The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-07-05
1.-THE MAKING OF HAWAII -

"The Making of Hawaii" by Profess
sOr William Fremont Blackman, of
Yale College, and published by The
Macmillan Co., is the first attempt that
has been made to apply the scientific
method to Hawaiian history, and make
a connected story of it's evolution
Previous histories, or stories, writ
ten by Bingham, Dibble, Jarvis, Alex
-ander, and others record events, with
out any special attempt to work out
the philosophy of the native history.
Bingham's history was written from
the standpoint of Calvinism, which re-
garded the natives as heather, who
were on the eve of everlasting punish
ment, without recommendations to
mercy, unless they were converted
Jarvis impartially recorded events un-
til the year 1912, and Alexander fol-
lowed some years later with an i'm
partial, clear and brief history, which
and does not discuss the principles in
volved in the evolution, as the author
was under the restraint of the Mon
archy in the preparation of his work.
Professor Alexander is especially fit
ted to take account of stock Of HaWa-
iian history, and strike a correct bal
ance, now that one long chapter in
that history is closed. But that has
\, Hrb; ri, hoe bop IN,
the Mainland. While Professor Bryce,
an Englishman, has published the best
and most philosophical treatise on
American commonwealth, so Profess
best, the most searching and reliable
commentary on the growth of the Ha-
waiian community. 1t is the work of
a careful and impartial student, who
the stories about these Islands, with
out being Influenced by any of the
business, political or family interests.
He has done what no one here, how
do, taken an entirely Independent
stand. For so many of the actors in
Hawaiian history are still alive, any
person living here who would publicly
not to have been born.
Professor Blackman has never visit
ed these Islands, and relies entirely
on the data furnished to him by books
and correspondence. It is a comment
on the value of a thorough training in
scholarship, in the scientific method,
that he has traced out SO clearly the
evolution Of this little midocean COM
munity from the early days, without
having seen the people whose history
rently intelligent persons have given
these Islands and their inhabitants a
personal examination, and have ended
in publishing a lot of descriptive trash.
His book is also admirable in this re-
spect, that it is not an attempt to
prove some theory Of evolution, but is
statement of connected facts, and
their relations to each other.
lWeTS' Is yet uiuCn " DO "ii|1Nhi
about the evolution of this little COM
munity, which is a singular composite
of mixed races. The data for correct
psychological history Of the natives is
wanting, that which reveals the pre-
else effect of stamping upon their poly
theistic ideas the idea Of one Supreme
Being When a native convert to
Christianity closed the blessing at his
repast with the words: In the name
of Jehovah, Kane, Ku and Lono
amen,' there is at once revealed
the obscure processes OF his mind
and it suggests that long in
tellectual regeneration was as much
needed as spiritual, and thai
both regenerations were Of slow
growth, and immediate results could
not be expected. Professor Blackmar
mentions several incidents bearing or
this growth.
FILL - I q