Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-08-23
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The discarded laws were rc.cstabIishcd,
and the struggle OF opposing influences
was over External order and moral
ity, at least, have been upheld ever
since.
The manliness, dignity and wisdom
that characterized the Hawaiian rulers
in all their dealings with the represent
ativcs Of foreign power in the early days,
before recognition, were worthy Of the
Romans While attempting no una
vailng resistance to the warships,
which they knew could annihilatc
them they did not for a momcntcowcr
or fear to speak their convictions n
they were like the Indians, who have
been conquered but never subducd.
In the year f843 he voluntarily sur
rendered his absolute power, and
granted written laws and constitution
al freedom TO his people, who had
never dreamed OF such thing What
other races have had to struggle FOR
this monarch gave before it was de-.
mandcd Powerwas rs sweet to him rs to
other men, but he had a clear head and
kind heart. Judges were appointed,
popular vote was cast, and lcgisla
turc was organized life and property
were as secure, and justice as sound as
in Massachusetts, and ii is only fair
to call this the fruition Of the seed sown
by American missionaries, In the
same year France and England rccog
nizcd and mutually guaranteed the in
dependence of the islands, pledge
still binding and perhaps worth remcm-
boring.
In the following year the United
States took similar action, and from
that time till now American sentiment
has been expressed in the words of
Daniel Webster 10 Hawaiian diplo-
mat, "Il England takes those islands,
we'll make fuss about it."
The result of the kings noble action
was, in IS47, the grand "mahelS' or di.
vision, which broadly stated was this:
"The king reserved his private lands as
his individual property one-thTd Of
the remaining lands was set aside as the
property of the Hawaiian Government,
onethrd to the chiefs in proportion to
their possessions, to have and to hold
forever and the remaining one.third
to the tenants, the actual cultivators
OF the SOIL to have and to hold forever"
In addition to this Kamehameha, re-
alizing how necessary it was that there
should be a public domain, the pro
cecds OF which should go to the ma
tional treasury, from which his subjects
could purchase the lands they needed
proceeded to set apart for the use Of
government the larger part Of his own
royal domain, reserving to himself what
he deemed a reasonable amount oil land
for his own estate. By this great act, Ka-
mehameha III. showed his sympathy
with his people, and set an illustrious
example of lberality and public spirit.
The whole transaction was a severe test
Of patriotism, rejecting great Gre
dit also on the Hawaiian aristocracy,
which thus peacefully gave up por-
ton OF its hereditary rights and privil-
eyes for the good Of the nation, "a di
rect result of Christian teaching.
Desiring additional knowlege as to
their duties under the new form Of
government, the chiefs, in 1885, sent
to the United States for teacher OF
political economy. Failing in this they
employed the Rev. William Richards,
who gave up his strictly mission
airy work in order to lecture before the
aristocracy on the science OF govern
mcnt and the duties of public officers !;
he also officiated as royal chaplain.
The result of the combined influence
was an excellent constitution and code
Of laws. Education in the mechanical
arts and agriculture were encouraged by
special legislation but in IS45 a COM
bined application of the government
and missionaries to the American Board
of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
for a carpenter, mason, tailor, and shoe
maker, was refused rs beyond their
means, and not Of vital importance.
This action was fatally unwise. A re-
verse policy could hardly have avertcd
their final extinction, but would have,
rs believe, created needed physical,
and moral strength, together with the
conditions Of better living, and none
the less OF religious life. From 1890 to
1854 there were sent tothe the Hawaiian
field forty clerical missionaries, six ply
sicians, twenty lay teachers, four of
whom were printers, and eighty-three
women, most OF them wives of the
members of the mission. The people
leaned what they were taught, viz,
Christian doctrine and duty, and Incl
dentally, of course, much about
practical life, But while in
dustry and thrift generally were en-
couraged, the practical object-lessons
which are as important as preaching
were furnished in meagre way. What
was done in this direction was chiefly
the work OF the women, who by visit
ing the natives in their matched huts
and gathering them together in sewing
classes, taught them the use Of the
needle and other civilized arts A re.
enforcement of mechanics to train and
harden the soft Hawaiian hand, to
establish industrious habits, and thus
TO supply stamina which the native
character lacked, would have been
wise missionary work even had it
necessted decreasing the number OF
clerical teachers 1t was matter of
critical importance. The redeeming
effort at the Islands was in the manual
labor schools for boys at I.ahaina, Wal
mea, and Hilo. The former, however,
was partially abandoned on its practical
side when it became government
school and took up advanced studies,
educating some of the worst and best
men in the kingdom. The school at
Lahaina has been warning against a
too exclusively mental oul.ure of a