The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-07-13
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURD Y, JULY l3.

The Grafton was received with frequent applause.
and II was certainly a finished and elegant production.
One or two passages, however, seemed to US out of
place under the circumstances, as we cannot see what
in the world Hawaiian affairs have to do with a Fourth
Of July Grafton The day is q foreign national day
from "A Hawaiian point Of view, and the celebration
Of it, by 4 reasonable construction of international
comfy, is by consent Of the local authorities and,
therefore, regard TO good taste, is more important in
the celebrants than If the day were being observed
on Its own native SOIL American political principles
are sound, and We personally believe in them, but we
should not feel ourselves justified in London or Paris,
being permitted 10 have a public demonstration of our
pet-day, to overhaul the governments Of those coun-
tries with an application of our political views, and a
criticism on their political guilt and personal base
ness If in those great nations, we really wished to
mix IN local affairs and to influence their political
destlnles, the only practical and common sense way
Is, FIRST, to clothe ourselves with the right to publicly
discuss their politics, and then use the power which
such n franchise conferred upon US"
We copy the above from the last Gazette.
Does the Government editor intend to assert that
foreigners residing in Honolulu have no right
to discuss the laws or express an opinion on the
politics Of the country? Have not the Ministers
time and again during the past ten years sought
the opinion and views of the merchants ON politi-
cal questions, irrespective of their allegiance?
Has not the Legislature frequently sought the
advice of the Chamber of Commerce, and recciv-
ed and acted on petitions from aliens on political
matters? 1t is rather late in the day to establish
a rule that every mans mouth must be shut, who
has not taken the oath of allegiance.
Foreigners are invited to come here and settle
to buy land and invest their capital. Take the
case Of the reverend gentleman referred to in the
above remarks. He is the owner of real estate,
a homestead, in Honolulu, and has identified
himself for life as thoroughly with the islands as
~ nj rvaG-Ihte for n nor 70 do usth.,,S In, AZ
oath of allegiance. There are hundreds and
thousands of similar cases. Does the Gazette
intend to deny to all such g the right to discuss
politics. and any political measures affecting
their interests?
Such a monstrous assertion, from an official
quarter, must needs startle our foreign residents
and cause them to ponder on the position they
hold in this country. a crown minister once
laid down the rule that any man who did not
like the laws might leave the country and under
the ruling he left. But now the doctrine is
announced, officially, that they may not even
discuss the laws. 1t will be difficult to find a
parallel to such a ruling in any constitutional
country. In England Mr.. Beecher was allowed,
freely to discuss the political action of that coun-
try, and even to censurc the course of the Gov
ernment in reference to the United States; and
for it received the applause and homage of the
masses.
So long as this country has no legally estab-
lished Constitution-so long as every new Minis |
try can oyerturn the great Magma Charta of the
nation and proclaim n new one to suit their
cannot be expected that citizens of
America or subjects of England and France will
readily exchange the protection of those power
full flags for the uncertainties existing here. But
those who have identified themselves with the
country, who own real and personal property
here, have and will claim the right to discuss in
public or private all measures that may affect
their interests, the value of their property and
the welfare of their children.
Ministers have already disfranchised a large |
portion of the nation from the rights that God
and Kamehameha iii. gave to them. Now, if
we understand the official organ n right, they
propose to shut the mouths of all foreign resi-
dents, not willing to take the oath to an illegal
which may any day be arbitrarily
aside by the Ministry. If this is the pro-
gramme, they will carry it out at their peril.