Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1855-06-02
No. 4

iul sovereIgns IN the support OF the indepen-
dence of this kingdom.
The late king exchanged friendly letters
with his Majesty the King of Prussia; and
there is every reason TO believe that his Ma
Jesty watches the progress of this kingdom
with much interest
Let us not fall into the vulgar effof, ahd
take the narrow minded view, that the sym
Pathy OF such u monarch as that Of Prussia,
so separated geographically from all close re-
lations with this remote kingdom; and fother
States, empires, Kingdoms, and republics,
arises from mere selfish interests live find
ii rich and powerful man befriendmg q poot
and weak man, honestly and honorably striv-
ing TO overcome all the difficulties of his po-
sitlOn, and raise himself 10 an equality with
others more favored and prosperous than
himself, II would be the height of absurdity,
for US to attribute that generous support To-
any motive of seli-nterest. Precisely so il is
with powerful states in their support of poor
and weak natOnali,ies, such as We have been,
such as We are, and such as we must inev-
itably still be, for years to come, notwith-
standing the advent to the throne, of youth
ful sovereign well disposed and so we'll
qualified to rule US, &c cording to The most
enlightened principles of this advanced age
But the great question naturally arises, why
should this small kingdom be the favored oh
ject of such general sympathy and good will,
on the part of the greatest and most civilized
nations' In my humble view, We enjoy that
remarkable degree of sympathy. because the
Hawaiian alone, of all races Of Indian blood,
have given TO the world the singular spectacle
Of a people throwing their idols TO the ground,
consIsning them to the flames, and abolishing
the worst Of their ancient superstitiOns, with
out any assistance whatever derived from
christianity; because when christianity arriv-
ed among them they embraced it as d pure
faith, believed its doctrines and conformed
themselves TO its ordinances or at least ap-
peared TO do so, with a cordiaity and uni
versatility, altogether without example; be-
cause since the introduction of christianity,
education has made u progress beyond what
Il has made, IN any other nation, IN the same
space Of time; because, as one Of the great
est political mGrrels Of the age in which we
live, our bene6cent late King, so far hack
as 1910, conferred free representative insti-
iutions upon his people, extinguisbed feudal-
ism, and introduced civil and religious free
dom, by one generous act ofroyal will, while
the introduction of like reforms has cost ages
of time and much blo0dshed under the most
civilized governments of the world be
cause Ill prepared as were the natives for
such great and sudden reforms, they never
theless conformed To them with wonderful
unanimity; have adapted themselves to the
change with success altogether surprising;
sit in both houses of parliament and discuss
The grayest questions of the State, with de-
gree Of intelligence, decorum, and dignity,
proving incontestably, that in the native
mind, there is no 'inferiOrity, or less suscep-
tbility of improvement than in the mind of
the civilized foreigner; because our late far
seeing King, knowing that his Islands could
not prosper, without the aid of God and in
dustrIous foreigners, adopted constitution
and system uf laws so framed as to grant to
them all the protection and liberty that they
enjoy under the freest governments, and i'm
proved his courts so as that neither natives
nor foreigners should have occasion to com
plain Of an administration Of justice less effi-
cient and less prompt than in older nations;
because conscious of never having intended
10 iniure man, woman or child, with the con-
fidence Of great and generous heart, the
late King referred the difficulties. raised by
those who brought on the seizure OF the
Islands by Lord George Paulet, to the Queen
of England-the difficulties raised by the
late George Brown and others, to the Presi-
dent of the United States, and the difficulties
created by Monsieur Dillon to the Emperor
of rance,-thus nobly placing his cause in
the hands of the veiy governments before
whom his administration had been accused;
because, so far as depended upon The late
King, under all the ''sponSiOs " lrreguIarly
exacted of him, alike, by TIE officers of the
| have before shown, his royal word and good
faith, were most faithfully observed; because
his late Majesty conided in the conscience
and justice Of foreign nations to relieve hiIn
from those spoEsiOs, and from The siiPulaiions
Of treaties, found practically TO retard his
efforts to perfect his people, as was at once
MS duty and his right, under the laws of ma
lions. Because he sought advice and assis-
lance in carry ing out his reforms wheresOey-
er he could find them, because he proved the
value that he put upon education, by apply
ing nearly ene-fifth Of his scanty revenues to
the support of schools, and by proofs of per-
sonal regard to teachers and men OF science;
because he was eminently the friend of al
good and industrious foreigners, and because
mild, generous and forgiving in his own dis
position, he impressed that character more
Or less upon MS government
Let US all assist our young and hopeful
King, who possesses many advantages over
his predecessor, and has aceuded the throne
With the full benefit OF all the progress made
by the late King, in consolidating the friend
ships with foreign nations, achieved by him,
in perpetuating the sympathies and support
Of the powerful sovereigns who Intarest them
selves 10 this kingdom, and especially IN the
and civilization Of its native pop
uIation, by working successfully ont the hh-
eral policy that he advocated while mem
Der Of the house Of Mobiles, and which, since