The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-12-05
From the FIJI Times.l
The PolyneSian Scheme,

In his very able Ministerial memorandum upou
the Government of the South Sea Islands. addressed
to the Governor of New Zealand by Mr.. Vogel
that gentleman eandidly avows that his ultimate
object is The establishment of the Polynesian
Islands as one Dominion, with New Zealand the
centre of Government the Dominion, like Canada
to be a British dependency"
This very Utopian scheme reads more like the
romance OF a novelist than the well-digested ema
nation Of a statesman's brain. The federation of
ByF III" ees Establishment 81 ssGafm not merely of community of
interest, but of identity of feeling and although
we are free to confess that to a certain extent. The
latter a%ssuredly prevails, we opine that its very ex-
lstence is directly opposed to the prevalence of the
form T. The one thing upon which the nncivilized
Porilon oi tue great Polynesian Group, forming too
a most formidable majority, most cordially agree.
Is that white mans flesh is good. The one thing
upon which they are likely, and with paradoxical
unaninlty, to disagree, is, as to who shall have the
larger share of it. With the present limited oppor-
tuni les for gratifying their natural instincts and
appetites, the interesting denizens of the islands.
sought by Mr.. NOgel to be brought under the pro-
teC!nS Bgls OF Ne% Zealand, may, and doubtless
Will hall with considerable qualification the intelIi-
gene" that their food markets promise to be largely
r"plenlshed from sources whence, hitherto, thew
nave iecelVed but a limited and uncertain supply:
ana bht tnat his proposal of Mr.. Vogei seems TO
be somewhat inconsistent with his policy of immi-
grafton, he would doubtless be suspected of enter
tanning some latcLtidea that the Colony fortunate
enough to hail him as its Premier, is over-popu-
lated and that 4 periodical exodus and consump.
ton II a portion of its inhabitants could hut be
CRAFTY ing to all concerned. OF course this gentle
IN eannot be supposed to imagine that he and
Great Britain are to settle the future destiniss and
rule OF such of the islands as, having forms of
government of their own, and being recognized by |
tue leading powers, stand enrolled in the great
family OF nations, and must, therefore, be treated
with. not coerccd or, il any such idea shouId have |
Influenced him. wc should think that the attitude
VINO" tue motler country continues to preserve
towards FDl-Where her acts of interference. if not
absolute government, at least SO far as the white DOB
ulHtIon be concerned, render her annexation Of the
ISLANDS morally compulsory-should serve, very eff
iectually, to disabuse his mind upon that score.
But MIR. Vogel seems altogether inconsistent and lilo
gical IN his propositions. One of the conditions to
be met by his scheme is, "to develope the seIf-coY-
eruing aptitudes of the Polynesian natives" How
does this meet or agree with the idea that the future
OF the islands is to be founded upon English ex-
perience, guided Ly English representatives, and
by the heads of an English colony! The
: selt-goyerning aptitude" of Poly1esian, is best
as being that of never striking a bigger. a
man; beyond that fundamental principle.
seif-control ceases to be, and the simple rule ia
the weakest goes to the wall.
In al cases where civilization has been introduced,
It Is found that the Missionary is the leader and the
pioneer No amount of trading companies, except
carry the merchandise in one hand, the revolver
ii the other, cal hope to found the nucleus of an or
yauised state, and TO Undue the untaught denizens of
lature's sunniest and most favoured retreats, Nth
he relief IN the necessity of government, to be ad-
according to codes inconsistent with, and
utterly repugnant to, their hsbitudes or feelings.
NJ NAS0 DN~hN ia hN6hCAA1k ii u ulIutOrc0 I
lavages the desire to be civilised, is TO arouse in
heir breasts the anxiety to become possessed Of those
lesiderlta which form their riches, and which are
'roughe amongst them by such of their companions
= have been induced to visit other countries: and
Who, returning with the much-coveted reward of
ibour, naturally depict in glowing terms the
iches to be attained by working for their white EN-. /
and so induce their friends to devote a few
ears to pursuits similar to those which they have
ut just accomplished. While the missionary first
wskens the mind Of the savage from its state of
orPor, and opens to the astonished, perhaps almost
gaze the prospect of q world beyond
of inertia and sensusity, which is the normal |
oudit.ou Of the primitive inhabitaut Of tropical i
lines, the work i assisted by the emigration and =
eturn Of certain Of the islanders themselves; and,
hould these have been at all fairly treated, the GER i.
that they will be followed by more Of their I
lends 1t is thus, and thus only, that civilization :
nd desire for government can be induced. The
oily u - sian. tar tom having an aptitude for self .
pv~Tuuent.H possesses only that regard which =
atIraliy prevails in favour of club law; and we 4
Tar that Mr.. VOgel's scheme for their ciyili- =
alton. and for the profits to arise therefron. can
My present itself in such bright colours to his
lchlnted gaze through the verifcation Of the old
r"velb that Distance lends enchantment 10 the q
.ew. u