Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-02-17
4 TRAYEsYY or ROYALTY


If the Hawaiian Government were intent on
bringing royalty into discredit they could not
better perform their task than by setting up
their elaborate burlesquc Of medievalnonsen
In some particulars, the Hawaiian Kingdom
is itself n burlesque. 1t is pocket edition Of
a royal Government and domain. Its nation
ality is thing of the past and its royal line is
no longer on the throne The chief revenues
Of the kingdom are derived from the property
taxes Of foreigners, and its Government is ad-
ministerd by shewd Americans. The principal
landholder is an Americanized German, who
lives in San Francisco and is facetiously known
as the Count Of Honolulu. The population
of the kingdom could be packed into a single
ly disturbing the legitimate tenants. 1t is no
discredit to the Hawaiian Kingdom that il is
small OF that its population has been swamped
by foreign invasion. 1t is to the credit of
the civilized world, it may be said, that the
integrity Of the Kingdom has been respected,
and all projects that looked to the extinction
Of its present nationality, such as it is, have
been irowned down by powerful nations. Its
weakness has been its protection. Neverthe-
less, the fantastic parade OF royalty which is
made by the present King is so entirely out of
proportion to the dimensions and importance
Of the kingdom that the judicious well may
u.
| II is very remarkable that at time when the
mummerics and formalities of imperialism are
being laid aside in countries in which ancient
custom and centuries Of usage have sanctioned
them there should be revival Of these OBJ
soete frivoties in the little seven. by-nne
kindom lost in the wide wastes Of the Pacific
Ocean.
During his late tour around the globe the
King saw much that his predecessors could
not have dreamed Of. They were semibarbaric,
and he Is an educated and wellread monarch.
In foreign countries he saw what may be con.
sidered the true strength Of nations, and he
must have seen how small and mean are the
shows by which royalty in ancient times
maintained its hold upon the common people
Of monarchies. II travel enlightens a man,
a travelled King surely ought TO be as suscept-
ible to Illuminating influences as the humber
/ citizens Of his domain. But the King Of the
Sandwich Islands comes home determined to
outdo all Of his predecessors, IL not all of his
royal brethren, in the pomp and circumstance
Of imperialism. lie will be crowned, forsooth,
as II he were not already good enough King
for his poor and oyertaxed people. He will
have thrones in plenty, two of these anti
quated pieces Of furniture having been ordered
from the friendly and ultra-republican city Of
Boston. lie will have a crown, too, and
| his to)ai W nave scictttu
an assortment Of these gewgaws from the vast
and varied assortment kept on view in the
museums Of Europe. There is To be a sceplrc,
a cap Of maintenance, and orb, such as
ICHARLEMAGsE and PErIs were wont to hold.
and other glittering and musty historical rub.
bish. For want Of a royal hall, rich in The
associations Of nations history. and in order
that the show shall be free for all, il has been
determined to have the performances in the
open air in front Of what Is called the Royal
Palace. To accommodate the sight -secrs,
platforms have been erected, as at a circus,
and from these will he viewed the po,np and
pageantry 81 the first real coronation that the
Sandwich Islanders have ever beheid. The
mere description Of this bit of royal theatricals
Is enough to provoke a smile on the face oi
any sensible person. To a sober republican
these ceremonies seem like an elborate travesiy
Of royalty
II cannot be- said that King Aaksksvsa i
obliged to resort TO the mimicsies Of royalty To
dazzle the simple minded subjects Of his hlipu.
tian realm. lniermaniage and death have 10
weakened the native races of the islands that
il Is hardly worth while to take into account
their prejudices and preferences Probably
the King enjoys being King, and he is de
teEn,ined to have good time while he can.
II any studep. Of government desires to see
how absurd and childish are the shows and
plays of royal or imperial establishment, let
him hook at the coronation and the fuss and
feathers of King Asiakasa- The Guar post.
pones his cosonaiion tos ieax Of assassination
and violence. The other Tnlers VI Europe
avoid, As hI as possible, the ancient ceremonies
u soyAlty. The mock Kingdom q Hawai- Is
III last 70 revive lhe fading glosies " regal
ssase.-M y zS~<.