Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1882-10-14
THAT CORONA7YON, 4 RELIGIOUS
Duty

In one of the organs editorial articles, this
week, on " the table of domestic exports" we
find interjected this curious paragraph. This
is the record of the country in which every
thing is going to the dogs, because Gibson and
Bush, kaai and Preston are the Kings Min.
isters; and because His Majesty and the repre-
sentatves OF the. people think it desirable that
the religious service of coronation should be
added to the civil forms by which he was
installed upon the throne" Our versatile Pre-.
mier, Tor Primate is he? is pulling another
string in this puppet farce. ellis Majesty
and the representatives Of the people think it
desirable" and so on, Whose thought is it ?
Ask the people if they want Kalakaua
crowned Ask the newspapers, native or for
eign, the true representatives and opponents of
public opinion, il the organ does not misrepre.
sent the people in advocating the desirability
of coronation. Ask His Majesty, if the idea
did not originate with w. M. Gibson, has
been his pet scheme from the first, and is now
pushed on by him in face of pronounced pub
lie disapprovall Other wonderful reasons have
been assigned why Kalakaua should have a
coronation, such as the value of the gloves to
be bought for the occasion. That was sop
to the merchants. Now the pity of the com.
munity is invoked to invest with the sanctities
of religion this mock pageanty
In countries where religion is established by
law, where there is national church one can
see some propriety in inducing into office the
sovereign, who is also the head of the church
like Victoria or Alexander, with some litur.
gical performances. But there is no Ha.
waiian national church. Kalakaua is not a
man who feels the pressure of religious respon.
sibilities and If We may trust the published
statements of those who have conversed with
him on the subject, he counts himself among
" the advanced thinkers of the nineteenth
century" and reckons religion among the
exploded theories of an unscientifc age.
What is the religious service" to be
"added to the civil forms by which he was in.
stalled upon the throne1" Was the oath of office
o"ly civil form' What religious service can
be other than liturgcal form' Who has any
authority to prepare such ceremonial Where
are the precedents for it1 1t is not Ha
waiian custom. No advanced thinker of the
nineteenth century would think it scientific to
SO back to the barbaIous usages Of idolatrous
superstition. What religious official is the
proper person to ofhciatep The English
Church is the church of . few foreign residents
The Romish Church is not the church of the
majority of the Hawaiian people. The Church
OF the Latter Day Saints has only scanty
and scattered membership. Historical asso.
citation, il they have any religious worth or
efficacy, would make the Z" Old Stone Church Z" |
the place for the religious ceremonial, and its |
pastor the proper person to officiate as being
the representation of the largest organization
that Is most properly now the embodiment of |
the religious faith Of the large majority of the
Hawaiian people. But the organ has pub.
lished to the world condemnation of this
Church as disgrace to the name
OF religion, and surely that cannot be fitting
place to eonsecrale Kalakaua to his kingly
office.
The English coronation oath was fixed by
act OF Parliament, bu, We have not heard of
any form Of oath or OF religious service ap.
proved by the last legislature. Are they to be
called together to give authority of law as well
as the sanction OF. religion to the proposed
Coronation
We should like to be thoroughly posted ON
this matter before We attempt to criiicise. as
We are bound to do, in our editorial capacity,
Tor the enlightenment Of the public, the pro.
gramme which We suppose is soon to be pub.
lished. Has any one copy of Bohn's "cy.
elopedia Of Political knowledge" OF can any
one lend US book published in London, Is,S.
entitled "ChapteS on Coronations ~ Is
kalakaaa to be annointed with oill" On
what Scriptures is he to be sworn this time /,
II this proposed coronation is to be purely
religious service, to be added to the inept civil
orm used eight years go, it will greatly relieve
he perpleSi,ies OF the Lord High Chancellor
II the realm, who nigh, have some legal scm.
'les abou, appearing to invaidate the former