The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-07-13
PROF. BLACkMAN AND THE MIS-
SIONARIES.

In the Making of Hawaii Profess
partial historian Of Hawaiian affairs
is likely TO give, / think, this verdict
concerning the conduct of the mission
aries and their descendants, taking
them together, that they were loyal TO
the monarchy, and served it faithfully
with whatever mistakes of judgment;
that they maintained it in power long
after it would have otherwise fallen of
its own weight and under foreign as
sault; that they consented to it's over
throw long after, only when no other
reasonable course was left open to
them; and that from first to last they
stood steadfastly between the natives
and the foreign aggressors OF divers
sorts, their staunchest protector and
wisest counselor; it is to be hoped
that the historian will not have occa-
sion to add that with the transference
of power from the hands of the mis-
sionary party to the United States by
annexation, and by the influx of for
eigners, the unmitigated competition
of whites and the introduction OF
American political methods, the ka-
naka was forced to the wall"
OF course, these opinions of one who
has presented the most thoughtful and
analytical study in the history Of Ha-
wall, will be fiercely disputed by the
enemies of the missionaries" I'm
questionably, the missionaries made
grave mistakes. This is not disputed
by those who believe that mans work
in this world is rather an imperfect
affair. Those who believe that pious
men never make any serious mistakes,
not even DR.. Andersen, when he put
the natives in the boats of the native
churches and cut them adrift, will, of
course, claim for them a general infal-
libility.
But the strong and persistent moral
forces of the missionaries from the be-
ginning, unselfish and wise according
to the light, will stand hereafter as
Professor Blackman has described it,
In looking back over the industrial
growth of the Islands during the last
twenty-five years, there appears to
have been a failure to protect the ma
tives against the invasion of the for
eigners, especially the Asiatics. But
no sensible person will insist that the
missionaries were under obligations
to administer economic laws. They
did not profess to do SO, and whatever
they did in economic and political at
fairs was usually at the request of the
native rulers, or as citizens of the
land.
Professor Blackman expresses the
hope that the transference of power
from the "missionary party" to the
people of the United States will work
no harm to the natives. 1t is to be
hoped that it will not. But the pri-
mary object in annexation was TO give
the United States a strategic and COM
mercial station, and also the protec-
tion of the sugar industry. The well
fare of the natives was not anXiously
considered. A commercial people will
not arrest pfOuIaDle DuSlHeSS III VI
der to indulge in sentiments that in
volve losses. New England wished 10
secede from the Union in 1872, when
the embargo on commerce by the Ex-
ecutive crippled her trade.
The natives will probably be forced
to the wall, not by political methods,
but by the friction Of races, which
manifests itself in superior thrift and
intelligence.