The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-01-31
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
Some Reasons Why the United
States Should Possess Them.

W GSElDEfOl IN YOUR 4AtcuaA LlOAA
ing issue. concerning the Hawaiian
Islands Having spent the months
OF Nay and June last In Honolulu
ana the island OF Hawaii, having
been present ct the opening OF the
present legislature il Honolulu and
met and conyersed with many OF Its
members. and also with d great nun
Der OF the leading subjects and ci6
zens Of the kingdom. l may speak, It
seems 10 ne, with some assurance q
the condition OF things there, and Of
. the future Of that most Interesting
and beautiful cluster OF Pacific isl
ands.
Geographically. these islands are
nearer to the United States (the Pa
cifc coast than to any other coun-
try, beng POO miles from San
Francisco, while they are more than
1000 miles removed from South
America, and from Australia and
New Zealand, from China, Japan,
and the British South Sea and In
dian possessions. They are the only
available land, as stopping place
for ships north Of the equator, mid
way, as 1t were. in the great Pacific
ocean, IN all voyages east. west, north
and south. They therefore consti-
tute, as must be obvious, q world
strategic point Of the very first i'm
portance, and in this respect, as
seems also clear, their existence and
proprietorship one of greater con-
Germ both in peace and war to the
United States than to any other
earthly power.
Historically, the natives OF these
islands, as first found by the Span
ISL. English and American navi
gators, were d bsrbsrous. heather
people It prehistoric migration,
or branch OF migration.
probably of the great Turanian or
Monaghan race from Asia and the
North, and identical with the Sa-
means, Gilbert islanders aud Maoris
of New Zealand. They were. when
first found, quite numerous-sup
posed 300.000-and Of heroic type
and warlike habit; but they remain
ed barbarous and unciviiized until
1919, when permanent white Chris
rian missions were established among
them in each OF the five larger isl
snds By the Congreggtionalist
Church Of Massachusetts.
To these missions, in the main,
they owe their civilization and their
Christianity. Other foreign churches
and educational influences have, in
later time, been established there. as
the Church Of England, the italian
or Roman Catholic Church. and
others; but none have taken the
hold upon them, or so left their i'm
press in all religious and social Gus
toms. IN civil, political ard econo-
micsl ideas, as the New England !
American Congregstionalists. The |
government. 1t Is true. is nominally |
and formally q kingdom; result |
which naturally came about from |
the supreme cbieftsincy OF Kameha- /
meha l, the great warrior and con
querOr OF all the islands, who was il
power wheE the missionaries landed /
from Boston; and this accident
favored British pretensions to med /
die in the islands, by opening
the door for them 10 give in
to the native chiefs about
the proper majesty and state of a
king. etc. But in spite Of this mon
srchical form, l everywhere found
the sentiment. both among the ma
tives and foreigners, to be strongly
democratic, and above all things,
American. From the first. Amer
leans were more largely settled
among them than any other white
foreigners; and these IN the main,
we're of the best and most intelligent
class of Americans, who have largely
with the natives, and
have been chiefly instrumental in
,ivilizing them, and in organizing
heir social and civil institutions. and
n the development OF the resources
IF the country. Three generations
# white and mixed American bloods
nave been born in the Islands; and
hey very largely hold the civil
,fiiees, occupy the Government posi-
ions, teach the schools (which is the
American public school system, and
D which both Hawaiian and English
re taught, conduct the churches.
nd control the business and social
interests of the kingdom in all the
Stands The prevailing church in
II the islands is the American Con-
regationalist, although none is sup
,orted by the State, and the leading !
Istives and most of their kings and
ueeus have been members Of it.
To all inteuts and purposes, the /
hawaiian Islands are an outlying ]
olony and extension of New Eng
and speaking very largely the Eng :
ish language, and permested through
nd through with American senti-
leut. a most striking eIemplifcs
ion Of this is observable everywhere, I
ct only in the universal social, reli-
ious and educational institutions
nd customs Of the Islands. but in
be public anniversaries and holidays. |
l.. A., AZ - I'LL cd ~ = naoora ! :