The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-05-03

covered the custom Of occasionally Ia on sun
DAYS at cburrb) wearing = fuil suit Of WOODEN
garments Tor q few hours and then throwing oil
all AMI sitting carefully n 4 strong draft these
brought sudden Inflammation Of the lungs That
carried a healthy man of in u day or two, or =
IS ea!loping consumption - that did the work
expedited by the wretched native doctors-in a
few weeks, or months 1T hrthest. Daring this
intermediary period too came the great epidenics,
the measles. the hooping-oOugh and small Pox,
that acre real pesiIleDces, and swept over the
land Utmost unchecked. The old heather prejudice
against foreign customs and foreign doctors-
when indeed The asst were ayailable-was an ele-
meut in favor Of destruction. When all these
Gauss which we have thus hastily glanced at,
are duly weighed and considered in detail. the
decrease OF the Hawaiian people during The la7t
thirty years i no matter for surprise.
At about the commencement Of the late reign
we recken the opening Of the period in tile his
tory of the nation winch we term the ~lOst-nIs-
sionary justly 60 termed from the fact that at
about that time the american Board formally
withdrew lis material aid Of Christian effort IN
these Islands, it being rightly deemed that the
people were able and disposed to maintain their
own pastors and religious institutions. What
ever may be said OF the policy OF political reac-
ton which characterized the late Tcign,-a rub
-. 49, yrhich Nc we're not silent at the time
history Will 30 justice 10 the memory Of the last
Of the Kamehamehas in that be was an earnest
and energetic worker for the preservation and
welfare of his people. But however much or lit
tie may have been accomplished in this direction
by direct government agency, the fact is now ap-
parent 10 those who have thoughtlully watched
the yicissitudes and studied the characteristics OF
the Hawaiiuns during the past quarter of Il cen
tury, that they have passed the crisis Of deca-
dence, and that they are in all respects in a more
hopeful state to-day remnant though they
are,-than at any former period during their
known history. In the severe and costly process
through which they have passed TO the degree OF
civilization they now present, the old Hawaii OF
barbarian has sloughod off. and Young Hawaii,
earnest, intelligent and patriotic, approaching its
mission and hopeful of the future, stands forth to
assimilate and cope with-not to fall before-an
aggressive foreign civilization.
First in importance and most significant among
the symptoms of vitality in the Hawaiian people
OF to-day, Is the intelligent care and solicitude-
50 different from the former apathy-manifested
in the rearing of their children. They have
learned thoroughly the truth that foreigners have
better success than themselves in rearing families
and the reasons why. 1t is now very common for
4 native fither or mother to apply to foreigners
especially to the females-ior advice in cases OF
illness of children. This is Il practice but seldom
known until within the last few years. Late
statistics show the important fact that the rate OF
increase of children, while among the halrcastes
it is remarkably large, among the natives Is now
in advance of any previous period. The proper
training and education of this rising generation
is the first task to which an enlightened govern
ment must direct it's energies. Much is being
done, but much moro remains yet to nc under
taken in this respect, before the State can be ad-
mitted to have fulfilled its duty. Guided by the
experience of the past and in the light of the
present, the resources of the country must be
largely directed to the proper industrial as well
as intellectual training of the youth of both
sexes, who are to constitute the Hawaiian nation
of the future, and perpetuate it's independence.