The Polynesian, ‘Thoughts on the System of Legislation’

The Polynesian, ‘Thoughts on the System of Legislation’

Hawai’i
legislation
disease
foreign relations
Puritans, Christianity

This newspaper article narrates back to when Captain Cook first reached the Islands and the detrimental effect he made on it, in particular, the rampant diseases that were spread onto the indigenous population. To this, the writer raises his concern on how legislators didn’t think to build hospitals for the thousands of people infected. To bring that history into what was then the present day, he speaks of how sailors infamously sailed to these islands and fulfilled their sexual appetite by Hawaiian women, and spread diseases as they were protected by negligent regulations. He questions how the lack of legislation allows this to happen and how these same foreign people bring to the Hawaiians ‘civilisation’ in the form of Protestant Christianity. The constant questioning of foreign behaviour and enabling legislation on a public platform like this makes this source uniquely valuable. (This image was provided by the University of Hawaii).
(150)

Written by John Rae, edited by Abraham Fornander, The Polynesian (1844-1864), Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii

Library of Congress, Chronicling America.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015408/1861-04-20/ed-1/seq-1/

20 April 1861

Emma Azid

Library of Congress, Chronicling America.
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

English

Textual - printed newspaper

19th century Hawai'i