The Hawaiian gazette., 1880-05-05

Ir IS common, and probably correct, to
speak of the prospects of the Hawaiian race as
disoouraging. 1t does not help matters for us
to shut our eyes to the real state of things; it
does not help the Hawaiians as race, to tell
them that their prospects are encouraging and
that things are all right with them, if this is
not the case. If there is work to be done in
helping them it can best be done by informing
ourselves of the dangers that threaten their
existence. These dangers, which have been
referred 10 from time TO time in this journal,
are formidable in the aggregate. The "shock
of civilization" has overwhelmed the Ameri-
can Indian, the New Zealand Maori, and other
noble barbarous tribes. With Hawaiians the
trial has been severe, and wise men have pro-
phesied speedy fatal result. The race wavers
in crisis, in which there are both favorable
and unfavorable symptoms. Among the former
and most encouraging and significant, is the
fact that their attitude toward civilization has
been from the first sympathetic one. They
have not opposed the irresistible tide to their
overthrow, but they met the advancing wave
like surf swimmer and tried to ride forward
upon its crest. The unfavorable symptoms are
mainly the decadence of physical stamina and
the tendency to abuse the freedom from the
old restraints, as an opportunity for vicious
indulgences, new and old. 1t was inevitable
that race which hailed the advent of a new
civilization as something superior and worthy
of example, should adopt its defects as well as
its best features. and here lies the danger of
suddenly engrafting a new civilization upon
an inferior social and political system.
The remedy now lies, not in crying "all is
we'll, +" but in opposing the existing evils intro
dueed or augmented by the change. And to
do this, faithful investigation is necessary.
The sick man is best served by the physician
who unhinchingly ascertains the root of the
malady and attacks it, even though disagree
able truths may be spoken in the process,
rather than by one who speaks cheerfully and
administers unlimited quantities of bread pills.
Probably no other similar nation is SO favor
ably situated for maintaining and even increas-
ing its numbers and perpetuating its political
position, as the Hawaiian. They have their own
government, well established in all its de-
partments, they have schools and newspapers.
In these things lies the remedy which is to
work out their salvation, if it is to be attained
at all; fatherly government which shall
have regard to the peculiar weaknesses and
temptations of the people, and wisely admin
istered educational system. By education we
do not mean simply course of reading, writ
ing and arithmetic, but influences proceeding
from government, schools, churches, the press
and the foreign community which shall be an
irresistible power for mental, moral and phys
ical culture, and which shall steadily CO.
operate in the development of helpful public
opinion in the Hawaiian community. The
Hawaiian home must be respected and guarded
as We respect and guard the white mans home
Chastity and purity must be openly honored,
and their opposites openly censured, where
they attack society. In our business inter-
ests and our social concerns let us not ignore
nor forget the Hawaiian, whose hospitality
and friendliness has made prosperous and
happy foreign community possible upon their
own ancestral shores.