The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1865-09-09
TIE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURDAY 9.
EDITORIAL Correspondence.

hanging Of the cOnspirators in the assassination Of
President Lincoln-the large confagration in this
city. in which Barnum's Museum was destroyed,
with other events of more or less Importance. The
details, which embrace the most interesting part,
you can only learn from the Eastern papers. The
telegraph, / notice, has of late been frequently out
Of order, and seems TO cause great dissatisfaction.
We have not had any telegraphic dispatches from
San Francisco, published in our papers, for over
two weeks.
The Hanging of the Conspirators,
was promptly carried out, Immediately after the
approval Of the sentence by the President. And
there is a feeling Of universal satisfaction with the
sentence, for there il not shadow of a doubt that
every one Of those hung were accompices. Even
Mrs. Surratt, for whom SO much sympathy bss been
shown by the rebel sympathizers, was at the bot
tom of the conspiracy, and her execution meets
general approval. If she was q participant in the
crime, as Is absolutely certain, she deserved the
punishment az much as either of her accOmplices.
President johnson has shown the firmness required
for q man in his position. The general opinion
seems 10 be that all of those implicated and tried
should have shared the fate Of those executed, for
they were more or less involved in the assassina-
ton.
The Restoration Policy
Of President Johnson appears to be giving more
satisfaction than at first, and experience will prob
ably show that the conservative course which he
has adopted will bring about harmony and perma-
nent peace. Many regret that he did not proclaim
that the right of voting should be given at once to
the colored men of the South. But considering
the condition of the late slaves, that the greater
part of them are totally unable to read or write,
having purposely been kept ignorant-that they
know nothing of the political questions of the day,
and moreover that the authority TO declare who
shall be voters and who not, belongs to each State,
North as we'll as South, and that only two or three
Of the Northern States as yet admit those to vote
who cannot read and write-taking all these things
into consideration. it may be that the President is
pursuing the course which will in the end prove to
be the wisest. Still, even he views the whole ques-
tion as an experiment.
The Fourth of July
appears TO have been celebrated with more or less
enthusiasm all through the South, but principally
by the working classes. Even in Charleston and
other places in South Carolina, the day was OBJ
served. with parades, salutes and orations. The
class that formerly controlled public opinion at the
South will now occupy a secondary position, and
another set of public men will appear on the stage,
as representatives of the middle or working classes.
1t is somewhat singular that there should he so
great Z change Of sentiment at the South respecting
JEFF. Davis.
EXCEPT among those who were his intimate
friends. there seems to be a growing feeling against
him, and a desire that he should receive the pun
ishment due to him. An eminent lawyer expresses
his opinion that South Carolina hated JEFF. Davis
as much as she hated Mr.. Lincoln during the rebel
lion and if he is proved guilty of cOuntenancing
the assassination, the people of this state will want
him executed" On the other hand, the praises of
President Lincoln sound more and more grateful
to the people OF this state "a his character becomes
known, and they cannot be repeated too often.
Said a late rebel officer: THE North did not know
him. and the South knew still less of the best friend
she had in the United States.'
What is to be done with JEFF. Davis, or how soon
he will be tried, or whether by military or civil
court, no one as yet knows. But it seems pretty
certain that he will be tried, either for treason or
as an instigator in the assassination of President
Lincoln. 1t is said that the evidence of his COM
plicity in this is quite positive. but the government
is awaiting further Developments. If it should
appear that the assassination of President Lincoln
was instigated, or even approved by the rebel au-
thorities, the whole world will endorse the punish
ment of all concerned in it.
Burning of Barnum's Museum.
The great event of the past week was the de-
~struction of Barnum's Museum, which for over
twenty years has been the centre of attraction in
ADls Cit1. hihbpo vi oAAbhSS 'iCiihS SS III
tropolis has been into the Museum, and probably
no one place of amusement in this country has bad
so many visitors. For the past few years, over one
million of persons have been annually admitted
there. On this account more than usual interest
and regret have been shown on account of its de-
struction. The contents cost the proprietor about
$500, 900, on which he was insured only for $685.
900. He has determined to go right TO work and
establish another. museum, and for this object,
even beore the fire OF the ruins was eXtinguished,
he had dispatched his agents to Europe to buy up
all the curiosities that can be obtained. Before
six months are over, he will have another museum
open.
The Curiosities Burned.
Nearly everything in the building was destroyed.
1t was my good fortune to visit the Museum only
the week previous to the fire. and the rooms-it
six stories high-were never SO full as then.
The two whales exhibited, were of the white species,
about fifteen feet long, placed in a large glass tank,
some twenty-five feet in diameter. Around this
tank they were constantly swimming and blow
ing" They appeared very much as if they were
painted or white-washed. But as it would be i'm
possible for them to live long, if so treated, we
must accept the conclusion that they were in their
natural color. These poor creatures, as we'll as
the other fishes in the aquariums, the offers, bears,
crocodiles, and other live reptiles and
animals. were all roasted or boiled alive. The
most interesting group, at least to juvenile visitors,
was the famous Happy Family" consisting of
dogs. cats. rats, guinea pigs, pigeons,
parrots and other birds and animals. large and
in one cage, playing and gamboling
together as happily as possible. All these were
burned TO death, excepting only one of the mon