The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-06-02

Education Office, Secretary.
May 25th, 1859.
Why take notice of the misrepresenta
tions so persistently sent abroad, is &
question frequently asked by considerate
and good people. No one, (say they be
lieves these things.-and one excellent
citizen, few days since. referred to let
ter from friend, to whom he had written
cautioning him against believing them
The friend had replied that he need not be
disturbed; that nobody read-or if they
did, no one believed them. This was be-
cause the writer of the letter referred to
was kept well posted, by friends here-he
himself having particular and peculiar
interest in the country. But it is not so
with those who are seeking information Of
US, in the same manner, as we are seeking
information Of whatever may be going Oh,
in any foreign country, with which We
have no personal connection, or with those
whose minds may be, from any bias, in
clined to give credit to particular persons.
We have already qnoted from the New
York Tribune, of March 18th, the state
ment to the effect that
The Coolie Trade, in the Sandwich Is
l. L.. -
opement, which leaves but little difference
between it and the slave trade. 1t is
ESPECIALLY, the natives of the small Polyne-
sian Islands, who are imported, OFTEN en-
tirely AGAINST their will and compelled to
work.
This paragraph we have seen quoted
word for word, into the New London
Democrat. Thus, though there has been
but ONE arrival of immigrants Numbering
% men and women-from the other Poly
nesian Islands, and that three and a half
years since-and they remain, though as
free to go as anyone, falsehood started
here, without any basis whatsoeyer-an
for no motive, that any reasonable person
can perceive-has swollen to what we see,
and been spread as truth before the hun
dreds of thousands of readers of the
Tribune, and copied from that paper, to
be again circulated, in the smaller locali-
ties. Say, if you please, that it does no
harm. If no injury is done, 1t is not the
fault Of its authors; and it is clearly our
duty, at all times, to do s our little best"
to set all who choose to read, right, on any
subject which may be misrepresented.
1t will not be denied that the American
Board Of Commissioners for Foreign Mis-
sions is body with which we, as a CON-
munity. may reasonably wish to stand
well. Certainly, their organization is most
extensive, and in view of the fact that
they are welding the very large resources
of many thousands of contributors, IN the
United States. and in further view of the
fact that every effort is made to circulate
their publications, far and wide, among the
religious community of that country-their
published. and as it may be said, official
communications to their subscribers, may
certainly be taken as instances of how
good men may be and are misled. Read,
then, the following extract:
The Christianity of the Islands has had
yet severer trials from the attitude of the
government and the opposition of corrupt
and corrupting officials. Under the pretext
of impartiality toward all systems of faith,
persistent efforts seem to have been made to
break down the influence of the missiona- |
ries; laws against intemperance and immoral 1
ity have been set at nalght and openly viola |
ted by those whose duty it was to enforce |
them; religious instruction in the schools |
taught by evangelical Protestant teachers has |
been strictly prohibited, while the "Papal |
MANUAL and "Catechism are to consid- |
cradle extent regularly taught 10 the govern |
ment schools, which are under Romanist !
teachers. Under the government Inspector, |
the school system, which, in former days, had |
been so effective in raising the character of /
the people, has sadly declined, the attend |
ance has fallen of, and Christian parents |
have been led to establish private schools for |
tne proper lDsIfucllOu Oh Inclr children.
of these schools, which now num-
Der %, and embrace 954 scholars, are taught i
in the English language, and seven in the
Hawaiian. Some recent changes In the
school law, by which the parents are to have
q voice in the conduct of the schools, and the
larger appropriation for educational purposes,
would indicate the beginning of a healthier
sentiment in the public counsels. II is
matter of profound regret that, after all the
sacrifices and labors Of more than one hun
dred and fifty devoted Christian men and
women, and the expenditure of hundreds Of
thousands of dollars from this country, and
liter all the beueficent results achieved in
the social and moral elevation of the people,
the eounsels of those whose only motives
have been of the most pure and unselfsh
and whose only aim still is the
best interest Of the government and of the
people, should be, to so great and extent,
ignored, disregarded, or opposed.
The gospel is on trial at these islands; the
the native pastors, and the