Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-06-23
MADISON. WIS. Anril IL

ne VI tAS uEsL luiecIOudEles
among the Hawaiians in 1920 is not be-
yond my own recollection. Some of the
first who returned from those heathens
were guests in the home of my childhood,
and told me of their veyage, well nigh a
year long, to the distant harharous isle.
But have lived TO land on those far
thest shores washed by the farthest sea-"
in only eighteen days of travel from
Chicago. expect to live until see that
utmost corner of the West" annexed to
us, perhaps by the name of the Sunset
State, and then l expect 10 live a good
while after that.
But why is such an annexation to be
expected
Partly because the Sandwich Islands
are TO a great extent Americanized al
ready. Whatever of religion and cul-
ture they have, thy owe to American mis-
sionaries. Those missionaries were the
pioneers, and no others are worthy to be
named with them in number, energy, in
| telligence, moral power, or spiritual sue
cess. 1t is true that knot of fanatics in
| England, self-styled reformed Catho.
lies" some years ago sent emissaries to
Honolulu, - but their enterprise has
proved failure. They have made no
great impression either on the Catholic or
on the Reformed Churches, and their own
name has been perverted in popular speech
into Deformed Churches.
The Yankees had been preaching in the
islands nearly twenty years before the
first Popish priest arrived there. At that
time French ship of war compelled the
natives to admit Catholics and cognac,
gin and Jesuits, both at once. The Gallo
idea seems to have been that
Bombshells, grape and. powder and ball
Are good wills strongest magnets"
No wonder it proved vain imagination,
no less than the dream of a Frankish en-
pire in Mexico. Catholic pictures, vest
ments, professions, and ceremonies are
undeniably captivating to tribes in the
puerile stage of culture, and so Catholic
converts have not been wanting according
ly. To the needs of many, Catholic teach
ing has been best suited. Nevertheless
the French are insignificant compared to
the Americans. They teach no French
in their schools, but rather English, which,
with more sense than we, they call Ameri-
can. They have sought to win favor by
building their cathedral on the model of
the American church-as the Egyptian
magicians initiated the miracles of Moses.
In the same spirit they have tried to rival
the American newspapers, though their
attempt reminds one of the frog laboring
to swell up as big as a bull.
But if the religion of the islands is
American in its type, the educational in
fiuences there are still more so. Compared
with the American schools, school books,
dictionaries, and other books, as well as
periodicals, all others are no more than a
drop of the bucket.
Again, the children of our missionaries
inherit the land. If their father gave up
all for Christ-yes, because they did, the
children have received far more than their
parents renonnced. One of them is to-day
Governor of the largest island. Another
would last year, but for his youth, have
been made Chief Justice Further, four
fifths of te business capital in Honolulu is
said to be in the hands of Americans.
The town owns its prosperity had al
most said its existence--to the patronage
afforded it by whale-ships, nine-tenths of
which are American. The staple export
is sugar, most of which is sent to our
Pacific slope. saw some of it last July
in Salt Lake City. Hawaiian fruits also
have no market except along our Western
shores. They are too good to keep, while
transported any further, even though
borne on wings of wind-yes, of steam
and fire.
The imports of the islands, no less than
their exports draw them to US. Their
window sashes come from Boston, their
lumber from Oregon, their -four from
California.
The policy of our Government is like
wise isuch as to attract the Hawaiians.
We pay an annual bonus of $40, 900 to in
duce steamer to go thither, but we SUBJ
sidize none to ply elsewhere for SO trivial
returns. We thus give the Kanakas the
only chance they have Of stated communI-
cation with any quarter Of the earth. We
maintain Minister resident among them.
but in no other State SO small. We
have refused to allow their sugar to
enter San Francisco free, know.