The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-08-16
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THE PACIFIC
Commercial A0Orrtlser
SATURDAY,. AUGUST 10.

WIS L-teLe4 ~ ~ q pretty AIzt d77cm'Ao5t %
natives and a fair sprinkling Of foreigners. The
subject proposed for discussion was the declared
Ministerial policy Of q Treaty Of Reciprocity
based on the cessiJn Of Pearl Harbor, and while
the speaker appeared 70 thoroughly understand
and endeayOred % impress upon bis audience the
great benefits that would enure % the whole
country By Reciprocity, he very unequiyOcally
expressed himself a. opposed 10 the cession Of
any portion Of territory Although this latter
sentiment was apparently in accord with that Of
a majority Of the audience, the applause with
which It's uttcrancc was received was by no
means enthusiastic, owing doubtless TO the fact
that the speaker quite clearly explained, and
took pains To emphasize, the great importance Of
the planting interest to the welfare Of the whole
country. While Just however in the treatment
Of this important branch Of his subject, we re-
GREETED TO hear the inconsistency committed Of
speaking Of the interests Of foreigners residing
and doing business in the country and who advo-
cate the Ministerial side Of the question, as sepa-
rate and distinct from the interests Of the ma
tiyes. II was inconsistent, inasmuch as IN the
next breath the speaker very conclusiyely showed
how the prosperity Of the foreigners engaged in
the planting business ensured the prosperity of
the community at large; and it was 10 be re-
GREETED, as an ill-advised pandering to ignorant
prejudices, already sufficiently aroused. This
last was apparent from the zest with which the
audience received any allusion to the - graspIng"
spirit Of foreigners, and their selfish desire TO get
rich quickly, without regard to the welfare of
the natives.
From a gentleman of Mr.. Kapena's education
and enlightened experience, We had hoped to
hear his cOuDtrymen addressed somewhat differ
emily Oh the subject of the foreign-born portion
Of the community. We had expected he would
tell them the real truth that, so far as the pros
perity Of the country is concerned, the foreigners
are all HncaiiaHs. If the country prospers, they
all prosper with it, or the contrary, as do the ma
tive HawaiIans. There are no Hawaiian and
British and American and German and Portu-
guese, or any other distinct and separate interest.
The question is, what is best for the Fifty-fve
thousand actual Hawaiian residents, no matter
where they were born. They are "all in one
boat, y and must all sink or swim together. We
have heard BritOns and Germans and Americans
say that Reciprocity would be had cheap if the
cession Of Pearl IlarbOr would buy it, or even q
much larger cession. Others again 1--WE are
thankful they are not numerous) say that it is
better for the natives to 90 back to the maIo, and
for the foreigners to leave the country than to
cede a foot of territory. Well, neither can be
done the foreigners who legally and honestly
own property here, whether plantation, or store,
or something else, will not sacrifice their property
To an impractical idea, any more than if it were
the inheritance Of a thousand years. Nor if
they were disposed to do so, can the natives 90
back to their mahO. They are placed by Provi-
dence III the track OF commerce, on the great
highway Of nations, and cannot get out of it.
And how long could they manage to keep clear
Of complications which would seriously threaten
the overthrow of their independence, without
foreign assistance? If China, with 400, O0O, 900,
and japan with $1,000, 900, could not maintain
their isolation, surely this people could not, and
it is idle rubbish to talk about their going back
to their malOS, or the foreigners leaving the coun-
try. Neither can or will be done but they can
both work and devise together for the prosperity
of the Fifty-fve thousand de fcctO Hawaiians of
the country, with the assurance that dHy general
measure which benefits one, viii benefit all.
Their interests are one, whether they believe it
or can see it, or not. Just as much as the hand
or foot or eye are a part Of the one body and a
blow might as well be aimed at the heart, with
the idea that it would not hurt the body, only
the heart, as at the sugar planting enterprise
with the idea that it would only be felt by the
planters. Should the plantations go down, all
who derive support from hem-merchants me-
chanics, farmers, sailors, -government itself
must turn TO something else, or 90 down. And
what will they turn to in these islands? The
merchant may import his goods and the people
want to buy, but where is the money to pay for
them? Who will employ the mechanic, if there
is no money in circulation who will build and
run schOoners, if there is no freight to carry /;
who will import goods they cannot sell who will
pay duties, when there are no goods upon which
to levy them who will pay taxes, when there is
no way TO earn the money to pay them with
where will the revenue Of government come from,
when these sources are dried up in short,
where will the King, his Ministers, and all gov
eminent officers get their salaries, when there is
no revenue?
Will some of the orators who address native
audiences, lay before them the foregoing brief
compendium of truths? OF impractical ideas
and patriotic sentiment there has been 4 surfeit.
Whatever is done to obtain Reciprocity is done
in the interest Of F~ifty-fye thousand Hawaiians,
and whoever tries to hinder Reciprocity tries to
hinder the prosperity of Fifty-fye thousand Ha-
waiians-and by Hawaiians we mean everybody
having an interest upon the islands.
I'VE NAY EXPECT shortly to have another address
TO the natives ON the side Of the opponents of
cession. 81 far, not a word has been said to
them by anybody III favor Of the oession, and it is