The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-08-17
THE PACIFIC
Commercial AO6rrtistr.
SATURDAY,. AUGUST Il.
A Short Discourse.

/ last number OF the EfQrIIIGu SN-effes ana l. IN
the following words
s'It IL believed by many that our crop q sugar
viii show a considerable falling g this year. and as
this j. our main article Of export, IL must tell seri-
ously against us in n variety q ways and II we
have this Fall, as seems likely, only few wha!eships
in port, the means Of paying for our imports will be
{ cut down % \ minimum. Should however the num-
Der Of war vessels o. different nations arrive shortly
that are expected, they may, by spending money
and drawing against 10, temporarily relieve this
difficulty, and 50 delay the time when dire necessity
will unite planters. merchants and others in an effort
20 arrest this declining production. which means de-
Ginning prosperity and deeaying commerce"
The belief that Is entertained by any man, or
any number Of men, has generally for It's found
alton a conviction Of the truth Of the tenants
that go 20 make up that belief; and when there
il an element OF probability in the arguments
brought forward in support Of those convictions,
others no matter how much they may differ in
the conclusions that they arrive at from those
same arguments, must yield to those with whom
they disagree in their conclusions the right to
hold their own opinion in the matter.
While we fully recognize the soundness Of this
principle as set forth in the Constitution Of the
United States document, the teaching Of
which TO the children Of Hawaii nei, was charac-
terized by n Representative in the Legislature as
1" reasonable that declares every man to be
entitled To the fulIes; and freeest expression OF his
own opinion, We still feel that there is more to be
hoped from 4 unanimity of feeling in u commu-
nifty, than in that diversity Of opinion that keeps
them separated and antagonistie.
Ii is therefore with no ordinary satisfaction
that we give our cordial support to the belief
set forth in the opening lines of our text. Not
that we have any occasion TO rejoice over the
/ ofoEa 81 .r.sro nopuarnorf un,n tho FaIlfp1 oil
predicted. On the contrary, a settled gloom per-
vades the inner sanctum where we indite this
epistle, 4 kind OF mental sackcloth and ashes
clothes us rs with a garment, our pen is STEPPED
in melancholy, and our ink is of n sable hue.
A stern truth is embodied in the following lines
from our text -" If we have, this Fall as seems
likely, only few whaleships in port, the means of
paying for our imports will be cut down to a
minimum
We can hardly say how much our importers
have been influenced by the notes Of warning
sounded in their ears by us from time to time in
reference to the embarrassment that was likely to
fall upon the business community this same Fall,
unless importations were limited to the amounts
likely to accrue to the country from its principal
articles Of expOrt-sugar This we do know, that
in spite OF the defiant tone displayed editorially
in the Gdzafe Of December, 1870, when it took
pains to say that "we," the government, could
get along without the whalers, and in fact in
consequence Of the mischievious tendency Of that
article, this paper cautioned its readers in giving
too much eredence to any such boastful assertions.
And now our text furnishes us with an instance
Of the truth of the old proverb-" Don't haIloO
till you are out Of the woods - and We are con-
fessedly dependent upon the bounty Of war
vessels Of different nations " that may arrive here
and spend money. But mind you, this relief is
like all other aims, only = temporary and
need VIC add, humiliating.
And now what has brought about this most
deplOrable state of affairs? How does it happen
that after fifty years of toll and struggle here
those remaining amongst US who remember the
time when the only trade that the Islanders had
was derived from passing ships, should be com
PEELED to sec us again dependent upon such
80 temporary - assistanceS We charge this bring
ing Of the nation to the verge of ruin upon the
policy pursued by the Minister OF Foreign Affairs.
As the vampire lulls his victim, while sucking
his life-blOod, SO we charge this man with Undue
ing a false sense of security by permitting the
publication of such a sentence as this in his
official organ. agriculture has placed the country
in a position to care for itself without the aid of
foreign shipping - (See Gazette of Dec. 1870,
in order that he might the more securely carry
out his own selfish schemes. We charge him
with voting in the House against a bill for the
relief of whalers visiting this port, and thus
helping to drive one source of revenue from our
shores. We charge him with having encouraged,
if not originated a scheme by which the country
is plunged inextricably in debt and we believe
that he has done all this and moro, in order that
he may force the Islands to beg to be admitted
into the United States.
There is an avenging Nemesis that sooner or
later oyertakes the wrong-doer. Knowing as we
do the exaggerated sense of the Importance and
dignity with which Mr.. Harris beholds himself
as Minister of Foreign Affairs, we can fully
realize the modification that he will feel in be-
ing compelled to eat words that nc as 4" censor
of the press - must call his own. "We are in
n position to take care of ourselves without the
aid of foreign shipping" Such are the words.
And now, his organ declares that we must look
to = men-of-war Of various nations " visiting us
this Fall for temporary relief. We can imagine
him as Minister of Foreign Affairs, using every
argument III his power to prOlong the stay of
these men-OE-war. lie has dealt with temporary
reliefs and shifts so long that he hopes TO tempo
rize to the end. That end, as far as he is con-
cerned, cannot be far distant, and it remains with
the people of these islands to say what it shall be.
The Fall approaches, and we hope that in after
years we will not have to exclaim with Mark
Antony:
"Oh what a faH was there, my countrymen,
Then you and I and all Of Us fen down,
~ q A. Harraa e. -TrnwhaI rrer - -