SAN FRANCISCO TO MANILLA. 
263 
is the interest of the United States that they should maintain the 
neutrality that they seek to establish, and should not be permitted to 
fall into the hands of any other power. 
I am rather disposed to think that, in the progress of civilization in 
the South Seas, this group will be considered of less importance than 
it now appears, and instead of its being looked to as it now is, as a 
point of attraction, or a place wherein to obtain information and 
supplies, it will be only visited by whalers for recruiting. Their growth 
has already arrived at the greatest extent to which it can ever reach. 
A direct communication with Oregon and California will do away with 
the necessity of intercourse through the islands; they must, conse¬ 
quently, be left to their own resources to maintain trade; and when 
California and the Oregon Territory can afford the whalers equal advan¬ 
tages, which, when settled, they will do in a few years ; the advantages 
derived from this source will be withdrawn. Unfortunately for these 
islands, a fictitious importance has been ascribed to their geographical 
position, in the belief that much political ascendency in the Pacific must 
accrue to the nation which may possess them; this state of opinion has 
been brought about by the exertions of the American missionaries, who 
have been the means of raising the natives so rapidly in the scale of 
civilization, and from whose success our countrymen have acquired 
much influence. This ascendency, however, has been partly the means 
of provoking a sectarian war, which has brought about much trouble, 
and been the cause of great distress both to the king and people. These 
troubles have probably been of some advantage to the people, and 
afforded the means of increasing their wealth, and causing a demand 
for their products, which, though trifling as to amount, yet in such a 
small community has been sensibly felt, and has enabled them to obtain 
many advantages they could not have had otherwise. I have some 
doubt whether the Hawaiian Islands can ever become an independent 
nation by the exertion of their own people, since they have unwisely 
invited foreigners to reside among them, and given them equal rights 
and privileges with natives. Endeavours are now making to introduce 
foreign labourers and capital, which, although proceeding from a dispo¬ 
sition to advance and develope the resources of the islands, will have a 
tendency to injure the native labouring population. The introduction 
of foreign labour will necessarily bring w r ith it foreign habits and 
custom, which the natives are, even now, too prone to imitate; and the 
examples that are set before them are generally, if not always, of the 
worst description. 
The inducements held out to the king and chiefs to make large 
