Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1882-08-05
SATURDAY PRESS.
GOVERNMENT HONOR.
AUGUSM 5, 1882.

Too great tendency has been displayed iu
the conduct Of affairs Of Government by Cabi-
nets succeeding to power 10 ignore the acts Of
their predecessors. And if any ono thing
will tend TO dotract from the general conf
denco i'll which official acts are held, especially
abroad it is this vacillation of policy. In
certain infrcquent cases Of manifest malver-
sation OF Office by those who have preceded
tho Administration in power, it is doubtless
their right as well as a duty owed to the
country they are serving to correct as far as
possible the errors committed by predecessors;
or even to impeach those whose dclinquencies
are Of nature which calls for extreme meas
ures. But for a Cabinet in Office to simply de-
nouncc at wholesale, and in unmeasurcd terms
the conduct of those who have gone before,
is neither seemly in itself, nor calculated to
heighten tho esteem in which the national
honor is held either at homo or abroad Min
listers who have SO failed in the performance
condcmnations that in certain cases have bccn
bestowed upon them, would if such allega-
tions wero true, bc in reality fit subjects for
arraigument before high Court Of Inquiry
empowered to pass upon their conduct; and u
failure to arraign in such cases can only JUS
tify the inference that the charges are un-
founded, OF that those empowered to act, arc
in truth indisposed to do their duty in the
matter.
No considerations Of p0rsoual or party feel
ing, however, should ever induce an Admins-
tration in power to express their feelings Of
disapprobation at the conduct of their predo-
cessors, by avoiding all such acts OF theirs as
hayo bound the Government to tho iulfillmcnt
OF obligations whoro third parties are con-
cened. Let us instance the action Of tho
present Cabinet in regard to tho immigration
OF Portuguese. In accord with the policy Of
preceding Administration, a plonipotentiary
with credentials from this Government had
been dispatched to tho Court of Lisbon, with
power, and for the purpose, of negotiating u
treaty with Portugal, with the specific object
in view, of encouraging Immigration from the
dependencies OF that country, the prospective
continuation Of which had been greatly en-
dangcred. A satisfactory treaty had been
brought to a conclusion, and an Increased In
ilux OF immigrants as q consequence had been
looked upon az prospect Of the near future.
But this scheme for the increase Of immigra-
tion, tho great desideratum OF the country,
has already been stranglcd by tho act Of the
Cabinet now in power, to the vasl detriment
Of the largest industry Of the countiy--and in
what position are we placed by this act rela-
two to the country treating with us? Such
an act, though mol perhaps literally eontravsn-
lng any slipulations of the existing treaty,
will doubtless be looked upon as ono border
ing on hostility, OF ssnifyipg vacillation
upon the part Of this Government Inconsistent
with its dignity and one which may bs made
a just cause OF future refusals upon tue part
of Portugal TO favor us in our times OF neod.
Well recognised as is the fact, that Of all
immigrants heretofore introduced into the
Kingdom, few have given so great general
satisfaction as plantation laborers as the Por-
tuguese, and that those engaged in the sugar
trade were becoming confidently reliant at the
prospective perpetuity of this stream Of i'm
migration, and looking thereon as an all but
final solution of the loug perplsIed question