The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-05-25
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser,
SATURDAY, MAY -.
R~ccrcaSc OF ITnNVaiinn i'opuin-
IiDn

The Commsrcia! .4lrsriiser of Honolulu notes the
decrease oil population NJ the Islands with evident
concern. Thi~ decrease among the natives has been
going On for a great number OF years, but the ratio
seems To- be accelerated Of late. During the last six
years, there has been a decrease Of over 1000. The
drath rate among the natives l. now about l.JUJ 4
year over the births and with an increasing ratio.
this defamation viii work the extinction Of the race
in a quarter Of a century. Long before the expiration
Of that time. the native population VIII - far pass
out I SIGHT Is TO cease 10 Ice an element Of any pUht-
zeal importance in the Islands. This inevitable tram
siti0n already suggests questions which viii some day
need TO he discussed in the spirit Of candcr and
equity. The present dynasty Is Il falling one. In
the course of events il Will become extinct. The re-
lations of these Islands u the Pacific coast are OF grow
ing importance. The INTERVENING OF American
interests has brought the Islands into very close rela-
ton TO Us, and a transition which should some day
incorporate them into our domain, might occur with
little violence Of feeling, and with new guarantees OF
prosperity.
ernmental policy of late at the Islands, has been
shaped 10 other than American Interests. Ii can
hardly he said that these movements have been fruit
full OF good in any direction. These attempted manlp-
ulations of the Government, TO make it conform more
closely to European systems, have certainly not been
attended by any favorable results TO the native Popu-
latiOu. In 1864, a scheme of political degradation
was sprung upOn the people by which i considerable
portion of the native population was distranchised.
The leading paper of the Islands declares that from
that time the nation has gone backward toward bar
bariSIn, violence anu anarchy, lhStedi Oi IpI"dlu
toward civilization, enlightenment and christianity.
The native being deprived of his political franchise,
and vet taxed without being represented, has lost
something of his self respect-he has taken "A step
backward with little hope Of prospective advancement
The same influences ut work then, were at work IN
the American colonies to establish the principle OF
taxation without representation, an experiment which
ended in utter failure.
Ii is manifest also, that concurrent with the more
modern policy which seems to have been prominent
i'm the way of subversion. there has been an increase
Of crime consequent upon "A lax administration OF
law. \ few years ago, the more heinouS crimes,
such as burglary, arson and murder were very rare
among the natives. But they have increased to an
alarming extent of late. 1t was charged that the
missionary influence once dominant, produced 100
many stringent enactmcntS. But the counter eXpell-
ment of greater laXity has certainly Jailed OF any SUI
periOr results.
Wherever the whites have come IN contact with an
aboriginal population, the latter has melted away.
We have never been able To establish n commonwealth
of Indians permanently. \ few have been civilized
but even these have not perpetutatea their race. The
experiment at the Sandwich Islands was perhaps
more successful than any ever before made IN the IN
tcrests of civilization and Christianity. But even
this success cannot save n race physically foreloomed
to extinction.
We extract the above from the San Francisco
Bulletin. What is said about the increase OF
crime and immortality, is based mainly ON the
statements of our paper, and the records OF the
IiEI llltt NcsIS uillOl ltAlhiANA W. I"INs ~
stantiatc them. The causes, as we and our cor
RESPONDENTS have often stated, lie in the lax
administration of justice. Where judges are IN
xmrathv with the existing evils, there can be no
immediate improvement, nor indeed any without
n radical change in those who are entrusted with
the execution of the laws.
The reference to a change of sovereignty is a
natural subject for comment in connection with
the rapid decrease of population, and especially
ut this time when Russia has transferred heE
American territory, and England is negotiating
the transfer of British Columbia to the United
States. But if the latter transtcr-that of British
C~olumbia-is accomplished, it will be, more than
now, an object with European Powers, but cspe-
cially with England, to maintain the indcpend-
cnec of this group, and to have its larbors oper
To the navics of the world, as that power would
then be deprived of any naval station in TIN
. ocean