The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-12-25

SATURDAY December 25th.
GOODWILL TO MEN.

Though some nineteen centuries have
elapsed since the commencement Of the
. Christian era, though the vicissitudes
through which the world has passed in
that time have been many and varied,
the glorious principles inculcated by the
founder Of our era, whose birth we cele-
brate to-day, shine more brightly
and over wider area than ever III
the past. They have survived alike
the dark ages that have gone by and the
full blaze Enlightenment OF the present
day, which latter, so far from eclipsing
their brilliance, serves rather to enhance
its power. Nor is this circumstance in
consistent with the progressive ideas
which obtain in the present day in re-
gard to secular matters. The spirit OF
progress pervades the religious world as
in other quarters. Not that the under
lying principles of the Christian faith
are of themselves undergoing any change,
but experience is from year to year teach
ing the human mind to grasp more
clearly, more broadly, more practically
and with more liberality their true
meaning. Goodwill to menu which is
generally accepted as the prevailing SEN
timent, especially at the present festive
season, is not only more widely recog-
nized among the nations, of the earth,
but it has broader significance than
formerly. In earlier times this senti-
ment was not understood as having any
application to the world at large ire
spective of race or creed; to-day these
barriers of class distinction are steadily
being broken down, and greater will
ingness is observable amongs mankind
at large 20 meet upon the common
platform of humanity. Nowhere,
perhaps, in the civilized world is
there greater scope for the exercise OF
this trait than in this cosmopolitan city
of Honolulu. Even at ordinary times
the several races represented here
mingle freely and generally on the best
of terms, but the differences of nation
atty are not the only class distinctions
in our midst. Here as elsewhere there
are many whose capacity to obtain the
cheerful surroundings usually associated
with the festive season is lar .ely cur
tailed if not entirely prec!uded by
their lot in life. If those in affluent cir
cumstances, in the full enjoyment of all
that makes life happy, will remember in
some tangible form at this time their less
fortunate fellow citizens, the season will
not have been celebrated in vain, and
the fact will have been demonstrated
that there is rife in this community as
true and as high a conception of the
sublime philosophy of Christian
charity as in those which are more ma
tured. In the exercise of this virtue the
intrinsic value is of small account and
the spirit evinced is everyti ing. None
need be considered as outside its
beneficent influence, whether their mis-
fortunes are the result OF poverty
or even crime. The lot of the poor man
may be ameliorated and the prisoner on
the reef may be led to feel that he has
not sunk SO low as TO be outside the pale
of humanity and his moral tone elevated
by judicious appG a1lon OF the princj-
pie of goodwill to men" Our d. ire
is that all, from the highest to the low
est, may spend joyous Christmas.