The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-09-09

II
dom to discern that the foreign peoples
I who had found their way TO his shores
/ We're the product of Institutions which
iie and his might wisely bo1-~u was
/ followed by his SUCCESSORS, male and fe-
male, who had neither his prudence, his
/ principles, nor his genius for statesman
snip. Hhere were five Hawaiian rulers
7 IN the kamehameha succession, but
when, in 1874, kamehameha v. the last
Of that dynasty, died, the situation be-
came gravely complicated There was
rs L have Indicated, a Legislative body
and this, after much delay, proceeded TO
/ the election Of David kalakaua who re-
! ce-Yed the suffrages OF considerable
! number. OF his countrymen but especially
Of The American residents Opposed to
j him, however, was Queen Emma, or late
years so familiar a figure in FIawaiia Il
history, the widow of Kanehaneha ~.
queen Emma was the representative OF
the anti-American sentiment in the ISL
and, and besides the considerable British
sympathy which ranged itself Gu her
side, she had a large following of va
Tious nationalities and OF not very fra
gran. orG. Ia word, the lines were
draw ard The battle set in array which
rcrUitsd 50 recently in the annexation to
car own republic of what was not long
before the kingdom of Hawaii
may uOL- tite.ts the history Oh that
struggle here, but l may perhaps be per-
mttted to state the conclusions which 1
think almost any dispassionate student
of history must invariably reach in de-
gard to it.
In the first place, it is important that
the materials out of which this new state
had inevitably to be made must be clear
ly recognized. There We're, to begin with.
the native populations Their character
istics have already been, in measure,
indicated, and these, it is to be remen-
bered have not at any time revealed any
considerable substantivenesss of charac-
ter. The native Hawaiian was kindly,
but cruel; graceful, but essentially saw
age; and superstitious to an almost in
credible degree. 1t has been charged
that when the people received Christian
ity they gave a cordial welcome to both
its teachers and its teachings; but l APP
prehend that there can be but little
doubt that both pagan beliefs and super
st tious practices still survive in what
are reckoned as Christian households An
Intelligent observer to whom I am much
indebted, Captain Lucien Young, Z. s.
N, says: THE idols have been destroy
ed or hid away, but in secret haunts,
concealed from the public gaze, the ma
tives practice their incantat.ons and be-
lieve in the mysteries of their time
honored religion When it is ren1enl-
bered that many of these are most init
mateiy associated with their usages as
to alternating pain or healing or warding
off disease, it can readily be seen how
difficult it has been to uproot them The
physician attached to Christian mis-
sion or civilized community in those ISL
ands, when called to the bedside of
native patient, has had to battle not only
with the disease, but with the persistent
faith, if not of the patient, then Of his
whole household and all his neigabors,
in science of medicine which consisted
in propitating some offended deity BY
the sacrifice of a pig, and sAetipaes Gas
late as 1920 by the sacrifice Of sa@child
Nor does this seem surprising waen one
comes to understand. the ehaSactec of the
gods who, as conceived by thA wor-
shippers, were certainly enbodi1Nnts Of
cruelty and bestiaIty. No DESCRIPTION of
the rites of worship which the first Wis
itors to these islands found there could
he admitted to the pages Of decent pub
lication; get long after the earlier rule
Of savage ehieftains had been superseded
by constitutional forms Of government
some of these survived in the royal
household; and a queen who professed
to have unIeservedly accepted the Chris
tian religion kept about her the kahuaas
or priests end heather doctors. as her
closest friends and advisers.
with this background of unredee1ned
heathenism to build upon. it was not
more natural that L should reappear IN
der new forms Of civic order than that
these, in turn. should be made the CD
nsrtunity for every interruptions adven-
tdrer who had the audacity to ingratiate
himself with this simple people or to
lend his Clcvgrness to the turbulent OF,
revolutionary tendencies which from tine
to time appeared among them. The Amer
ican dents and others who, in 1875
elected Kala'taua as king, chose [ sup
pose, the best available man; but he was
not even pure hawaiian. being reputed
TO be tle illesitimate son Of q negro
cobbler who game to the Sandwich ISL
ant;s. no ona seems to knew on what
GRAND. from cur own Boston. .51his GER
tainiy was pretty poor stGT out of wIlieh
to have made a king, and it throws an
Interesting light, incidentally upon the
sometime struGgles Of our Anglican
brethren to maintain in the islands an
ancient dyn2st15.' But 7 refer TO II now
because It helps TO eypla,n what. in the
SUBSEQUENT history o. the government
came TO be sach Curious and constantly
recurring cho acteristic Of the successive
cahinets, administrations, and the like
Aaakauas ezief counselor and mentor
WIS ~ eE-Nornon missionary o. such
l0saf 5lT character that his. ogn com
Taunity had expelled hiin-one Who after
hating sV-iudIed his Mormon associates
arl6 apostat tied from them, fed to Homo
.luiu and devoted hiu4elf to fnfamiag
the natives against the whites. This msn
stands foremost N q long series Of dis
reputable men Americans, EnglishmeH,
and Of whatever other vagrant race that.
dg.fted iEt9 tie islands, who il any pc
litical crisis came to the surface, Always
as fomenteTs Of dfseord, friends OF ma
hridlee license, and leaders Of every
vicious element in the community. In
reaching q conclusion as TO wbrt was
our duty as nation to these s3p.a. ii
IS Impossible to leave out Of sight such
Obvious considerations as those facts
which I have renearsed suggest. 7 ara
not Q disciple Of a policy OF imperialism,
bur [ confess, in view of the situation as
il existed in the Hawaiian Islands Ven
they voted 70 seek annexation to the
United States, I am unable TO see what
else we could have done than to grant
their request
For their position in the Pacific indt-
Gated that if they are not strong enough