The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-03-08
THE PACIFIC
Commercial 30Otrtisrr.
SATERDAY. MARCH :.

TIE ISSUE e the Government Organ for this
week II a much more satisfactory number than
has appeared for many a day. Taking the gentle
hint conveyed in our last, the - administration y
the term is perhaps an improvement on 1.-THE
Ministry has made a demonstration towards
letting the public know that it has a Foreign
Policy" To be sure, the leading article on the
subject commences with a pretcncc Of indifference
az b what the ADVERTISER may say, and then
goes on b Do what the ADVERTISER insisted 1t
ought % DO; performing the tack moreover in an
extremely iBartistic and occasionally incOherent
manner, the Encouragement Of the subjects inclu-
ded suggesting the idea Of q hash, the different
constituents Of which are contributed by different
hands still, it takes the place Of and Is evil
IDENTIFY intended for, an exposition Of ministerial
policy in respect 70 our foreign relations. In -
much, therefore, it is a repOnse to the public de-
mand; and let US not look a gift horse 10 the
uOuth.'
We learn from this official utterance that the
Ministry appreciate the advantages of the free
discussion Of Reciprocity and the proposed cessiOn
Of Pearl River HarbOr. (Why necessarily a ces-
sion, and not a lease for q term Of yeIrsO And
that this latter, 1.-The new question Of ceding to
the United States a naval station at Pearl River
is well known to be under consideration in official
circles" Though the expression is not particp-
larry clear, 1t is to be presumed that - official cir
cles" in this connection signifies the Cabinet
Council; and this being so, we could have wished
for some statement Of "all the considerations
against and in favor Of" the proposition, so i'm
pOrtant and so vitality interesting 10 the nation at
large. And incidentally We are reminded that
- 1t should not be forgotten, that the suspicious
Of the natives have more than once-and perhaps
with reasOn-been aroused against the encroach-
ing spirit Of those who undertook to give the
American feeling towards this country 1t is
not very apparent what is meant by the obscure
expression give the American feeling" But
probably a reference is intended to the annexation
party, which, hitherto Insignificant, has now
boldly begun to show itself, and which will doubt
less regard with complacency the ministerial man
ner of recognizing and toying with the subject in
the article under review. Is it loyal to the King,
is it just to the Hawaiian nation, that the recog-
nizcd organ of their Government should presume,
unasked, to present as a topic for discussion the
abandonment Of q national existence?
The Gazette concludes its chary exposition Of
"Our Foreign Policy in these words:
I'VE await the progress oil events In hll conn
dence that the Administration will be true to their
assurance to the Chamber Of Commerce. that they
are alive to- the wants Of the country. and we have
no m~isgiving that they will not take effective steps
to promote them"
But after oil, there is a lacking, in these Min
isterial utterances, of the magnetic influence of
earnest will to do, and strong faith in accomplish
mcnt, which is betrayed in the repeated use of
words of misgiving and doubt. As when it is
said that a treaty of Reciprocity can only be nego-
tiated, "D at ALL" ETC., and that "it is a work
that cannot be done in a few weeks, or perhaps
in n few months, IF at ALL"
Success is not to be gained BY anticipating and
magnifying difficulties. United and determined,
h6tforgct that a former attempt to secure Reel
procity was mainly defeated by influences at work
among ourselves.