The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-05-26

The ALABAMA CLADls-Mr. johnson
can scarcely be aware of the extent of
this repugnance to war, and this single
wish to save only the national honor. when
he tells the good people Of Manchester
that war must be vastly more disastrous
to this country than his own. There is
not the slightest necessity for importing
such calculation into the controversy.
The material results are really out OF the
question altogether. We are quite aware
that in the event of war we should not be
able to render effectual aid to our Canadi-
an Dominion, and tina: our fellow-subjects
out there would either have to fight at
terrible disadvantage, or mortify our pride
by anticipating defeat and yielding to
terms. In material point of view that
would be no loss to this country. The
suggestion that numerous ALdb0mdS would
scour every ocean in search OF the British
flag, and lie in wait in the crowded track
of our Australian galleons, is thought Of
retaliation and must be only too natural.
But neither is the menace necessary, nor
is it so certain that we should find the
odds against US in this sort of warfare.
Our ancestors were robbers and pirates,
and the Americans are step further from
that origin than we are, for we are an
earlier link in the chain. Two ships did
all the mountain of mischief that is laid
to our charge. and it is strange that they
could be allowed to get ont of our ports,
it is very much stranger that they should
be allowed to scour an entire ocean, and
threaten every pathway of commerce II
our neglect our red-tapeism, and our stu
pidity was so great as to arouse suspicion
and breed mIstrust, what is to be SAID Of
the American Admiralty? How can Mr.
johnson be sure that what has happened
will not happen again? His argument re-
uuires that both circumstances and nation
al character should change on both sides
of the Atlantic We are to become irres-
olute, backward, and chary. We are to
become insensible to that honor which, If
anywhere. we console ourselves we have
maintained on the sea. We are to be in
capable of doing on 4 grand scale that
which was lately done here on the smallest
possible scale, irregularly and surrepitious-
ly, yet with astounding success, The
crime charged against those privateers was
that they were British in every respect
whatever, except flag and Captains
commission On the other hand, the
Americans are to do on colossal scale
what they failed to do in miniature. By
their own estimate, they lost more IN the
late war by the ships that burst not show
themselves at all, but kept in harbor for
/ fear of those two monitors, than by the
actual captures. Then, in the present
state of American politics, who can count
on the permanence of the stdtu quo in any
respect? How would foreign war oper-
ate on the Federal question? Wonderful
and unexpected things have happened on
that fabulous soil; witness the death or
manning of a million of men in the field.
What has happened may still happen. So,
also, may that which has not happened,
nor even been magined.-LOHdOn Times.
A DUEL AT LONG BRANCH.-The people
of Long Branch, who lack excitements in
winter, were nearly convulsed recently by
preparations for mortal combat between
MIR. p and Mr. s.. P, who
is a practicle joker, put a small quantity of
very rare and fashionable Partisan perfume
into the pocket Of SIS coat. {"
did not find in the nauseous odor much
sought for perfume, became enraged, and
challenged P to fight duel, with En-
field rifles at 300 yards. At So M, on
the following morning, they appeared
with their seconds and a surgeon, but the
weapons were two Enfelds with but one
trigger, two rifles with bat one ramrod,
and exceedingly rusty and loose screwd
and generally shackly at that. The day
was gloomy, just suited to such murderous
work. The meeting took place near a
barn; the ground was measured, the men
placed, the weapons raised, and one of the
seconds was about to give the word
through a speaking trumpet, owing to the
distance the surgeon had open a formida-
bic box of surgical weapons, consisting of
buck saws, pincers, and sheep shears, when
the vigilant constabulary of Ocean, smell
ing powder, appeared and arrested the en-
tire party They were taken before Depu-
ty Justice Morris, of Long Branch, and
were duly fined.-Neac York Sun.
Tup ola dodga of cirrulatin0 ctnries of