The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1873-02-22
What they say About Us.

Since the death Of our late King. the newspapers
all through the United States have very generally
alluded to the event. and have discoursed more or
less upon the state Of affairs at the Islands. While
some Of the California journals have been very
fairly informed, in the East there seems to exist a
plentiful lack Of correct information upon the
real state Of things here, aud it is amusing to read
the laundering statements of the various editors.
Many of these seem to think it very witty TO speak
of Us as the csnnibal islanders" and in the same
connection to alIude to the stereotyped baked
missionary" For the amusement of our readers
We will give a few slips cut from exchanges.
The New York Times of Jan. 6, (the same date
on which Mark Twain so eloquently and somewhat
t~rutklully discoursed about US in the Tribune)
says: Putting aside VIM. C. Lunalilo, the claim
ants narrow down to Mr.. Pananu and Mrs. C. r.
Bishop" We can only imagine that the writer
somehow got hold of the native name "Pauahi
and biunderingly changed the sex and spelling.
The New York Commercial advertiser, of Jan.
sth, under the head of The coming Queen of the
Sandwich Islands, ; has the following:
Mrs. Bishop, upon whom it is proposed TO be-
stow the Royal Crown of the Hawaiian group of
the Pacific, Is a native of Honolulu, and was born
d Princess, being nearly related to the last three
Kings. Mrs. IL. Is well educated, highly accom-
plished, and very much beloved by her own people,
and highly respected and esteemed by the best
A-AA-A%o ~ NS ASSAAOhN vi "
She was married in lS49 to MIR. Bishop, who was
then occupying the official position OF Customs
General OF the Kingdom, and performing the duties,
more particularly, of Collector of Customs of Ho-
nOlulu, which is the great mart Of trade tor all the
islands. Mr.. Bishop is a gentleman of high culture
and pleasing demeanOT, and introduced many most
useful and efficient reforms in the Customs. His
wife, as Queen, aid Mr.. b. as ConsOrt, would be a
very desirable pair to carry forward the Govern
ment, and place it in a much higher and more dig
niied relationship with other nations, and carry on
its functions in the spirit of progress which now
rules the world. The Hawaiian title of Mrs. Bishop
is the Princess ii, pronounced simply eye"
Under her mild and attractive regime, the Sand
wich Islands might make the transition steps from
Il Kingdom to a Republic, and from Pacific autOn-
omy to a comfortable merger in the Union, under
the b%enignant and paternal protection and rule of
the stars aud Stripes. We grow too homogeneous.
More variety is needed. The wings of the Eagle
have spread" enough to cover San Domingo,
Hawaii. Fiji, and the Samoan group.
Says the New York Herald of the 9th:
The old conundrum, Can a church exist without
a bishop? - is changed to Can a kingdom exist
without u Mrs. Bishop? in the case of the present
political situation in the Sandwich Islands.
The London Times gave utterance to the opinion
that the Americans must people the Sandwich Isl
ands. and thus have a colony on the route between
San Francisco and China and Australia and the
London Standard followed this up by saying that
England must preserve the equilibrium by taking
the Fiji Islands. Whereat the New York Herald
remarks:
Oar friends across the water are evidently much
exercised about the future of the Sandwich Islands.
john Bull sees quite as clearly as Brother Jonathan
than manifest destiny points to the annexation of
these islands to these United States. We have no
desire to enlarge our territory by the annexation
OF any of our immediate neighbors. What We wish
to see is a Gordon of separate and prosperous re-
publics on this Continent and in our immediate
neigbborhood. But the Sandwich Islands are
necessary to US as a halfway station between China
and Australia in vinUy pf mr. uraot aD1 roDialu
growing trade in the Pacific. We need them and
we ought TO have them at once, either by direct
annexation or through the establishment of a pro-
tectOrate. We can have no objection to the sug-
gestion made by the London Standard. that in
order to maintain the equilibrium, should the Sand
witch Islands fall into our hands the FIJI Islands
should be annexed to Australia. We had supposed
that Great Britain had already on her hands too
many colonies. In a matter of this kind, however,
she must be allowed to judge for herself.
But as might be reasonably expected, our neigh
bors of California are better posted in regard to
the situation here than people at the far off East.
The alta of the 9Th inst. after quoting our descrip-
ton of the personnel of the present Cabinet, says
The foregoing is about the gist of the ADVERTISERS
estimate of the new Cabinet. These men are I'M
doubtedly honest and capable. But the question
naturally arises, can they work tremendously to-
gether, the seniors and the two juniors. in years.
To start the little nation out fairly and with new
life and energy, as the Kings speech seems to sug-
gest and desire. no little enthusiasm on the part of
the Ministry is desirable. Whether the young
spiritot the two will be able to inspire into neces-
sary activity the two elders of the Cabinet. is the
question. The nation and the people under pre-
vious reigns have been dying out rapidly, and too
much conservatism will aid, if not hasten, their
extinction.
We hope the inexperience of the younger mem-
bers may be favOrably balanced by the Older wis
dom and conservatism Of the other two. But there
is a lack. perhaps, of the experience necessary to
ensure a wise administration. The art of State
craft they yet are ignorant in, and will have 10
learn by experience. The Hawaiians, by nature
and practice, lean upon others as leaders, and in
consequence the character of the Cabinet and
other oEice-hOlders is of the utmost importance to
them. The responsibility of the new Cabinet will
consequently be great and important. The King
has the credit of possessing fine natural ability, i'm
proved by a good education, but he has been eX-
cluded from all participation in the actual Govern
ment until now.
True. he has been a member of the Legislative
body, we believe. where he was in the opposition
to the late King but he did not participate actually
in the Government, since kamehameha V. was the
Government. Much depends. therefore, upon the
Cabinet. Many of the Islanders are pleased that
their affairs have excited so much interest in the
United States. and as a natural consequence we an
ticipate a sympathetic expression on the part of
the King and his Ministry. and that they will catch.
if they have not previously had. something of our
ideas of progress. Let them but show themselves
worthy of encouragement, by developing their
cOuntry's resources; open their lands TO immi-
grants encourage enterprise labor and self-Te-
spect inaugurate economy in the. Administration
Tighten taxes. and. in fine, be wise in season and
the reign of His Majesty will prove a successful
and worthy one.
The Bulletin of Jan. 3Ist concludes an editorial
resume of late events here, with the following very
sensible words:
Presuming the government question il the Ha-
waiian Islands To be settled. in accordance with the
wishes of the people themselves, foreign uneasiness
lest the United States were about to seize and annex
them will be relieved. For ourselves. it remains
that we endeavOr to cement the friendly relations
have always maintained towards the Islands,
and to make them if possible mutually more profit
able and pleasant. In our opinion it would be
policy to adopt a system of commercial reel
nrocity with the Islands A proper treaty with