The morning call., 1893-03-09

dents here tell me that similar fears have
been expressed to them by the older natives,
whose naturally submissive disposition and
ignorance of English have rendered them
an easy prey TO such demagogues and sensa-
tionalists as have been interested in pictur-
ing to them the horrors awaiting them
under American rule. twill take many years
Of wise and just government by the United
States to reassure these timii oues who
stand trembling on the brink Of this great
change.
No matter what ones point of view may
be, one cannot but regard these fears and
preiudices of the natives with genuine re-
spect. They are, for all their In teligence, a
childish, eXtravagant, half-baked people,
full of caprice, and as they have fully DEM
onStrated. utterly incapable of self-govern-
ment. Native Cabinets and Ministers under
Kalakaua plunged the Government deeply
in debt. native councillors have wrought
LiliuokalauPs downfall, and native policy,
when carried out, has inevitably resulted in
misfortune tt the kingdom. Left TO them
selves the native rulers would soon succeed
in shipwrecking the commerce and pros
perity OF the islands and reducing the c0un-
try to the state of semi barbarsm which
seems to have been the eX-Queen'S idea OF
progress, but this. of course, is a PROPOSE
ton with which the natives do not wholly
agree. They are not able fully to see that
annexation will mean for the country in-
creased security and prosperity and a more
advanced position among the nations of the
world, and their fears are as genuine, their
grief as deep and sincere, their forebodings
as real and as formidable Ito them),
and their entire attitude as deserving of
tender sympathy as would be that of
American citizens under similar trial on a
greater scale. So far as they, as people,
are concerned, there is no humorous side
TO the situation; it is one of purest tragedy,
and one that contains, moreover, the ele-
ments both of a great and mutual blessing
to both nations concerted, or of great and
uudyiug horror for one and OF lasting shame
to the other.
If by taking the Hawaiian Islands into
the Union, our home Government may shape
for them policy that will bring prosperity
and happiness to the Hawaiian people, and
honor to the Government, well ana good
but If the carpet bagger is allowed to claim
the kin gdom for his own; if the officers and
governors of the country are allotted on the
spols system, and the territory is allowed
10 fall victim to the profess iOnal politician,
then better, far better, that the islands
should be left to work out their own saliva
tiou unhelped and unhindered by our Gov
ernment, which has already as heavy bur
den of political corruption and misrule ana
shame as she can well carry and hold up
her head among the nations of the earth.
Whatever the United States may decide
to do, this much is certain-that monarchy
is as dead in the Islands as though it had
been thousand years buried. Even the
natives see this. Native rule has had its
day here, and the commercial element the
element which represents all the power,
money and property in the country, will
never submit 10 it again. The Provisional
Government is strong enough, rich enough
and sufficiently equipped to maintain itself,
assume permanent shape and administer
the affairs of the country, unless there
should be interference from Great Britain
or some other power The men who par
tcipated in the present overthrow are de-
termined that this shall be the last revolu-
ton in the kingdom, and it probably will
be. The natives. even should they desire to
Z resist are too uncertain themselves as to
what they want 10 unite in any concerted
action. They have no money, no arms, no
leaders. and really no cause save their
ancient traditions. which have so far lapsed,
no very powerful appeal to their national
pride. Their gods, their kings, their ancient
ceremonial, their lands, their national life
have all vanished. They themselves are
dying out at the rate of nearly 1000 a
year, and but a handful are left of
the hundreds Of thousands that once
swarmed in the islands. Go anywhere
in the interior, and you will see the queer
stone fences still ncloslng the little home
steads once held by the natives,
now abandoned, their whilom occu-
piers dead aud gone, but the pathetic
little patches by their small sizs
and location, often away up on the barren
mountain tops, still bearing mute testimony
to the ancient density of the population.
Remains of the old fshpOnds still exist,
the artificial cultivation OF fish being rem
dered necessary by the great numbers of
people depending upon the fnny tribes Tor
their food supply. Like the little Kuleanas,
the iishponds are now useless and abandon
ed fast filling up and disappearing.
In n very few years there will be no native
Face in the Hawaiian l lands, save those