The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-01-03
Thirty Days of Hawaiian History.
uY sASDToED e. DOLE


History derives less interest from the magnitude Ct
its events than from the principles involved therein,
less from the numbers OF its hosts than the causes
and character Of their movements. The uprising Of
a small people may be SIS inspiring as the uprising Of
a great nation.
To the lover OF liberal institutions the accession Of
King LunaliIo 10 the Hawaiian Trone was full Of pro
pitious omens. A step toward popular government
even in a comparatively Insignificant State, belongs
to the world and Is part Of the universal progress,
To Hawaiians it viii even be an era Of great political
moment. 1t was q serious crisis in affairs and fortu-
nately terminated fAyorably for Hawaiian citizenship.
A brief review of q few of the most important cir
cumstances in Hawaiian History viii assist to a bet
ter understanding OF the interesting events connected
with the election and installation of King Lunalilo
in January, 1873. The Hawaiians had rapidly ad-
vanced from the very complete feudal system of the
time of their discovery by Captain Cook, to the lib
eral constitutional monarchy Of the reign Of Kane
hameha III. The common people had passed in a
single generation from the condition Of serfs, retain
ers and tenants, to that of citizens and land-holders,
with personal freedom and a voice in the government.
Upon the death Of kamehameha ". his brother
Prince Lot Illegally proclaimed himself King and
took the Government in his own hands. Then, call
ing q convention Of the people 10 amend the Consti-
tuition, which he found inconsistent with his own
ideas of Government, he addressed them in q digni-
fed and liberal speech in which he made use of the
following language. sit has been the traditional
policy of my predecessor, to whom the kingdom is
indebted for the liberal reforms that have been made,
to lead the nation forward and to watch over its wei
fare. My subjects viii find in me, as they did in
them, o jealous guardian of their liberties, and an
earnest promoter of all measures calculated to in
crease their happiness and to check the evils that
tend to their destruction" Five weeks later, after
much parliamentary sparring, the King, being round
ly defeated in a proposed amendment fixing q property
qualification for the voting privilege, which was a
favorite measure with him, abruptly broke up the
convention, and in the following words fell back upon
his last resort against the liberal institutions of the
country. "As we do not agree, it is useless to pro-
long the cession, and as at the time His Majesty Ka-
mehameha III. gave the Constitution Of the year
1852, he reserved to himself the power of taking it
away if it was not for the interest of his Government
and people, and as it is clear to me that that King
left the revision of the Constitution tc my predecessor
and myself, therefore as 1 sit in his seat, on the part
of the Sovereignty of the Hawaiian Islands, l make
known to-day that the Constitution of 1852 is abro-
gated. L will give you a Constitution" We kept
his promise. In a few days he gaze his subjects a
Constitution, proclaimed through the streets of the
capital at the head of an armed force. The new Con-
%stitutiOn fixed a property condition of suffrage,
merged the two houses of the Legislature into one,
and introduced several other features of absolutism
into the Government. Tie people submitted not
without protest to this infamous act. The King ruled
with a strong hand. He gathered around him vigi-
liant and resolute counsellors. He easily controlled
the one house Legislature. Nine years pass away.
Years of political suppressiOn-and growing aliena-
ton between King and people. A period not devoid
of commercial prosperity but yet attended with
alarming national decay. Nine years, and then the
end came.
THE KINGS BIRTHDAY.