The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1880-09-18


Judging by the homilies, warnings, threats, or
whatever else they may be, which have been lately
published in two of our local papers, which however
represent the same political party, as to the fate that
has befallen British Sovereigrs in times past, and
men in power who acted adversely to the public will,
the erudite writer's would seem to have ransacked
English History, or the introduction of some history
of constitutional law, in order to e~nlighten b~enighted
Hawaiians as to their public duty, and scare the I'M
accommodating sovereign with a raw-head-and-
bloody-bones, view of what he may expect, if he fail
to fall in with the views of those disappointed politi-
clans who dub themselves the people, and seem to
endeavor TO make up by persistency and clamor what
they want in fact and reason.
In the Gazette of the 9Th we are told, Unconsti-
tutional Government has never succeeded with an
English speaking people race, and neUer riH."
Quite SO. The G01etteS tactics are admirable, and
its ~brotherly embrace of the whole English speaking
race in the present case, full of pathos and political
fine feeling. But will the Gazette in the plenitude
OF Its patriotism inform an expectant public in what
respect the Constitution has been violated by tue
Sovereign of these Islands. What has he done q?
How did he do it? Which is the article of the Con-
stitution that has been broken by him alone in his
capacity of King 2 viii the Gazette point it out that
all the English speaking race on Hawaii may join in
reprobating the unholy deed Vague charges may
go down with those who have not time or cannot
and who consequently surrender their understand
ings to the safe keeping of professional politicians,
but they cannot until proven be received as truths
by those who think for themselves.
Why it is fresh in the memory of all that the
late Attorney General in the debate on the much
abused motion of want of confidence told the Assem-
bly, that sc he stood up to support the Kings prerog-
alive which was to select his own Cabinet, and as
long as that Assembly saw the Ministry in their
places, it might be assured that that Ministry had
the confidence of the Sovereign" And looking to the
Constitution we find the following words in the 42nd
Article "They (the Ministers) shall be appointed
and commissioned by the King, and hold Office during
His Majesty's pleasure, subject to impeachment - so
that it appears the Attorney General was quite
right, and if so, the Gazette must be altogether
wrong in this charge of unconstitutional government,
not as to its statement of the law, but as TO its acant
Of facts, on which to base a judgment. If all this be
true, the Gazette is seeking to enlist sympathizers
and p%artisans under false pretences,-it is Haunting
a Gag it has no right to fy-it has presented an in
dictment void of solid foundation, and in defending
it, may pour forth torrents of infammatory eloquence,
volumes Of burning words; but as they want the ring
of the true metal, and are unsupported by evidence
they must be rejected as ~'Brummagem ware, or if
taken notice of, only that their hollowness be exposed
so that no one may be deceived by them.
If the writer read matters Alright, however, the
has been violated Systematically and
continuously for years past; but not by the Sovereign
alone. 1t is not his unaided act. Why we have an
example of such violation at this very instant before
our eyes. The Goth Article of the Constitution reads
as follows The Supreme Power of the Kingdom,
in its exercise, is divided into the Executive, Legis-
lative and Judicial; these shall atways be PRESCRIBED
Have they been SO preserved? Why the
First Associate Justice of the Supreme Court is, and
for the last two years has Leen, a member of the Ex-
ecutive Board of Immigration. How is this? Is the
appointment of one of the highest judicial officers to
an executive Office in consonance with the provisions
of the Constitution or not? iii be, we'll and good;
but if not, whose is the fault? Let it not be said
that it lies with the unfortunate and misguided Sow
ereign. No! Let the odium fall where it belongs,
and there let it remain, with his responsible Consti-
tutional Advisers. LEX