I will thank you promptly to communicate to this department any
information in regard to the relations between Great Britain and the
Sandwich Islands which may come to your knowledge.
Charles Francis Adams, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
Mr. Anderson to Mr.
Sumner
Missionary House,
Boston,
June 27,
1863.
My Dear Sir: I learn from the Hawaiian
Gazette of April 29, which is the government paper, that the dowager
Queen Emma is to visit England, and is to be accompanied by Mr.
Charles Gordon Hopkins, an English gentleman, who resigns the office
of minister of the interior for that purpose, and also by Mr. Synge,
her Britannic Majesty’s commissioner and consul general.
Private letters state that a British man-of-war takes them to Panama,
and that another vessel of the same sort will await them at the
other side of the isthmus. In one of my letters it was intimated
that Bishop Staley was to accompany the Queen, but I cannot speak
positively as to this. The nature of Bishop Staley’s mission to the
islands is accurately described in my work on these islands, a copy
of which I had, some time since, the honor of presenting you.
You doubtless remember Mr. Seward’s remark, that when our civil war
was over the government would take good care of its interests in the
Sandwich Islands. It has seemed to many that, in the new disposal
now being made of our navy, it would be well at once to send a
frigate to Honolulu, whose commander, besides a good share of
diplomatic talent, should have the most friendly feelings not only
towards the government of the islands, but towards the persons and
labors of our missionaries, to whom, under God, these islands owe
everything, and that the visit should be somewhat protracted. I
fully believe that the politico-religious English mission would
never have been undertaken, or at least would not have obtained such
an influence in the government, but for our rebellion and its
anticipated results.
I have no special apprehension as to the ultimate effect that this
mission to England will have on our missionary interests at the
islands, provided we are adequately cared for by our own government,
and provided our ambassador in London has his attention turned
towards it.
With great respect, very truly yours,
R. ANDERSON, Foreign Secretary of the
American Board of Commissioners for
Missions,
