The Hawaiian gazette., 1877-11-21

The following is the response of the Minis
ter of Foreign Relations dd interim, at Gen.
Comly's dinner:
Mr. MINIsTER:-I bave the honor to acknowl-
edge. in the of His Majesty, the toase pro-
posed by YOU and just hOnored by your guests, the
gentlemen here present Accredited to this country
as you are, by near and friendly Power, His Maj
jesty views the commencement of your official resi-
dence with high regard, aud allow me to hope,
this residence lengiheDs from days into months,
aud months into years, that il may become increas
ingly agreeable and pleasant to you, snd that as
you become more intimately scQuAInted with
affairs, you will find reasons to foster strengthen
and enlarge the friendly relations which have
happily suOssted between our respective countries
We, as Government, are happy 10 welcome you
to our shores, and propose to meet you on all Ques
tions which may arise, and all discussion which
may come up, in the most frank and cordial spirit.
and may add for myself personally aud for my
fellow residents of these Islands, that happy
TO welcome you here, TO homes and families,
TO social circles and those intimate relations
of Deighbor and friend, which When sympathetic
and true, tend to make life cheerful, bright and
agreeable.
Gentlemen-The present occasion. as well as The
toast which shall shortly have the IouOr TO pro-
pose, makes il proper that l shOnld advert TO the
country which His ExeelleBcy has come kither TO
represent, and which IN the course OF events has
BECOME our nearest neighbOr. The time was, in
the not far distant past when the United States was
As far from u.s. commercially speaking, as England,
or France or Germany-~hen the little c0mmerce
had with ali these countries found its way to or
from by the long and tedions route VIA Cape
Horn; when the Hawaiian islands, socially and
commercially, we're bat as specks on the broad eX-
pause Of the defiant Pacific Ocean. These lslauds.
To tue view of she 1snt and the citizen Of New
Bedford, were but group 10 be reached after long
aud patient voyssing, profitable only consum-
ing = small amount Of goods, nseful IS stopping
place for cruising ships, or Interesting as anodDg
illustration of ihe triumph and eoDquerng power
I of Christianity.
Butthe march of events have wonderfully changed
all He has been a
thirty years ago, should have ventured to predict
/ what has actually came 10 pass-Who should have
moved the United States from the atlantic 10 the
Pacific board, and have setticd on the same large
thrifty and vigorous population. YET this miracle
/ has BEEN accomplished When the marvellous an
nouncement was made to the people OF The Eastern
I United States that on the Pacihc Slopes of the
Sierrzs gold might be bad for The picking of il up
/ from the soil. mighty wave of emigration flowed
|. acruss the Isihmus of Panzma-Tushed in steady
torrent across the plains and tue Rocky Mountains
-Seiled up from South aud North and spread out
upon the plains, hills aud valleys Of California. anIl
as il in day, villages towns and cities sprang
into existence pOpuiVus and well organized States
were formed soil which, for centnres had hardly
felt The foot Of human beiDgs. and in incredibly
/ shctt time viewed the fair form Of American
! Liberty and American institutions seated on the
summit ol ghe SicrTzs, her fret lGEed BY the blue
waters Of the Pacific, and her eyes turned To tue
peoples Of the Oecis-nt-
BIZ this march west ward the United States moved
400 mics nearer HaKzii-cSsDmereially. more than
100 days Heirer-znd stretched cut 10 us helping
hand, opening for rs new vista OF commercial en-
| terprse and the profitable exchange OF products.
This RArch has placed II our eonmAud 1n available