The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-04-21

Mr. EDITOR IL venture TO trouble you
with 4 few reflections. which have been sug-
gested to my mind BY recent events, in re-
gard to the character Of the responsibility
resting upon those who undertake the con-
duct of a newspaper in the Hawaiian Ian
gusge. There are, l hold, few positions in
this country, of more grave and solemn res
| possibility than that o. one who undertakes,
/ from week TO week, 10 instruct and amuse
this people through the medium of the press.
takes If, is required TO be possessed Of a
calmer, or more matured Judgment, wider
philanthrophy, or greater amount of that
charity, which is inclined TO look at the
actions of all men from the most favorable
point of view. The great want of books Of
general character, in his own language,
renders the Hawaiian (who is unable to read
foreign books and papers, entirely Deepen
dent upon his newspaper, not only for
knowledge of the progress of events, but for
guidance in the great moral and political
questions of the day. The confding nature
of the Hawaiian, makes him particularly sus-
ceptihle 10 the views of those TO whom he
looks as his teachers. II is therefore a thing
much TO be regretted, if there should be any
protested teachers of this people, who, in their
papers, are rabid, bitter, and denunciatory
towards any. There seem to be some people,
who, although they must be aware, that
honest men of like intelligence, have dis
arisen since the world eommenced-are per
fectly incapable of eomprehending how any
one can disagree with then, and be honest
No man can honestly feel this way, unless
be is perfectly satisfied that in himself is the
very sum Of human wisdom and perfection;
and, l must say that man who feels thus,
must be happy man, and has perfect right
TO be proud of himself 4 majority of re-
heeting people are very apt 10 mistrust that
those who appear TO be filed with this belief
in their own infallibility, are not alto
gether sincere; and not unfrequently, attri-
butte designing and wicked motives, where
the utmost professions of the purest motives,
are made. Without attempting to discuss,
as TO whether this mistrust is well founded,
/ venture to make the assertion that people
such as these, are not the proper persons TO
conduct native Hawaiian newspaper-nor
for that matter, any other because they DO
not elevate, and are not capable Of eleyating
and sarlfprh-arfrr~ rra h,,. ha
trary, are the persons who are best calculst-
ed 10 do the very reverse. If they, assuming
TO occupy the very highest moral, religious
and political ground, denounce those who do
not see things exactly as they do, as dis
honest knaves or Incompetent hlockheads,
they are teaching the people to become in
tolerant; besides, they are telling them what
in ninety-nine cases out of - well, we'll
say 'ri'sefy-liSe, is not true. If they continu-
ally tell the people that they are down-trod-
den and oppressed, when the people are not
down-irodden and oppressed; the people,
you know, will after a time lose faith in
their advisers and friends, and there will
come time when these advisers and friends
of the people, viii be utterly incapable of do
ing the dear, doWn-trodden people any more
good Indeed, this reflection would make
me quite inconsolable, were it not for the
fact that, at that time and thereafter, they
will not be able 10 do the people any more
harm. This last reflection goes great way
towards fully reconeiling me to the harrow
ing possibility Of the first; indeed am so
far reconciled by it, as to be fully of the
opinion that the sooner that time comes the
better for all particularly for the
people. V.