The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-04-03
TIL PACIFIC
Commercial advertiser,
NarrRn4E. 4PRIL 3

MIA J, HiNiA 30.
-i~Iri-t"rIui Libel
II might be a question in the minds Of some
individuals how Tar Ministry. in conducting a
newspaper rs q Government organ. should bc
allowed t. proceed in de.amIug the character OF
persons who are known a. subjects OF that Gov
eminent. When, moreover, these persons 50
DETAINED are those who enjoy tie confidence of
the community, and who are placed by that
community in responsible and influential posi-
ti5us, that such statements. iuucud1es. with
reference To them. and in fact such giving of the
direct lie. should be allowed to % forth from a
press belonging to the public, argues either that
public servants arc below notice. or that the COM
munity i very FAR below that high sense Of honor
which should characterize any people claim
iuz a place in the civilized world. Ii must be
rcco.Iec,cl that tie TAPER in question Is not the
organ Of any private parties or party. but the
organ of the Rulers % the country, and the prop
crty Of the People.
The native Government newspaper has for n
long time been in the habit OF publishing the
most y~i.laiuous charges against respectable mem
hers of society, Hawaiian citizens. and Ministers
of the GOSPEL, but we have hardly deemed it
advisable To bring these forth out OF comparative
ohscurity by trunsia.ing and quoting. Lately,
however. the English Government paper has
taken mp tie same style OF what must be charnc-
tcrizci as nothing les than blackEuariism. and
libel. What must be- thought of a Ministry that
Dies what differs H. no respect from directly
giving tire lie 20 the man now acting as the Pastor
or the Fort Street Church. and that To the accept
aucc pr the members Of that Society? rs the
editor of au Independent Hawaiian paper lie has
given place and sanction in his columns o. COM
InUuiciti0ns signed e. NaccinItor." The contents
of these communication are coOlly termed false
hoods. Editorial sts tcImcnts too are treated in
the sam way, and even the published notice of
the Board of Education this week in reference to
receiving Of scholars to schools without certificate,
broadly hints i'm unmistakablc language the same
thing.
y party over the signature of - Vigilant /" IN
cur PAPER made certain statements, and gave the
source of those statements rs from a certain
native woman. \ teacher in one of the boarding
school states over signature that the same repre-
s%entation was made by the same woman. (Sec
AdrerIser. February 2Oth.) Now the Govern
mcnt paper uses this language, = from whom he
says he derived his information () says" &c,
and proceeds to treat the whole Us Il ialsehood.
" AN hltAA'A a ANAANa4N4 ~ Ez-
nature also ninss the accusation that : Vigilant :
- kHeic these sf0fen"eafs to6e false tchea he published
the Gazette calmly calls this - fitting and
restrained language" -!
Gentlemen Of the Government, this is hardly
to he expected from anything but tine most sour
rilous party papers.
Another point. An item in our columns,
on good evidence, certified to also by
signature, is editorialiy in the Government paper
styled n - Roorbach - in the same clause that
specifies it's author. .. Roorbach - signifies Il
Sc story invented for purposes of party intrigue
DO the gentlemen of the Government Press say
that story was invented " by its author?
Moreover these same conductors of the mouth
piece of the Government of these Islands bring
the statement Of one individual whom they have
to their cause, to give the direct lie,
apology, without any qualification, to
another, who was Il member of the same Lcgisla-
Assembly, upon Il question concerning which
here Is unfortunately no record. 1t is certain
here was, ut the time, an oppressed difference Of
,piqioH on the bill there mentioned. \ mere
Inference of memory rs to a technical point, ut
PRESENT, is n poor standing ground for the direct
which appeared, sanctioned by the sigma
urc of n member of the Legislature. in the edit
columns of the Government paper.
We cannot characterize the style in which the
Ministerial paper is mt present conducted rs else
han low-liycd, lbcllous, and pandcring to the
astcs of the lowest classes of society capable Of
codiug a newspaper. Ii is too serious Il matter
o handy words upon. The facts stand Is we
above stated them. s