The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-05-06
The Hawaiian Constitution.

MIR. EDIToR:-Last Friday was liked upon for a po-
litical debate at the Honolulu Lyceum, and we are in
formed that the theme run thus " Which is the
best adapted for the ~elfare of the ~natires, their pres
ent form Of government or their former one 90
A member of the above-named society having done
me the honor of saying that some of my late remarks
on the present constitution had suggested the choice
of their subject, consider myself justified in present.
ing a few notes from an old man for the information
of n young institution.
Unjust first take the liberty to declare that, as a
whole, 1 reject both the ancient and the modern gov
erning fabrics as i'll adapted to do any good to the in
digenous race, under its present whitewash. From
my published observations, 1 little expected that such
a paternity as the one alluded to might be attributed
to me, and I most formally protest against a result
which must end in a verdict against my opinion. The
narrow alternative left by the form of the question
betrays a prejudged case in favor of things as they
are, and three times three, for the concern as it stands.
BY no means have 1 ever advocated the return of the
kanaka to his past condition.; my coup d'etat could
certainly not imply such a conclusion, but a reconsti-
tuition of the existing edifice which has been conceived,
planned and executed by foreigners for foreign pur-
pvev anu sa,lsIactron, without taxing into account the
nature of the real inmates, and forced upon the best
of men but the worst suited to carry a crown or any
thing at all. The motto of Kamehameha III. was:
far niente he had no objection to reign, which was
his due, as the legitimate heir of a great man, and,
by private qualities, the first gentleman of his nation,
but he constantly entertained the greatest aversion
for governing; the least attempt to disturb his init
mate life he was inclined to oppose as a persecution,
but never had the energy of any opposition whatever.
He was sensible, noble minded and liberal to excess,
and the speculations of the haole that circumvented
him, never escaped his quiet penetration; like the
M tlat roCfS ~ l. Iooly ~.o,.J ,l,1.x L., xooJ~t
is feasting upon the slain beast, the good Kauikeaouli
was spying the strangers k~neading their hotchpotch of
Hawaiian civilization; he LEFT them all to do, in their
own way, without more interference than were they |
cooking for the Esquimaux; happy, if not too often
compelled to sanction with his own name, acts of
which he would not take the trouble of examining
the importance; Kamehameha l. had left him the
whip against importunate and wrong controllers, but
the arm was missing. Equally averse to the labori-
Gus duties required by the regeneration of his race
and to the idle pomp of the white mems royalty. the
only permanent occupation of his life was to hide the
golden cap that embarrassed his head.
This was the king that gave, as they say, to his
people that happy constitution of which he knew but
little himself, and of which his people knew nothing
at all, and are not much more advanced now. Some
good men have tried their trowel upon this fancy
building, but, like the astronomer that fell in q pit
while peeping at the stars, they neglected looking on
the ground for the foundations and had the coat made
to their own measure; this was afterwards patched
over by able and well meaning hands, but the i'm
p~rovements were all upon the same pivot of a sup
posed state of civilization; for the Hawaiian was wide
and far, proclaimed the criterion of the white mans
prodigies on the Pacific.
A total revision of the constitution is loudly called
for, not by those on whom the boon has been bestow-
ed, but those for whom it was apparently intended.
the native race; the patient must be saved, nolens
.rolens, from his Capuan Injuries of liberty. and for
that purpose, must be replaced under the restraints of
salutary nursery with more or less swaddling bands,
similar to the old-fashioned mode of rearing these
stiff-necked children; some rules Of their primitive
ought to berevived for the breaking of their
stubbornness, without calculating the hight of the
mans clamors. for such restrictions would ap-
to the subjects of Kamehameha w. only. We
may expect that the white under or above allegiance,
will raise a cry against despotism, for d~espotism it
must become against threatening annihilation of the
population; it will. contrary, impeach many
white, in the favors of the present RIGHTEOUSNESS, by
snatching the partners of their lust out of their claws.
in favor Of honest, industrious habits will
by degrees, subdue intemperance and prostitution Gre
tied and encouraged by the civilized associates of the
Let then such white men grumble at the
appointment of these and other Of their designs,
md if, as we may believe, there is some pluck of the
treat Kamehameha transmitted to the fourth of his
lame, let him show it. if the hope of his dynasty is to
over anything else but the scoriac of his volcanic
calm.
Far from me to preach the establishment of an abb
oute power with an irresponsible ministry; Irecom-
mend awise combination of means to remove a forlorn
from the brink of the abyss that has already !
the greatest part of it. The Americans I
nd the English that compose the majority Of the for {
population in this archipelago, have no more {
muse to fear q political modification Of the Kind than
interfere with its application to the children of the I
md; their countrymen settled in the Russian or t
dominions, however jealous Of their name
nd the liberties Of their respective countries, are a
submitting to the exigences Of the empires :
hich they choose to inhabis for the pursuit Of their