American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-11-20

sacred edifice. This temple was to bt
modelled after SolomOn's, as far as it was
possible to do so. 1t was to have an en-
dowment-house and grand boudoir
where the religious comedy of Adam and
Eve, as performed by Mormons before
they are truly united in marriage, takes
place. This comedy is one of the most
extraordinary features of Mormonism. To
the Kanaka it was the grandest and most
natural idea they ever heard of. 1t threw
them into ecstacies. They went to work
with will, and in a very brief time the
foundations of the temple were laid, with
imposing and solemn ceremonies. Over
I,OOO kanakas, men, women and chill
dren, all dressed In white, with Bibles in
their hands, were in attendance Among
the religious works imbedded in the cor
ner-stone were the Book of Mormon and
the Bible, in the Hawaiian and the En-
glish languages, and the Koran, in the ma
ct. After the ceremonies were over
splendid feast followed. The
choicest fish in the sea, the best
cOcOanuts on the island, oranges
| from Hawaii, tons of nutritious poi, fat
dogs and the flesh of other animals were
| spread in abundance. Kipikona, under
standing the Kanaka nature, was aware
| that religion to hungry Kanaka was a
neG ole (worthless thing, but that washed
down with rich viands it was to them
a naea masxai loa IA very good thing. So
he always encouraged good eating after
good praying, and in his genial moments
would tell his followers that Kanaka
with full stomach could always make a
better, stronger and longer prayer than a
Kanaka with an empty stomach. To this
| they would respond o0io ke,G CHATS true)
and laugh heartily. So Gibson was the
typical Lono of the day. The reader must
not think, however, that Kipikona
achieved his conquests thus far without
strong, powerful opposition. The white
Mormon missionaries faithful to Brigham,
with their followers, were alarmed at the
| advances of the new Prophet. They had
| written to their master, Brigham, detail
ing the plan and operations of his rival,
but it was not until Gibson dared to lay
the foundations of the temple that Brig
ham was aroused to the serious contem-
plation of Gibson's conduct.
Like an avenglng angel the Lion of the
Lord stripped for action. He first issued
his bull of accommodation against
KipikOna and cursed him as an Anti
christ. Then he. sent true and tried dis
ciples to Hawaii, among them George @.
Cannon, the present Mormon Delegate to
Congress, to combat the heresies of his
rival and denounce him to his face as an
impostor. Great prophets have been SO
denounced, but they yielded not. Gibson
met them face to face. Fortunately the
religious strife was not blackened by
bloody acts of fanaticism, but the contest
moved the whole Kingdom. The poll
ticians knew that Mormonism, if success
full, either under Brigham or Gibson,
meant union of church and State, o des-
potic government akin to that which the
Hawaiians had at the discovery. The
other religious sects were alarmed at the
way Mormon missionaries were carrying
off lambs and sheep from their flock, SO
that the whole little Kingdom of Hawaii
was intensely agitated. The two Mormon
factions continued the fight for three
years, Gibson leading his gallant little
band of followers with masterly tactics
and against great Odds Brigham,s forces
pressed him; men and money we're sent
from Salt Lake; outrageous stories were
concocted against him paid spies lived in
his camp; yet he fought the battle brave
ly. But in every human contest there
must be conquerors and vanquished; there
must be an end TO the struggle. Gibson,
after three years, finding his finances ex-
hausted, his followers decimated and his
victors still strong in men and money,
carried his uncaptured banners from the
field and the enemy quickly took posses
sion. The ambitious Prophet of Polynesia
retired to his estate on the Island of LAMA,
which now shelters him, as did once the
Isle of Ogygia shelter the hero who led the
Greeks in the Trojan war.
The shepherd of Lanai, a man of brill
liant education, polished and refined
manners, with literary talents of high
order, an impassioned speaker and gen
erous host, now lives in peace and quiet
upon the lonely Island of Lanai, sitting in
the heart of the heart of the great Pacific.
He has awakened from his lofty, prophetic
dreams, retired from the editorial chair
and the struggling world to lead the life
of a shepherd. Gibson, in whom the
reader must by this time have taken a
deep interest, is one of those remarkable !
men whom you occasionally find living a
semi-savage life among the barbarians, or
else living the life of a savage in the
heart of great cities, for great cities al
ways shelter great savages. He was the
champion who fought against the cession |
of Pearl Harbor and conquered the band
of renegade Americans" who attempted
to make millions out of that scheme by
swindling the United States Government
and the Kanakas at the same time. His
paper, the NOuAOu, exposed the whole |
fraud with great boldness. Gibson HIM
self is an American, being South Caro-
linian by birth. But he is an American
who never prostituted his honor, man. |
hood and intellect for the crumbs which |
fall from the royal Hawaiian table. As
he is fatalist, he neither complains nor
murmurs against the DEGREES of fate, but
resigns himself philosophically to the
logic Of events, his fine library and his
fine flock of sheep. He is well-to-do in
enemics.-Sdn Francisco Chronicle.