The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-12-02
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Aabertiser.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER ..
Holidays.

Public holidays, like Sundays, are supposed to
be made fo- the people. Thee is nothing that
tends 50 much to arouse and foster a spirit of
nationality and a love of country in the people,
as the proper and intelligent observance of holt
days set apart to commemorate some important
event in the national history. AS an instance in
point, observe the immense influence produced
upon the American character by the universal
and enthusiastic observance of their principal
holiday. There are those who assert, and with
FEASIBILITY, that were the celebration of the
Fourth Of July to fall into neglect. the love and
veneTatiOn for Republican Institutions would cor
respondingly decrease. The grand idea of self
government thus perpetuated is the underlying
cause, and is recognized alike in the squibs of
the schoo[boy, the roar of cannon, and the some
times bOmbasric utterances of the orator that
provoke our smiles. An occasional holiday is
useful too, serving as a breathing spell, a relaxa-
ton Of the constantly bent bow of labor, when
both the employer and the employee can meet on
the equal plane of q common enjoyment. In
this particular, holidays have a tendency to pro-
duce the healthy sentiment of a common human
ity-a sentiment that too often requires to be
stimulated in these days.
National holidays in Hawaii mel appear to have
arrived at a condition of tameness that entities
them to be called non-descript. Last Tuesday,
for instance, was neither a Sunday, n fast day,
nor apparently, a holiday, as such days are OBJ
served In other countries. Has government no
duty to perform in this matter, beyond simply
closing public Offices and firing a salute? Aside
from the anniversary of His Majesty's birthday,
the 18th of November is the only strictly national
holiday that we have, and the native race, pro-
verbally fond of public shows and celebrations,
is reduced to adopt the gala days of foreigners.
Formerly, the 3lst of July, the anniversary of the
restoration of the flag of the country, was a great
day of ~festivity and rejoicing throughout the
Islands, and we were wont to have public ora
tions, where thousands listened to the rehearsal
of the history of the past and were urged to
renewed hope and ~exertion for the future of the
nation there were grand professions, with
badges and waving banners, a grand mess dinner,
and the day wound up with a display of fire.
works. and possibly a ball. But the observance
of that day, has, unwisely we think, been drop
ped, because. it is said, that the historical recol-
~lections it evoked were unpleasant to some Of the
Kings foreign-born subjects. And SO, for that
reason, the memory of "Kamebameha the
GoOd,"-as Kauikeaouli was rightly named
which was inseparably connected with the OBJ
servance of this day. as well as that of the noble
chiefs now passed away who surrounded him on
those public occasions, must be suffered to sink
into oblivion.
Something undoubtedly might be made of the
day which has just passed of $50 lamely and
unfashionably," were any pains taken by govern
ment to instruct the people as to the real mean
ing of the celebration the history of the mission
of Richards and Haalilio to Europe and America,
and what came Of it and the central idea of a
National Independence. II, indeed, our rulers
deem the understanding of the people of any
importance in that direction.
We publish on the fourth page of to-day's pa
per, a sermon preached by the Rev. Mr.. William
son, of the Anglican Church in this city, on the
lesson Of the life and death of the Bishop of Me-
lanesia, on account of whose murder we printed
in our last. This painful occurrence must pro-
duce a profound impression wherever it becomes
known, and England particularly will be aroused,
and demand a prompt and vigorous ~exertion of
the Government TO put down forever the Infamous
traffic in human beings which has been the i'm
mediate cause of this calamity. The press has
often heretofore urged the necessity of putting a
stop to this nefarious traffic, in the interests of
humanity, bot now, the blood of martyred mis-
sIonaries SENDS forth a voice that cannot be TO-
nored.