The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-06-14
THE PACIFIC
Commercial A0Ocrtl5tr.
JUNE t..
THE ASIATICS.

me AolA11NO.
\ movement is now progressing in San Fran
ci-co against the employment Of Cinnamon \
few years ago, mass meetings Of the working
classes were held III the same city and in other
parts u California, To protest against Chinese
immigration, and this was made a platform Of
rartv in the State elections. But II has been
found that the United States cannot prevent the
Chinese, any more than other People from com
ing into the country. And while it IS conceded
that the Chinese generally are not desirable &C
QUESTIONS to any country to which they e~migrate,
for reasons Of a moral a. well as a financial
character, yet the evil Of their presence is only q
bad feature Of a beneficial fact. That fact Il the
opening up Of the great East to the trade and
civilization Of the rest Of the world. japan has
been the first u awaken out Of the slumber Of
ages that has enwrapped the Asiatics. Much
has been said and written of late concerning the
material and mental progress which has been
made in Japan, and it Is not worth while here TO
dilate upon the extraordinary changes which
have occurred. Perhaps the best summary of
these events has been made by one Of the En-
bassy, who at a banquet III San Francisco last
year, SAID
Railroads are being built both in the eastern
and western portions Of the empire; telegraph wires
are stretching over many hundreds Of miles Of our
territory, aud nearly ZOO miles will be completed
within a few months. Lighthouses line our coasts,
and our ship yards are active. All these assist our
civilization, and We fully acknowledge our indebted
ness to you and other nations. As ambassadors and
a. men our greatest hope is to return from this mis-
sion laden with results valuable 10 our beloved cOun-
try, and calculated TO advance permanently her
material and intellectual condition. While in duty
bound 10 protect the rights and privileges Of our
- - ~ - - 1900 lnE amna gnl
by a corresponding increase OF our population, hope
to create 4 healthy basis for this greater activity
Sons and daughters OF prominent japanese
families are scattered throughout the United
States in Summaries Of learning. and in various
schools Of literature and art Some are in the
government establishments Of West Point and
Annapolis, and some are taking lessons in diplo-
macy and international law ut Washington.
Some thirty of their requirements and facilc
assimilation of western ideas may be gathered
from a recently published curious work compris-
ing essays on American life, manners and institu-
tions, written by japanese students, originally
prepared for circulation in Japan. These papers
exhibit considerable subtrty of thought, powers
Of description, and an admirable use of new
opportunities.
But the influence Of Western civilization upon
the Asiatics during the past few years has by no
means been confined to Japan. The immense
strides made by that nation have so attracted the
attention Of Christian countries, that the progress
of other Asiatic communities has been to u great
extent overlooked The great and myriad pOpu-
lated Empire Of China is rapidly shaking off her
ancient superstitions; in India, many of the
debasing practices are abandoned. This decline
r A. - 5000
ing, has been brought about through outside
pressure. Ii was little less than compulsiOn that
opened the doors Of those exclusive peoples to
admit the commerce of the Christian world but
that once admitted, combined with the efforts of
Christian missionaries, the problem of the ulti-
mate Liberation of the Asiatic mind was already
solved. No nation can long sustain enlarged
commercial relations with the Western peoples
without quickly absorbing somewhat of the free
spirit of those peoples. Such 4 spirit will not
brook the superstitious rites of Asiatic paganism.
Commerce and religion have gone hand in hand
to the liberation of those nations from an intel
lectual bondage. The results already apparent
from the endeavOrs made SO far, demonstrate that
the overthrow of systems Of error thousands Of
years old, is, under the evident guidance of an
ONNAA Aiin ~ VIZ % vi Dul Il COlu-
paratigely brief period. The progress of the last
twenty years, if continued to the close Of the
present century, will leave scarcely a vestige Of
the system Of pagan slavery that has so long held
in chains the minds OF the most populous nations
of the earth.
When that day of enlightenment shall have
fully come to the vastly peopled countries of
Asia, their magnificent commerce will be poured
into the lap of America, more especially the
Pacific coast. San Francisco and san Diego will
then be the entrUpots Of more wealth than that of
all the combined commerce which they now enjoy.
In the past, those nations which have enjoyed the
exclusive trade of the East, have been enriched
by it. America has the advantage over all other
nations of geographical position, and she will for
that reason undoubtedly secure in the future 4
practical monopoly Of the rich trade Of Asia.
And it is impossible 20 consider the geographical
advantages in this respect of the Pacific coast of
, America without being forcibly reminded of our
own. The Hawaiian Islands are the natural
halfway house. the inevitable port of call, be-
tween the energetic, commercial West and the
rich, waiting East. Some of the oyerlowings of
the magnificent future cannot but fall 10 our share.
Thus, when we mark these indubitablc signs
of the times,-when we see in the progress Of
events the finger of Providence directing the dcs-
tinics of the human famlly,-we must regard as
insignificant and futile the anti Chinese &. move
ment, p" in allusiOn to which we commenced this
article. The way for America to possess herself
of the splendid commerce Of Asia was opened
through the same series OF circumstances that
has brought to the Pacific coast 80 numerous a
force Of the 9 heather Chinee."
IS THE LEPROSY Durable?
1t Is safe to say that a cure of the disease known