Year: 1861




forty years on the eriLs that hare arisen from d and


on the possible remedies for these eviLs-6y JOHN RAE
A. w., NJ. d., s. S. r., ". E., District Justice and
Coroner for Hama, Maui, Notary Public for Maui


author Of New PRINCIPLES OF POLIrIcAL ECONOMY,
| &C., &C., &c.


The general tradition of the natives is that the voy
ages of Captain Cook these islands first introduced
syphlltc affections among them. Than that disease
no greater scourge aiicts humanity. Often iusidous
even in its first approaches. abang and seeming to
disappear and yet lying dormant in the system, and
after the lapse it may be of years breaking out with
fresh and fatal yirulence passing to the unfortunate
spouse and the hapess children and children children
1t was sure among people like these islanders if left
to itself, to spread widely and rsvage terribly. And
yet there is perhaps disease which much under
the command of medical treatment this one, If
then, salIS popuH sprema lez and if the lives and
webeing of the people of weight in the consider
alton of the Legislator he ought to have strained all
his efforts TO procure such medical succor as might
stay the ravages of the maady, and possible erad
cate 1t. An hospital or hospitals ought TO have been
established, and such other means resorted to as
might have been most likely to bring about result
so desirable.


But farther, there danger of fresh inbreak of
the malady from another quarter. Forty years ago
foreign vessels were every now and then arriving at
these islands Their number has been continually
increasing, and for many years they have been reck
oned by hundreds. Now the habits of sailors are
notorously licentious. They sail to every port over
the Wlue Worlu, ana at Whatever port they arrive,
even in the capital of moral New England itself
they find abundant means awaiting them for graft
flying all their natural appetites. They have only
to conform to the special regulations of the port
which they touch, and the law of the land nterferes
not farther with them. Was Hawaii to be made an
exception in this respect to all the Of the world
and, if not, was it proper, it not, to enforce
such regulations as might prevent the intercourse
referred to from introducing fresh disease among the
people: These were questions to have been serious
ly debated and definitely settled. And it seems to
me that a conclusion mi ght very soon have been
rived at. This, think, would have been the COM
mon sense view of the subject. Situated Hawaii


is, it is impossible to prevent foreign sailors from
landing. If they land from the general experience
of all countries, and from the known feelings and
habits of Hawaiian females, they cannot but find
some who will associate with them These Things
which no laws can prevent 1t were worse than
useless therefore, to make laws the object OF which
should be to endeavor to prevent them. This being
the case, now disease to be prevented from be-


ing diffused by them among the native population
A pretty efectual regulation would have been TO
have had proper officers appointed to see that no
sailor capable communicating the contagon should
remain shore, unless in the hospital, he paying,
when discharged, sum sufficient merely to defray
the expenses of his cure and again that all foreign
sailors should have had certain quarter in the vi
cinity of the ports at which they landed marked
for them a residence if found beyond which, be-
tween sunrise and sunset, they should have been
subject to fine or imprisonment.


Sailors so much accustomed to discipline that
far have seen, they readily yield obedience to
regulations which do not seriously interfere with
their propensities Besides, they have the to
see that whatever tends to lessen eradicate disease
turns ultimately to their own benefit Nevertheless,
it NAV be question if such regulations the above
were practicable, or the best practicable. But
there can be no question, if We consider what Ha-
wai then was that someregulations of the sort
urgently demanded.


Foreign sailors having been subjected to certain
rules it would have naturally followed that all wo-
men who frequented their quarters should also be
subject to rule. 1t seems to me that these rules
should have been framed with double purpose,
the one to guard against the advance of disease the
other to afix stigma of opprobrium on the fe-
males pursuing this course. n law similar to that
which has recently passed would then have had both
these effects At that time such intercourse a
comparatively new thing; Hawaiians had not yet
quite made up their minds about it. very little
mater might then have turned them against it, and
led them to regard females who had been publicly
known as the companions of foreign sailors having
thereby degraded themselves. Perhaps additional
point might have been given to the sentiment by OBJ
lging such women, (fennes pubhques) as in France,
to wear a distinguishing dress-not such
would make them glaringly prominent objects wher-
ever they appeared, but sufficiently marked to let
them be known to all.


Such, Mr. Editor, are as it seems 20 me, the lead
ing principles that, at the period to which refer,
should have guided the Legislator in his treatment
of the matters in question. How has it happened
that all his measures to have been framed and
carried out in spirit directly opposed to them ;
How has it happened that in spite of the numerous
evils of which they have been the apparent source
these measures have still been persisted in:


How for example, has it happened that the Schools
instead of having been instruments for awakening
the intellect, and invigorating all the faculties, by
training them to healthy exercise have in reality
been abodes where ideness may be said to have been
expressly taught, and where drowsy Incidence.
pressing down and benumbing with its leaden weight
all the powers of the soul, has reigned supreme:
How has it happened that, instead of having been
the seats where well sheltered from every whitening
blast the nascent virtues of the young heart might
expand and open themselves to each kindly inflH-
ence of Heaven, they have in truth been semnaries
it prepared to give unrestralned scope to the
utmost depravity of premature licentiousnesss


How has it happened that laws for the suppression
of sexual vices have been unwisey framed that
they have raised such a universal spirit Of opposi
ton to their execution not only to have exasper
ated the disorders they were intended to have SUBJ
dued but to have nearly broken down all the bull
warks that fence in human virtue-the sense of
shame by pity for the sufferer, even sympathy with
berthe fear of God, by the multitude OF false oaths
which they to be daily uttered with impunity
almost the fear of man, by the shield which per-
ury thus hardened into brazen boldness. holds ever
ready with which to screen the guilty:


How has it happened that fell disease has been |
permitted almost without check, so to extend itself
rs to have permeated into every household, and year
BY year be carrying off by hundreds the flower of
he peoples How has it happened that no part of |
he plentiful influx of wealth into the public Golfers,
arising from the of foreigners though that
commerce was the origin of the bane. has been suf
cred to be diverted to procure efficient antdote
or medcatng to the plague which it had generated
How has it happened that the single house which |
has at length been erected shelter for the desti
tute sick, where their maladies might be properly
ended, owes its origin to legislative action, but
o the bounty of right royal and loyal hearts,
While thus disease rsvages, while thus the women,
truck with the curse of barrenness both by its blight
ng influence and by premature exeesses, are unable
o fill up the fearful gaps it is making, and we see
he unhappy race melting away before our eyes,
ven as in other lands have seen a snow drift, on
ONE mountain side, melting away beneath the rays
= = H.