The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-11-14

Our noble Prince, and the most Christian or
der over which he presided, produce this
profitable RESULT Not by voluntary Portu-
guese agricuiturIsts, who could not be in
duced to exile themselves and could hardly
be procured except by penal enforcement;
and not by any aboriginal people of this or
Of neighboring islands. But Africa's black
children, that had been toiling Involuntary
ages upon ages as chattels for Asia, were
now for the first time employed by Europeans
in extracting wealth out Of the new lands of
the West.
PRINCE A SHAREHOLDER.
His acquiescence in the bondage of his
fellow men will to many minds dim the
glory Of our great Prince !; and although he
was the Apostle Of the Spirit Of Discovery,
the Founder of Modern Progress, the first
Modern Colonizer, the first Utilizer of the
Compass, the Quadrant and the Chart, and
the Inventor Of Ocean Navigation yet in his
character as First Planter and Negro Slave
Owner Of Europe in the newly discovered
lands in Occidental seas, he will seem to
tamish the b%rillisncy Of his otherwise lus-
trous fame. But the Prince, though far in
advance Of the political intelligence and en-
terprise Of his age, was not and could not
dream Of being superior TO he humanity of
the faith derived from his sainted mother
and held by the civilized world In his day,
as the only salvation Of mankind. His read
ings Of st. Paul and other Primitive Fathers
of the Church, taught him that human bond
age was not only acquiesced in but endorsed
by them ; he knew that slaves had been
bought and sold in Christian Rome. Egypt,
Arabia, Syria, Persia and Rome in their
days Of power, and even Venice and Flor
ence down to his time had used the negro
as a traditional slave. The sentiment of
Latin Europe had been accustomed to the
enslavement of the African but even had our
Princes mind been trained by the Germanic
sentiment, which is the foundation of our
spirit Of human liberty, it would not in the
century have enlightened his spirit
of humanity IN respect to African bondage.
The negro was then everywhere as in ages
past, the symbol Of slavery. Grecian and
Roman sentiments Of liberty had never ap-
piled 20 such a traditional slave race, whose
chief industry and m with the stran-
ger was In the enslavement Of and trade in
themselves. And there was no question of
humanity or Of human liberty In Prince
Henry's mind, no moro than there was in
the mind of the noble and generous Isa-
bella Of CASTLE, when they permitted the
enslavement Of their black or savage fellow
beings. The inhumanity belonged to their
age and to the whole past sentiment Of the
world and the nineteenth century has only
in our day, seen and felt and sought to re-
dress this wrong.
HENRY's HUMANITY.
But his humanity in all other respects
was of the noblest character, and far supe-
rior to the age In which he lived. He was
notably the friend Of he poor, and the chiv-
aIrous defender of the oppressed /; although
thiswilI seem so contradictory, when he could
hermit the African to be torn from his home,
and TO toll on his plantations. But IT was
Africans countryman who tore him away
from his home, and sold him to the stranger
for a small price. Henry would not permit
violence and injustice to be done by his own
people. He was frequently obliged to repair
at great sacrifice, the %injustices perpetrated
by his officers abroad. Captain Suero da
Costa had obtained seventy slaves at Palma ;
hut his superior officer Joao de Castillo, who
when COSTA reported to him was recruiting
nj Gomera, one of the Canary Islands, not
heinz satisfied with the success of his lieu
tenant, kidnapped a sufficient number of the
friendly Gomerans to make up a compile
ment Of one hundred slaves for Madeira.
When the Prince heard of this outrage upon
those whom he deemed not only a friendly
n free people, he ordered that they
should be well clothed, and returned with an
abundance Of gifts unto their own country.
lie talent de bien faire."
The Prince was more Jealous TO do good,
to win fame. He had all the religious
zeal Of Columbus and Of Magellan. He was
as eager as a Jesuit to work for the greater
glory Of God ; but yet he was not inclined
10 sacrifice his fellow men, as mere dead
matter a. peTinde &C cadayer"l In the ac-
;omplishment of this object. His great de-
sire was to do good in the world and with
his sentiment in his heart he adopted his
famous motto, the French words LIE tai
INT de bien faire e" or, the talent of doing
rood. which was affixed as an inscription in
syery land where his ~navigators went.
HENRY As A MISSIONARY.
When Jean de Betancour the Norman
to Prince Henry the Canary Islands
or a portion of the island of Madeira, the
Prince sent a large expeditionary force OF
bout $500 men, mainly recruited from his
order Of Christ. in order partly to
.~oIonize the group, but chiefly to convert the
people to the true faith. The jealous
officers Of Henry succeeded admir-
Lbly in advancing the cross at the point OF
he sword. Perhaps the poor ignorant uu-
inches could not appreciate great truths
some such sharp Inc incisive argu-
nentation. They believed, and then passed
way, to the last man after the reception OF
new faith. Alas, for such a salvation,
had no promise whatever for this
world Henry did not appreciate IT, as his
,ficers did. He became disguised with this
,Ian Of propagandism, and abandoned IT. and
l. De- hara rrya Sao the hanInnIn6 I
f the decay and destruction that has ever
the progress OF enlightened discov-
Nv. and the s,sbenefcent intentions OF
philanthropy. Guanche, Carib, and Indian
ave utterly passed away, either by reason
---o-,oo - Tho ahrouation of their old con-