The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-12-23

THE POLYNEsI AN tOLICY ENDORSED

Ii the Gazette" would only read that
very interesting and excellent publica-
ton, the Missionary Herald" it would
not write the stupid attacks upon the
Government, which it is in the habit of
doing regarding it's Polynesian policy.
We assume that its inspiring minds are
in accord with the policy and principles
of the American Missionary Board, and
therefore we are surprised to find that
policy which that influential body fully
and loyalty indorses is ridiculed and
condemned by the Oppossstitton press.
There must be mistake somewhere or the
article in the last ''Gazettts" would not
have appeared. 1t sets out by saying
ION the Esd day of August, 1888, by
order of His Majesty in Council, Walter
n. Gibson, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
issued protest, which was sent to all
the Courts of the civilized world. Some
of them responded to it. The majority
made no reply beyond the acknowledge
ment of the protest. In spite of the pro-
test, Immediately thereafter, annexations
were proceeded with" And then fol-
lows details of annexations well known
TO every newspaper reader.
As if this were not sufficient, the
article concludes in the following often
siye and insulting remarks as applied to
the Government of the country in which
they are published: at does seem as if
the Empire of the C&Iabash were still
distant dream. That protest, which
caused so much amusement here and
was so cavalierly treated in the Legisla-
tire in Sydney, seems to have been
s.ngularly unsuccessful. The foreign
policy OF the Government has not been
crowned with laurols, but has been
rather smothered with snubs."
The bad taste of the foregoing extract
viii strike the most casual reader; its
lack of political sagacity will appear still
more conspicuously by the annexed ex-
tract from the proceedings of the Amer
lean Missionary Board at its last annual
meeting, as reported in the December
issue of the Missionary Herald" We
quote the latter part of the report of the
Committee on the Pacific Island Mis-
sions, as presented by General Samuel
g. Armstrong, chairman-a gentleman
connected by family ties and associa-
tons with these Islands. After referring
to the general mission work in the Pa
cific, and to the Rev. DR.. Hyde's labor
in making the North Institute a "source
of help and inspiration to the Hawaiian
church, - the report continues:
tsrhe Caroline Islands have, during |
the past year, been the cause of diplo- |
masic dispute between the governments
of Germany and Spain. It is now re-
ported that an arrangement has been |
entered into whereby the somewhat |
shadowy claims of sovereignty advanced |
by Spain and formally repudiated by /
Germany and England five years since,
are now to be practically acknowledged. |
It is to be regretted that native sover-
eighty and independence could not have /
been respected, and the native chiefs as
sisted in forming a government which |
would have protected all the interests in
yolved, as was suggested in an appeal or
groups and islands in the Pacific, made
TO the Great Powers by the Hawaiian
Government last year. Spain has never
done anything to establish government
or morality in the Caroline Islands. Ii
such efforts constituted any claim to
superior rights, the claims of America
aud Hawaii would be paramount. Your
Committee are glad to learn that the
Board have communicated with the
Honorable Secretary OF State, and have
assurances that the United
States Government will make earnest