Polynesian. [volume], September 07, 1844, Image 1

About Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864

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PUBLISHED WEEKLY, AT IHWOLULU, OAIIU, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
J. J. JARVES, Editor.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1844.
NEW SERIES, Vol. 1. No. 16.
ip is s? is ,sr o
SONNET.
BY HENRY T. TUCKER MAN.
FREEDOM.
Freedom ! beneath thv banner I was born,
O let me sharo thy full and perfect life !
Teach mo opinion's'slavcry to scorn,
And to be free from Passion' bitter strife ;
Free of t ho world, a self-dependent soul.
Nourished by lofty aims and genial truth,
And made more free by love's serene control,
Tho spell of beauty and the hopes of youth.
The liberty of nature let me know, streams,
Caught from the mountains, groves and crystal
Her starry host, and sunset's purple glow,
That woo the spirit with celestial dicams,
On Fancy's wing cxultingly to soar,
Till life'a harsh fetters clog the heart no more !
COMMUNICATED.
m i: x i c o .
Report on its Finances under the. Spanish
Government, since its independence, and
prospects of their improvement under the
Presidency of His Excellency Don Antonio
Lopez dc Santa Anna; with calculations
of the Public Debt Foreign and Domestic
Average of Estimates, Revenue and Expen
diture; to which are added Tables illustra
tive of its Commercial, Manufacturing, nuf
j)rohihilivc policy, and Remarks on Coloni
zation; the whole intended for the infor
mation of Merchants, Emigrants, and the
holders of Mexican Bonds.
By Robert Crichtom WyLLir.
(Concluded.)
Such a system as the above it appears to
me would bo the very thing required by
Mexico along its Northern Frontier, on the
banks of the rivers Gila and Colorado, and
in California, both to check the Indians and
successfully resist the expansive tendencies
of their neighbor along that frontier. Such
a system would not be incompatible with
foreign colonization, if the Mexicans could
only rise superior to tho petty prejudices
which have hitherto obstructed that and
many other useful measures. Tho great
experience of General Miller in these coun
tries, the talent for the organization and
improvement of new societies, which be has
shown in all the important commands he has
held, and his unequalled knowledge of the
peculiarities and capabilities of the Spanish
American people, entitle his suggestions to
great weight in every thing that relates to
their military defence, or even their civil
policy.
During past years, and especially under
the short government of " Gomez Farias, "
a disposition was manifested to seize the
revenues of the clergy-, and apply them to
the support of public credit. It will be seen
by Table F in the Appendix that Dr. Don
Jost Marin Luis Mora calculated the whole
Conventual wealth of Mexico as consisting
of 15fJ3 properties worth $.f5,77.'3,.j39 of cur
rent capital, or $4,545,119 of capital in
consolidation. The same author, in a work
styled " Obras Sueltas," published in Paris,
in 1337, gives a statement or rather calcula
tion of the value which under different titles
had belonged to the whole regular and
secular clergy of the Mexican Republic,
and which by right thev have possessed,
until the end of of which the following
is the total result, viz.:
Value of Ecclesiastical revenues, 7,ljf,.'93
" Productive capitals, - - - tl 10,i:)I,SGO
" " Unproductive do., .... 3it,031.h'l
Total value of capitals,
- - - 8179,101,751
And he gives another calculation, professing
to show that the Government might defray
the whole annual expense of their Ecclesi
astical establishment, with a yearly charge
of only $i,8'J,'200, representing, 'at 5 per
cent., a capital of $07,78 1,000, and although
himself a clergyman, he inclines to the
opinion that Government ought to take the
clergy into their pay, and apply their pro
perty and revenue, us others of the " ultra"
party would have them applied.
In this opinion I am far from concurring,
although I am a Protestant, because it
would be unjust to the Mexican Church,
because it would shock tho conscientious
feelings of many of the most religious of the
Mexican people, and consequently of the
best part of them, because it might indis
pose the clergy to give their moral support
to the established order of things, because
the support of their respectability as gentle
men is of the highest consequence to the
very existence of religion in this country,
because many of them distribute large sums
amongst the poor and infirm, and finally
because such a measure of spoliation is not
required to render the finances of this coun
try equal to every want of the public service,
and of public credit.
I have endeavored, in tnany quarters to
procure information as to the total amount
of the foreign commerce of the country, but
no authentic data exist to determine it.
Were the 7,433,724 Mexicans, who, I cal
culate, inhabit the Republic, to consume at
the rate of other populations of young and
certainly less rich countries, the yearly
value of goods consumed would be very
great, but, at present it cannot be supposed
to exceed much the yearly production of the
mines.
This is the opinion of His Excellency
Frederick Van Gerold, Esq., the well in
formed Charge d Affaires of His Majesty the
King of Prussia, to whom 1 owe tho great
kindness of having voluntarily offered me
access to very important data upon this and
other points contained in his archive, and to
whom 1 owe much encouragement in the
prosecution of my arduous undertaking.
From his long residence in this country,
and his great attention to all subjects con
nected with its prosperity, and consequently
with that of commerce, I set a very high
value upon his opinions and his judgment.
His Excellency politely showed me a map,
marking out the lands intended to be colo
nized by M. Alexander de Grot, who it ap
pears is a very respectable gentleman.
The situation lies mainly between the Rio
Bravo del Norte and the' river Nueces, thus
encroaching upon part of the territory which
the Texan pretend to hold, on the strength
of a decree passed by their own Congress;
but a large portion of lands south of the
former are also to be occupied.
Through a friend I am enabled to give the
particulars of Exports and Imports, which
appear in the Appendix under the letter C,
with an average of tho commerce of the
Republic, for five years.
I have already shewn that the mining
interests are gradually recovering from the
shock sustained by the war of independence
and the subsequent erf parly. The English
mining companies have introduced great
improvements in tho art of amalgamation,
whereby much of the quicksilver formerly
lost is now saved. Had it not been for these
improvements, some of them, before this,
would have had to cease their operations.
All these companies are established upon too
expensive a scale in point of management.
Many a mine worked at a loss to an English
company, when worked by a Mexican leaves
a profit to him. The difference consists in
this, that the Mexican spends only what is
necessary to get out the silver, while the
English company spends that and a great
deal more, to keep up the private establish
ments of its managers and agents. I have
often wondered that the share-holders at
home do not appoint a committee of inves
tigation to inquire into the management
of every mine in which they are interested.
To do any good such a committee must be
composed not of mere theorists from Eng
land, but of men of good common sense,
accustomed to business in this countrv,
knowing the language and knowing the
people.
Unless a very great improvement be made
in the economical management of these
companies, I fear that most of the mines will
eventually lapse into the hands of the Mexi
cans, who will take them up, make money
by them, and laugh at the foolish manage
ment of the Englishmen, as they have al
ready done in several instances.
How different tho result would have been
to the English share-holders, had their
money gone to the formation of companies
to colonize and cultivate the rich lands along
the coasts of this Republic.
Resides the loss of quicksilver in the pro
cess of amalgamation, a considerable quan
tity of the silver itself contained in the ores,
is lost or remains inseparable by that pro
cess. His Excellency the Prussian Min
ister called my attention to this fact, and
sent me a printed report upon it by Mr.
Schmitz, Director of a German company in
this country. The los3 of silver seems to be
sometimes as high as 37 per 100 of what the
ores contain bv careful asav,
I have touched upon these and other
points connected with the commerce and
general prosperity of this country, because
they are intimately connected with its finan
cial resources, and because I hold it to be
the duty of every well wisher of his country,
while travelling or residing abroad, to re
cord all useful information. Fortunately,
the interest and the policy of Great Britain
coincide with the wealth and prosperity
of all the nations with which she trades, so
that I can hardly make any suggestion for
the correction of abuses here, or the im
provement of tho country, without in my
humble sphere acting on the spirit of the
government of the nation to which I glory
to belong, whose greatness is founded not
upon the oppression of nations, but upon
the universal developemcnt of their wealth,
whose admirable institutions contain within
them the springs of perpetual youth and
renovation, and whoso principles of equity,
truth and justice, are at once the admira
tion and the benefit of the world.
In what I have written, many errors, re
dundancies, repetitions, omissions, and other
defects of style, composition, arrangement,
may be discovered; the facts however,
are in the main correct, and founded on
official data', and when 1 tell vou that the
whole is written with one of NVcdgewood's
Polygraphic or Manifold Writers, admitting
only the correction of words, I think I may
fairly claim some indulgence both from you
and others.
FROM OUR AMERICAN CORRESPONDENT.
M'MBKB t).
Nkw Hedkord,
1843.
This is a beautiful town; aflluence and
general wealth seem to have centered here
in a much greater ratio than the size of the
place would authorize the visitor to expect;
and it has all been fished from the ocean by
tho hardy whalers. It is chiefly expended
in magnificent mansions and in external
show. I have travelled over the United
States, but in no other town have I seen
such an air of general prosperity. If there
is poverty, it hides itself, or else it is that
comfortable degree of poverty, which is so
only by contrast with the general prevailing
luxury. The New Bcdfordians and Hono
lulians arc near neighbors, to all intents and
purposes, for hundreds and even thousands
of its inhabitants have spent more or less
time at your islands. About the streets
also, one meets with groups of Hawaiians,
gesticulating and vociferating in all the
freedom of their native manners, and seem
ingly much at home. Millerism and Mor
monism have stirred the lower classes con
siderably. This year the religious excite
ment has been unusually intense, the pas
sions of the mass venting themselves in this
way, for want of other sources of action.
The low price of oil had destroyed business,
and New Bedford, like most other American
towns, has no places of public amusement,
where mind and body can indulge in inno
cent recreation after the fatigues of the day.
Religious Charlatans have a fair field in a
place like this, and they improve it.
Having heard many stories of the deeds
and sayings of these people when under the
influence of their religious monomania, which
appeared incredible, I determined to hear
for myself; accordingly I sought out their
places of meeting. I would not have you
understand that these scenes were peculiar
to this town. They were and are common
throughout the land. At the village of N
a number of people of both fcxcs got to
gether in barns, and prnyod and yelled and
screamed, and committed the grossest ab
surdities, to expel tho devil who was among
them; but, to judgo from the effect, the
harder they worked the closer he stuck.
I attended two Mormon meetings; the first,
with the exception of its foolish doctrines,
was unexceptionable as a quiet, well con
ducted meeting. The speaker were re
markable for nothing but their ignorance,
and certainly seemed to be well-intentioned.
But the second was far different. The hall
was filled with the rabble of the place
Many women were among them, but were,
I wa9 told, of no great respectability. If
they had had the slightest pretension to
refinement, they never would have listened
to the vulgarity, obscenity, and blasphemy,
which poured in wordy torrents from the
lips of a rough, sinister-looking man who
officiated as speaker. lie paced the stage
in great fury, thrashing his arms about like
a windmill, and yelling at the top of his
voice by way of emphasis. My disgust
overcame my curiosity, and I was obliged
to leave, but not without hearing some sen
tences which were sufficient to make the
ears tingle with indignation. It reminds one
of the fierce harangues of the sans eulotte
Jacobin leaders, when engaged in stirring
up the populace to the bloody excesses? of tho
first French revolution. Such men would
glory in similar scenes here. They arc
revolutionists and anarchists. As low as
were the audience, I could detect a smile
of contempt among them, but the fellow
I have no doubt succeeded in fleecing many
of their funds.
With the Millerites I was better pleased.
By their prophecies, making ascension rohes,
winding up their business, and the ridiculous
pranks played off upon them by wicked
wags, they had attracted the notice of the
whole community. Not a few by their
preachings have been frightened into incu
rable madness. The whole body while
laboring under this infatuation arc more or
less mad, but when the fit is off them, they
arc worthy and reasonable people. So far
have they carried their benevolence, as to
inundate every house and family gratuitously
with their Advent Tracts, No one was safe
from their intrusions, and children and weak
individuals trembled much under their warn
ings. But with others it had an opposite
effect. If Advent books and tracts turned
up every time you opened your front door,
as often as you went into the street your
eyes were attracted to a shop window by
some wicked caricature got up by a scoffing
wag. The best I noticed was one of a huge
salamander fire-safe. Inside sat a man with
his thumb upon his nose, expressing his con
tempt for the expected conflagration.
Around him were piled provisions, ices and
materials for mint-jaleps, and one of his
hands was on the latch, ready to spring to
the door at the first warning.
But I forget the meetings I attended.
The Millerites raised funds and erected tem
porary buildings or tabernacles in which to
worship daily until the Saviour appeared,
One thing I was particularly struck with,
In their preachjngs and ravings nothing de
nunciatory was ever breathed. They all
appeared perfectly sincere, and manifested
commendable anxiety for the eternal welfaro
of all. Their meetings were conducted on
the most democratic plan. Every one, man,
woman and child, had a perfect right to sing,
preach or pray, when and ns long as he or
she listed. The one who had the floor kept
it while the voice remained unexhausted,
and then others jumped up, the stoutest
lungs maintaining the ascendancy. During
much of the time they appeared like indi
viduals in a trance, and wUh some tho
excitement amounted to hysterical extacy.
All who spoke did so at the top of their
lungs, generally in a drawling, sing-gong
tone. One man in hU excitement kept leap
ing from tho floor and swinging his arms as
if fighting spirits. In their warmest period
their language became that of maniacs.
They screamed the Lord Jesus is com-,
ing let him come I am ready I set him,
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