The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-11-21

thousand in Isreal who had not bowed the knee
unto Baal. | maintain that the Hawaiian nation
has honored God by unfolding the great principle
of religious liberation. Each Christian commun-
ion enjoys full religious liberty and freedom to
worship God according to the dictates Of the in
diyidual conscience. The separation of church
and state is as marked and distinct as in the
United States Of America.
The Hawaiians have honored God, not only by
establishing a Christian government, and enaeting
laws in harmony with the Bible, but by establish
ing and sustaining Christian churches, Christian
schools and Christian missionary societies. These
are all to-day In active and successful operation.
/ cannot dwell upon these facts infinitely, but
these efforts Of the Hawaiians are known to the
world. In proportion to their means, their en-
lightenment and the obstacles which they have
been compelled to encounter and overcome, l am
fully confident no nation is now more fully en-
titled to the name Of Christian Among this
people, as well as among the people of the most
enlightened Christian nations, there is much over
which the eye of pity weeps, and over which
Christian charity would gladly draw a veil. There
is much of truth in the remarks of Mr.. Nordhoh
Though the Hawaiian is no more a perfect
Christian than the New Yorker or Massachusetts,
man, and though there are still traces of old Gus
toms and superstitions, the missionaries have
eradicated the grosser crimes so completely, that
even in Honolulu people leave their houses open
all day and unlocked at night, without thought
of theft and there is not a country in the world
"ANAS L1 GAAoh6NA AA1J SAoNNA ~ III NDSOAoNS
safety as in these islands,"
GOD HoNoRING TIE HAWAIIAN NATION.
Let us now look upon the other side of the pic
ture, and see how God has honored Hawaiians.
God has most signslly honored this people, by pre-
serving their national existence, when it has been
so frequently and ruthlessly assailed. AT certain
times the existence and integrity of this nation
has been attacked, and to all human view, it
seemed as if the end had come to the Hawaiians,
as an independent nation. History has fully
recorded these events. and I need not aow hold
them up to view. There was a most significant
meaning in the memorable speech of His Majesty,
Kamehameha Ill. on the 25th of Feb. lS43:
Here ye! 1 make known to you that l am in
perplexity by reason of difficulties into which /
have been brought without cause; therefore /
give away the life of our land, hear ye but my
rule over you, my people and your privileges will
continue, for l have hope that the life of the land
will be restored when my conduct is justified"
In due time, to the honor of the British Gov
eminent, it was restored, and the Hawaiian Flag
again waved, after British rule from the 25th of
Feb. 1S43, to July 3lst,-a period of five months.
The sentiment of His Majesty, that ssby right
eousness the life of the land is preserved ; 10
worthy of becoming the National Motto, and of
being inscribed upon the nations escutcheon.
God, [ would maintain, has honored the Rulers
and people of the Hawaiian Islands, by maintain
ing their national existence. s
Not only has the national existence of the peo-
pie been preserved, but the nation has enjoyed an
uninterrupted reign of peace for three quarters OF
a century. / am not aware as any other nation
on earth has been thus signally blessed and hon.
ored during the XIXth century. From the
period when Kamehameha i. closed his war of
conquest, at the end of the last century, down to
the present time, the Hawaiians have enjoyed
peace. On one or two occasions, there have been
slight risings or instructions, but really such as
scarcely merit the historians notice.
peace hath her victories
No less renownd than war"
Peace is something for which any people may
well give thanks to Almighty God, when the
evil, miseries, and havoc of war are contemplated.
while this little Kingdom has enjoyed three score
years and ten of unexampled peace, and freedom
lrom civil and foreign war, how fearfuny have all
the other nations of the earth been torn, rent,
distracted and mutilated by war. Again and
again have the nations of Europe, Asia, Africa
and America, been engaged in the most deadly
combats and destructive battles. Millions of SOL
diers have been killed and mutiiated, while the
waste of property and treasure it is utterly i'm
possible fully to estimate. Who can compute the
misery, suffering and waste of treasure and life,
resulting directly and Indirectly from the wars of
Napoleon, the Crimean war, the Typing rebellion
in China, the Civil war in America, and the many
other minor conflicts of this century? Yet dur
ing all this long period the Hawaiian nation has
enjoyed a profound peace, even while wars have
been raging throughout other parts of Polynesia.
Surely God has honored this people by thus sig
nally blessing them with peace.
God has so overruled events that the Hawaiian
the nations of the earth. To secure this recOgni-
ton, required great labor and much negotiation.
This work was undertaken by Messrs. Richards
and Haalilio, during their mission to the United
States and Europe, in l842, and was carried for
ward by Mr.. Wyllie, Mr.. Judd, Mr.. Lee, Mr..
Ricord, Mr.. Allen and others, who labOred with
a zeal, perseverance and anxiety, which those in
Office at the present time, can with difficulty ap-
p~reciate, when the various departments of gov
ernment are carried forward In O systematic
round of routine duty. The principle of the recog-
milton of Hawaiians as a civilized nation and gov
eminent was urged with fully as much difficulty
and discouragement, as a Treaty of Reciprocity,
is now advocated. To the honor of the United
States, Government, the initiative was taken at
Washington, which was soon followed by the
duplicate Treaty, signed by the Representatives
of France and England, on the 28th of Nov. IS43,
q day which is still recognized as the day of HA-
wAIIAN INDEPENDENCE. All the nations of Europe
soon followed, so that the Hawaiian Kingdom,
small as it may be in population and territory, is
now as fully recognized and honored, as any
Kingdom of Europe, or Republic OF America.
This rs an honor, for which, as a nation, we should
be truly thankful. 1t gives to the decisions of our
Court, and our Courts of Admiralty an
acknowledgement, similar to those of the Supreme
Court of the United States and the Legal Authori-
ties of Europe. This is a great honor for the small,
weak anu remOIt hlIlSuom Oh DdWdll. 1Do
King of the Hawaiian Islands, is a Ruler and
King among the Rulers and Kings of the civilized
world, and his subjects are free and independent,
living under a limited Constitutional Monarchy.
Not only have the Hawaiians been honored as
a civilized nation, conducting their affairs in ac-
with the rules and principles of civilized
nations, but a still higher honor has been con-
ferred upon them. 4 They have, in the good provi-
dence of God, become honored as a Christian
nation. | think l cannot be mistaken. Some
few months ago, a Christian lady of rare powers
Of observation, a member of the Church of Eng
land, daughter of a clergyman of that church,
after having Travelled extensively over this group
of islands, returns to England and publishes her
testimony in the October number of a London
which came to hand by the late mail,
and from which I have already made a quotation.
After a general review of the political, social and
RELIGIOUS state OF afaire during the last three