The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1890-03-08


however, with faint suspicion of
an occasional quiet dabbling in the
muddy waters of politics. The Con-
grcgationalists, better known rs the
American Missionaries, are strong
in numbers, and have u name and a
fame more prominent than either of
the others, or of all combined. They
came to this country in the first i'll
stance from New England, and were
the primitive Christian missionaries
TO the heather Hawaiian. These
pioneers were as fixed in their no.
tions of right and wrong, as relcnt-
less against transgressors of the ira
di,ions of the fathers, and as unfor-
giving of moral delinqucncies, as if
they had been carved out of the
ribs of the May Flower.
| believe none of the original
American Missionaries now remain.
They have gone to regions beyond,
whence their return is not expected.
Their descendants are still here, not
many of whom follow the profession
of their fathers. They find law,
medicine, trade, commerce, sugar
raising, and other worldly pursuits
more congenal to their tastes, or
more conducive TO the plethora of
| their pockets. The SUCCESSORS to
the original American Missionaries
are mainly clIristianized native lIa-
waiians, with only y small percent
age OF American stock.
Tue estimate of the results of
missionary effort in Hawaii is vari-
ously stated. The two extremes
are: one, that every good which has
befallen the native race came hy the
missionaries the other, that all the
evil which has afflicted the country
sprang from that very source. The
truth must be sought somewhere he
tween the two eXtrcmcs-iust cX-
actly where is aside from my pur-
pose now TO attempt to define. This
much, however, will say, that the
pro-missionary is apt to credit to
missionary enterprise beneficial ef-
fects that have been evidently pro-
duced by other causes, while the
anti-mlssionary unjustly ascribes to
the presence of the missionary evils
which do not owe their existence
TO that individual in the rcmotest
degree, but are clearly traccablc to
other sources.
The opinion has been expressed
and warmly contcndcd for, that q
fundamental and fatal error of the
early Congregational missionaries
was their omission to teach the ma
tive Hawaiians the English language
and instruct them in the art and
handicraft of Occidental civilization.
A short and truthful answer to this
is, that these are items which were
not included in the specifications of
duty contained IN their commission
as propagators of religion among
the heather.
In another matter these same gen
tlemen are severely censurcd for
having disregarded their specilica-
tions. They were sent here solely
and came Ostensibly for the purpose
of disseminating the religion of the
Great Teacher. After a time they
seem to have acquired an appetite
for the flesh POTS of secular affairs,
and although some of them kept
steadily to the original purpose, OF
ers diverged therefrom to .neadle in
'he ,erns of State. Secular
power became rs sweet to them rs
to the Pope of Rome. Not conten,
with guiding and governing tho
church they had established, they
coveted, sought, and secured contro
of the government of the country
Perhaps this was for the goot
of the nation; and then again
perhaps it was not. Anyhow, it wa'
not contemplated by their commits
sion.
Even up to the present time th'
same denomination of missIonarie
inherits, or at any rate exhibits,
propensity for politics. Po!it!ca
meetings are held in their churches
and there is always greater or les
number of their native preachers il
the Legislature. Several Of the fey
remaining successors of white ski
are now and then seen cutting con
temptible capers in the DOlitica