The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-03-15
THE PACIFIC
Commercial O6rrtisrr.
SATURDAY,. MARCH Is.
A D r z S S,
DELIVERED BY HON. S. H. PHILLIPS,
At TIE
Hawaiian Hotel, March 18th, 1873.

LADIES AND GESTIENEN II gratefully appreciate
the compliment Of this audience neither wyuld |
yaIuly Appropriate 20 myself the interest Oi The Oc-
casj0n. for / know that you have been brought to-
geth-r solely By the desire Of comparing your own
views. with those Of others, upon 4 question IN re-
gard % which you are impatient, bat not prepared,
% form a satisfactory judgment An invitation to
free discussion implies that open questions may be
discussed calmly. Those who favor me - their
presence do not claim that / will. in al respects,
express their opinions. nor do they. by coming
here, make themselves responsible for mine.
UNEASY TTBIIC oPIsION.
The public mind l. confused and uneasy. This Is
extraordinary. \ Sovereign has inst assembled the
throne amid great public joy. lie has invited high
Is respectable gentlemen 10 lis cabinet. There are
external indications Of a happy reign Eut matters
below the surface are disturbed Thoughtful men
anticipate the future with gloom and apprehension.
CAUSES or UNEAsINE>s.
Why i this! Trading men say sugar Is very
low 90 san Francisco such . condensed express
sion Is iearully suggestive 10 the instincts and eX-
perI-nCe Of commercial minds. The apprehensions
Of business men, though exaggerated. are always
noteworthy. They see danger afar of. like veteran
pilots on a storm-worn coast. Neither should they
BE- charged with excessive anxiety for Seif-preser-
walton and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. The system Of trade
rests upon the selfish principle. which. properly APP
piled. secures TO the world quick perceptions, YER
satilc talents. keen foresight. comprehensive grasp.
Hrrculeau energy. method. will aud industry. The
fruit Uf the merchants efforts Is &" the Improvement
Of mans estate" Business men deserve universal
good will aud encouragement IN their efforts to de
vrlup the resources OF the world, and when the tide
turns. they are entitled TO public sympathy. II the
disastrous state of our sugar trade continues, con-
fusion and depression OF business will become uni
versal. The prospect of speedy relief is %indispen-
sable TO public confidence.
DEPRESSION OF TIE SUGAR INTEREST.
Our merchants declare. with great unanimIty,
that while the existing tariff of the United States
continues, our sugars cannot be sold proftably in
its markets. Nevertheless. San Francisco, with its
established metropolitan rank, Is the only natural
market for Hawaiian products. The other outlets
afford temporary relief. but are comparatively nm
desirable. No sugar merchant wsuld dream of
sending sugar to any port beside san Francisco If
international trade were rs unObstructed. by Gus
t0m-hOuses. as trade within the American Union.
The market OF san Francisco Is quite as lndlspeu-
sable to Hawaiian sugars as that of New York to
the cereals of Illinois or Iowa. But il is practically
closed by an arbitrary commercial system, consti-
tutiOnally required 10 be uniform. and adjusted in
the general interest of forty millions of people.
Such a system will not easily yield to the necessities
of forty thousand. or the immediate wants of a
much smaller number. If u single speech could
contain the argument. it could be demonstrated
that almost every branch OF industry is at the
mercy of American tariffs. SO unequal a struggle
cannot last long. The continued prosperity of this
little nation and its rank in civilization will depend
upon its rights in the American markets. l claim
som" freedom of speech after six years service in
the Government of the late Sovereign. His pride of
country and attachment to his people were extra
ordinary. His strong will and good sense would
have enabled him. If any body, to preserve the in
tegrity of his nation. | had. however. become con-
WINGED in his life time of the hopelessness of the
prospect. although if Providence had spared his
life. the crisis might have been postponed. But he
has gone to his grave, the last of the Kamehamehas.
and with him has been buried the dynastic name,
and all the traditions of his family. His people
naturally mourn the loss of his strong arm and the
abandonment Of all theories Of native authority.
But so IL Is. The new Sovereign has assembled the
throne. professedly. by the voice of the people. and
does not reign in the right Of that family whose
name he has abjured. BY his own act. and the pop
ular expression, the traditional idea has been
Abandoned, and it is no longer revolutionary for
the collective body who have achieved one revolu-
ton to consider when and how they will reorga-
nize the Government, or amalgamate themselves
with foreign nations.
NATURE or THE CRISIS.
The radical discussion of the question being thus
invited. 1t Is natural to inquire whether We ought
to accept, as a inality, such a gloomy situation.
Some affect indifference. Language actually nsed
IN our streets indicates n Willingness 10 roll back
the tide of human progress, and forgetting the sac
rilces and enterprise of a long line of Christian
men and wOmen.-Of industrious farmers and sa-
gaciOus merchants. TO deny that any but the abO-
Iiginal race have a lawful stake in the prosperity
OF these Islands. Such takers would repel the
philanthropy of the world aud resist the influences
of civilization. In short, they invite primeval
barbarism. a rude diet of poi and fish, and the SUI
perstiiiOus ignorance of the past. 1t is hard to be
patient with such people. The native race are not
alone Interested in the prosperity of these islands.
Every one. whose capital or labor has increased
the fund OF national wealth. aud every generous
friend of the human race, whose benevolent organ
izuiions have advanced these poor people. has a
right t. be heard. Civilized nations. whose for
bcurance and protection have preserved the life Of
a weaker power are largely interested. Last of all,
the natives themselves may well say TO foreign born
officials, who administer their Government, that
they must be taken care of. They should demand
ali the wisdom and skill of their political servants,
for they have everything at stake. Foreigners,
finding the prospect uninviting may go abroad, but
the poor Hawaiian. with his peculiar language. can
GAr EAnnnr " nnlr Of homo A fhnt nroG-
perity can only be secured by establishing closer
relations with the United States, it is
quite apparent that every native has an especial in
teTest in securing free access for Hawaiian products
to the markets of the United States.
PRESENT CONDITION or THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
A knowledge of the present condition of this
kingdom is essential TO the consideration OF meas
uTeS for relief. The kingdom consists oil q compact
archipelago. of eight principal islands, whose most
distant points are about three hundred and fifty
miles apart. The actual land area is about six
thousand square miles, but much of 1t Is unfit for
cultivation. \ portion. however. is admirably adap-
ted for the sugar culture. and most other tropical
products can be obtained. It's unrivalled climate
attracts many visitors. 1t has a population of about
56.Sy1 souls, of whom about 1904 are native Ha-
waiians. The remainder are of various nationali-
ties. $50 being of American birth, but a large num-
Der OF children OF American parents have been born
in the islands. The great staple Is sugar. OF which
5000 tons. being a short crop, were raised last year.
The next crop will probably be much larger. The
Is n constitutional monarchy, most OF
the responsible oHces being held by foreigners.
The expenses of government for the last biennial
period were Sg69. 7S4.l4. or about S4S9. S92.0T for
each year. But a portion of this was for the cree
ton Of public buildings of an enduring character.
y fair deduction for such extraordinary e%XTendi-
lures, leaves an average expenditure OF less than
100000, or between seven and eight dollars per
head. The debt Of the nation is about $3.50, 600,
but the public property is worth at least twice as
much. Beside the national property, a large amount
of crown lands is held inalienably, by commission
ers. in trust for tie ~reigning Sovereign, who is en-
titled to the whole income. The islands are in mid
ocean, about ?. 100 miles from san Francisco. There
are a few fine huTbors. and some safe roadsteads,
but some parts of the coast are difficult of access.
With free trade. the rule Of the world. these islands
are the natural entrep6t OF the Northern Pacific
and. as coaling stations are Indispensable TO the