The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-04-22

Christian The Confucian. Buddhist.
Iindoo and Nohammedan faiths pro-
duce stagnation now. whatever they
may have done in their primitive vigor.
But for two thousand years the cross
has led the van for the nations that
were growing upwards. and now, as
the truths basal 10 Christianity are pre-
scented to the comprehension OF the
backward ones, they too begin To stir
themselves. and if they do not directly
accept a new faith. the old one loses
its hold, and state of agnosticism SUI
peryenes which is still quite compatible
with great activity IN material and in
tellectual progress. Even the agnoSti-
cism derives it's vitality from the eter
nal verities which ii culIs out from
Christianity while ii rejects the faith
which is based upon them.
In considering the question of race
mingling. there are two sides to be
analysed. One relates 10 the popula-\
ton already in possession of country;
the other concerns the influence upon
the immigrants. Practically the first
proposition is the important one to us
today; posterity must deal with the
other which we can regard only sec
ondary in comparison TO our efforts for
the present national good. assured.
however, that true apprehension OF
present needs will be most likely to
provide for those of the future, for
whatever makes for righteousness now
cannot turn to evil hereafter.
The United States are face to face
with this problem as regards the negro,
and the answer to il is not at all ap-
parent as yet. Owing to the prejudice
against color, the amalgamation of the
white sand the black is less rapid than
among white races, and here there is
little mixture between white and Ash
attic But as to the HawaiianS, the OPP
posite is true. Ii is very interesting to
note the changes resulting from inter-
marriage Mulattos are physically in
ferior in vitality to either parent, and
marrying together rarerly survive the
third generation, families dying out
both by feeble resistant power and low
fertility. Intellectually they are de-
cidedly inferior to the white parent
and superior to the black. Among Flu
rasians I believe the same is true, tho
cannot speak personally.
The Hawaiian half-breeds show the
same results, being physically less re-
sistant to disease than the European
parent The intellectual capability
bears the same ratio to the parents as
| in the former case, so far as my obser-
walton goes, but others with greater
| familiarity than | with the subject can
speak upon that point.
| The half white falls short intellect
| ually just where the native Hawaiian
| fails. Not in quickness of appreben-
| sion or in intelligence, but in the
| power of sustained effort IL is well
known that Hawaiian well brought
| up among the best surroundings can
rarely maintain himself when returned
| to his native relationships. and | think
| there are very few half whites who
| have proved themselves equal to car
| rying on large business interests sue
| cessfully, or taking a high standing in
| the professions However il is my i'm
| preston that the half Chinese are an
exception to this rule, the Chinese hy-
] brid retaining more OF the paternal
thrift and energy than the half white.
| 1t is to be remembered in this connec-
ton. as strongly modifying element
| that among the half whites the male
| parent usually has not been one TO
| transmit very much OF value to his Off
spring. But even where the parents on
| both sides have been unexceptionabie,
! the truth of my statement will be APP
| parent This argument by no means
proves that the mixture OF European
and Hawaiian must not finally produce
a high type of humanity. The Hawaii
ans are but two generations from bar
barism, and it is rather remarkable
that they have advanced SO far. |
| doubt whether the ancient Britons in
two generations showed any more IA
vorably after the conquest by the Ro-
mans.
| shall not touch the larger question
of the desirabiIity of Asiatics in Ha-
wall, as that involves discussion for n
volume by itself. ] believe, however.
that in the ultimate makeup OF the
10th century Hawaiian. 2 tincture with
Oriental blood may blend some OF the
patient economical diligence charac-
teristic of those races, with the jolly
hospitable misses fdire of the native
Polynesian to the exceeding advantage
of the latter That this idea involves
the entire remodeling of a race need
|