The Hawaiian gazette., 1882-06-07
Letter from z. S. spaIding.

kEAIIA, June ], 1852.
Hon W. L. GEEES
Late Mj,Gsiss F0y,igH IdoDs, ,is.
SIR The steamer leaving Honolulu Saturday,
May 27th, did not bring the Commercial 1drertiser
of that day, 50 have been denied the edifcation
Of your letter in that issue until now.
Had sou followed the dictates Of common civil
ity. and. like witness on the stand stopped
after answering the questions you thought were
put to YOU by the various newspapers, would
have allowed your harmless filings at the Board of
Trustees Of The Planters Labor and Supply Com
pany to pass unnoticed inasmuch as quite agree
with YOU that YOU have very little actual knOwl-
edge" concerning them. But when you take
advantage of supposed invitations from the news
papers to Uubosom yourself, and under the plea
Of enlightening the public as to the diplomacy of
YOUR late Cabinet you make statements regarding
tue members Of said Board ,or Of ''geHtsDteH c0H-
nsried' therewith) which are false in matter as
well as intimation, feel privileged a member
Of the Board TO call YOU to account.
/ shall not attempt to review the acts of your
late Cabinet the country has its results, and may
approve OF condemn as it pleases. Nor will take
issue with YOU on the "BupoytaHce of the mission
that took MIR. Carter away from Us at so interest
ING period He tells US, YOU say, that il rrs i'm
portant, and TO those who know the Honorable
gentleman that Is quite enough. Suffice it for
me 10 say that If you believe in the statements
made in your own letter, regarding your two col
leagues, can but think you possessed as little
actual knowledge concerning them as Of the
Board of Trustees of the z. L. and 5. Co.! But
let your colleagues go, Alr. Carter "sgred the
Trc6fy." as ] understand he says he did in pass
inc through Washington; and If he will negotiate
for us a Prohibition Treaty with France. en- route
home, will gladly render unto Caesar" etc
What have to do with Is that "0lfside increment,
Of which You say so deprecatingly that You were
kept entirely in the dark think, myself that
il should have BEEN like your diplomacy advertised
in the F. c. 4. But let me quote -
Il appears that certain influential gentle
men, mainly connected believe, with the Board
Of Trustees OF the Planters Labor and Supply
Company, having observed the situation. and
becoming aware Of the probability of Mr.. Car
ters not returning and Of hr. Armstrong 5
proposed mission to Japan, with the neces-
sity Of Teconstructing the Cabinet, had con-
sidered that it would subserve the best interests
of the Kingdom, and particularly promote the
continuance of the Reciprocity Treaty with the
United States of America If an entirely new Cabi
ne. were formed, in which His EXcellency Walter
Murrav Gibson should take place. in view of his
supposed ability to lead the Representatives in the
Assembly but having associated With them lhiml
three highly respectable American born gentlemen
whose views in favor of Reciprocity were more
rrouuuuced than those which they considered the
Two remaining members of the Cabinet held e
This is the head and front Of our offending. For
this forsooth. We are called 'SmaIfies" and
warned not TO play with edged tools,
Now pray, good mentor, what crime did these
-ipfurafi1t gentlemen commit! They "c0Hsid-
,ysd' what would subserye the best interests Of
the kingdom, Was it for this that the King was
urged 10 apply to the Legislature for the repeal of
the Charter of the +. J.. $ Co. or =as il because
the Honorable gentleman was kept entirely in
the darky Il mat be contrary 10 the rules Of the
.f,71ifieri dfcla" you have Just abandoned, to
.ie8nsidsl''. think 1t was. But ! nothing in
the Constitution to prevent Influential gentlemen
from ''eoaside1Hg.
But there was further crime. After admitting
your "little actual knoEledge, you say you 10
know that gentleman waited upon Mr. Gibson
and strongly urged upon him TO take position in
new Cabinet under certain conditions u u irsrc
offered 20 him. just think Of the nH3acifg of
man uroposiug such thing to Mr.. Gibson. And
Nj. Green kept entirely in the dark" too, But
fortunately Mr. Gibson declined to accept Office
from the Planters Labor and Supply Co.. And
when he did accept, from tie hlHg, the Influential
gentlemen retire "eresf-fateH't
Now, Sir, does 1t not appear to you that you have
been premature in your expose, and that your
better Judgment has been blinded by being kept
entirely in the dark If you had questioned one
Of the influential gentlemen composing the
Board OF Trustees Of the p. l.. and 5. Co. YOU
would probably have learned the dread secret !
now propose to tell you.
During nv last visit 10 Honolulu, two or three
members of the Board of Trustees Of the 2. L.
and $. Co. and two or three gentlemen who are not
members Of that Board, and all Of Us in our
p-irqfe catacify as influential gentlemen only
met together to consider the question as 10
"yhat would subserve the best interests of the
Kingdom and particularly promote the cuniiuu-
ance of the Reciprocity treaty. We did discuss
the weakness of the Cabinet then in Office, though
not so much its OPP osition to the Treaty, as its
Fabian policy generally individual preju-
dice but with the highest respect personally for
the several members Of the Cabinet, we held the
opinion VERY common in the country that its days
were numbered. and that il would soon fall Of its
own weight. We considered as We paid largely,
by our taxes. towards the support Of the Govern
1neut that the King would al least notice our
preference u We concluded to express our choice
as to the men who should be called into new
Cabinet. But this expression Of preference never
vas made. II was not because ~Mr. Gibson de-
clined TO be made a tool No one ever thought
Of making tool Of him, unless il WAS the Green
Ministry when they offered him a fat Office, and
perhaps they found him an edge tool dangerous
TO play with! Bat it was because the 'golifiodf
nreHa had become 50 muddy under the late regime
that it was hard 10 see way for cleaning the