The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-06-13
THE PAST OF HAWAII.
FATHER CASTLES Personal
"REMINISCENCES.
Aggressions of England and France on
These Islands Monroe Doc
trine and its Lessons

may mention are entlTeIy peIS'hdl, anu
the inquiry will naturally arise as to
their credibity, it will not be thought
egotistical or indeicdte for me to speak
first of myself So that any person read
ing these memoranda can Judge OF
their credbiity. My circumstances
have been favorable both for hearing,
and seeing aud acquiring information
generally upon matters spoken of. In
July, 1896, received the appointment
of secular or financial agent of the Am.
BID. of Com for Foreign Missions for
these islands, sailing from Boston in
December and and arriving here April
9, 1887 l was identified with the
mission whose temporal necessities |
came to provide for, Of course, and the
nature of my work also identified me
at once with the business community.
For fourteen years was devoted solely
to the work Of my agency. AT the end
of this time, at the suggestion and by
the wish of the American Board, MIR,
Cooke, nay associate in the agency, and
myself established the mercantile house
of Castle & Cooke, which has now
been in operation for thirty-two years
! continued to act as agent for thirty
two years, from the date of my appoint
Ment.
Thus l have been identified with
this business community forty six years
| think there are none remaining but
myself Of those who were prominent in
business. One house remains, but with
no original partner. | have been
honored by my fellow residents with
various honorary positions as President
of the Chamber of Commerce, etc,
and also in other than business rela-
tons, in the political, religious and
other organizations. The institutions
of the country when | came here were
in formative state and as | came in a
responsible and fiduciary character it
was natural that / should be sometimes
consulted and counsel sought in mat
tiers of which | was supposed to be
more fully informed than those who
from their circumstances had not had
as good opportunities of information as
l had enjoyed. was invited to
honorable positions in the Government
service which declined, but did not
hesitate to give my opinion when it
was sought upon political, religious or
civil topics, and thus | became ac-
quanted with many things of which
should have known nothing in other
circumstances. My position as privy
counsellor and noble has added to my
opportunities of learning the political
status Of the country. In forming my
opinion of the purposes of France and
Great Britain respecting these Islands
in the past, | have been influenced
by the tendency of events as well as
utterances either oral or written,
Both France and Great Britain
for the last forty years have
beer particularly active in extending
their colonial system amongst the Isl,
ands of the Pacific, and their dealings
with these Islands as well as some
same result, whilst the relations of the
United States have seemed to be more
of those of a guardian for its ward,
though not unmingled with interest
for the great body of its commerce has
always been American; but aside from
this citizens of the United States have
spent millions of money as well as year!
of weary labor in outstanding anc
civilizing the people, in giving them ;
written language, and books, anc
schools, and churches, and laws as wei
as the civil polity in making them wha
they are, and her military and nava
authorities, and her statesmen declare
the strategic position of the Islands t
be such that no other country SHOULD
appropriate them, but American in
huence must be maintained paramount
or they must take possession. Sucl
remarks have been made to me per
sonally by General Schoield and differ
ent admirals. General Schofield re
iterates the same, with the reason
therefor, in a letter of December sc
1873, addressed to the Hon. J. K
Luttrel, NJ. c. Admiral Porter sus
tains these views in letter to the Hor
Mr.. Wood. The London Times says
"The maritime power that holds Pear
River Harbor and moors her fleet Their
holds the key Of the North Pacific"
Sir George Simpson says; ETH
archipelago is far more valuable on thi
account; that it neither is nor eve
can be shared by rival
Alexander Simpson says: "Fror
the period of my first visit to the Sane
witch Islands / became convinced {
their value and importance, and, Their,
fore, DESTROYS that they should form
British possession" Mr.. Simpson say
later: 81 cannot but regret now, Sc,
ing undecided action of the BIRTHS
Government, that some act on the pal
Of Lord George Paulet had not left an
other conclusion open than that III
dynasty Of Kamehameha must cease t
reign"
| have deemed the aggressions mad
by both British and French in tormt
times to enforce demands, having,
INV OniniOn hvt LITTLE found,t