OF their hereditary
privileges ard lands for the good Of their vassais.
l fear the time Is still far distant when the English
peasant will own his kHteQHG, and il the French
peasant is better OF, it has been purchased by a
bloody revolution.
But Bishop Staley does the missionaries too much
honor in ascribing to them the whole credit of bring
ing about these reforms. Next TO the good King
KAMEHANEHA Ill, Of blessed memory. history viii
honor the name 81 WILLIAM L. LEE, ci1rum ct rem
era5iic HOmen. Let me borrow n picture Of he Clden
time from his first address to the Royal Hawaiian
Agricultural Society
Until within the last year the Hawaiian held his
land as a mere tenant at su geranee, subject t. be
dispOsseSsed mt any time il might suit the Will or ca
price Of his chief or that Of his oppressive lima. OF
what avail was 1t to the common people TO raise more
than enough to supply the Immediate wants of their
subsistence ; Would the surplus belong TO them or
furnish the means Of future Independence /? Far
from it. 1t would go 10 add TO the stores Of their
despotic lords, who claimed an absolute right in all
their property, and who periodically sent forth their
hoTdes OF iuHGS to scOur the country and piunderthe
people without the shadow OF right or mercy. Often
did these rayagers-these iQHa pirates, leave the
poor mahGaindau with little else than bis marc. his
digger and his calabash I thank God that these
things are now at an end, and that the poor hGHaba
may now stand on the border Of his little taro-patch,
and holding his fee simple patent IN his hand, bid
defiance to the world Yes, | thank God that He
has moved the hearts OF the King and Chiefs OF these
Islands to let the oppressed 60 free"
Kamehameha |. subdued and united four distinct
Kingdoms into one, but kamehaIneha III. gave his
people a voice in the Legislature, titles TO their lands
in fee simple, and n constitution. The laws and Con-
stitutiOn may have been defective, but nowhere on
earth, not in Tahiti, nor in New Zealand, nor in
South Africa, nor in India, or America, have differ
eut races lived together in such harmony under "a
native Sovereign, and protected by the same laws.
Why is there so little oppression Of natives by the
naturally overbearing Anglo Saxon, and so little
jealousy felt by the natives towards the white man /:
Why are life aud property safer here than IN any other
part Of the world /? The credit is due first 10 Chris
tianity, and secondly to the liberal constitutional
government under which both races were generally
happy and cOntentei.
The Bishop gives his views at considerable length
on the late reactionary revolution, and on Hawaiian
politics in general. 1t is well. History will DO JUS
tice to the authors and supporters Of that measure.
In view of 50 the well known incapacity Of ecclesiastics
generally for the work Of government or legisIation,''
it was hardly prudent for his Lordship 10 rush 50 has
tily into the political arena rs a champion of the pres
ent Ministry. And it will hardly be consistent for
him again 10 denounce his - professional brethren -
for ~meddling with politics. after setting them such an
example.
The chief and almost the only reason which Bishop
StaIev gives to Justify the arbitrary subversion Of the
Constitution OF 1852, Is the political influence Of the
American Protestant missionaries. At the same time
they have been blamed by men like Mr.. Dana for not
exerting their influence more directly in politics. II
is not many years since His Naiesty's Minister of
FOREIGN RplarigrS "a yp /. nc his ruiuiau tbor tnp mis-
sionaries ought 10 DE ciCI magistrates for their re-
spective districts. In Great Britain it IS even
thought necessary that the clergy should hold a GER
aumoer OF seats IN the House Of Lords. And
an eminent Yrelste intimately Connected with the
Mission to these Islands, by his career as a
Tory politician, has earned the popular ~soJriquet Of
Slippery Sam
From purely political questions the American mis-
have carefully kept alo1f. But the 8 head
and front Of their offending - under the old Coustj-
seems to have been their firm opposition to the
establishment Of d!stMleries, 10 the removal O.: re-
strictions on the sale of liquors, to the revival Of the
and other relics of paganism, and partic-
ularly TO the so-called " Act to mitigate, >" etc. And,
/ seems, it was because their influence was exerted 20 /
strongly against the election Of men pledged 10 these /
and similar measures that the Constitution Of 1852
abolished. Be it so. They need not fear 70 90
before the tribunal of public opinion in England or
America with such a case. How a body Of Christian
ministers could exist in the country without exerting
any influence On such questions, we leave for the
Bishop 10 explain. Both IN England and in the Uni
ed States the clergy of all denominations have not
:crupIed TO speak out on these great moral questions.
The American missionaries take the same stand
low that they did when similar measures we're urged
y BOkI, Dick Charlton and others, forty years ago.
They remember too well how fast intemperauce was
lurryIug the nation into its grave On their arrivals in
+ this vice would render Of no avail all the good that
las been done here, and sweep the remnant Of the
ration out of existence.
As for the " Act to mitigate" etc Will his Lord
hin dare 70 Give 70 the Christian rublIc NJ Eurfapd