The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-11-29

from without Applause
To return TO the princely birthday and
the event already referred To. On that
18th November 1886, one Captain Lord
Edward Russell concluded "a Convention
a SponsiD or Provisional Treaty with the
King Kamehdmeha III Among the slip
ulations Of that Convention there l. one 70
which it Is interesting now to draw atten-
ton The Convention was an agreement
10 permit the peaceful residence, trading
and acquisition Of property in the Ea-
waiian Islands Of foreigners, the subjects
OF the British crown, and in it Will be found
this clause: The land on which houses
are built is the property OF the King but
the King shall have no authority to destroy
the houses OF in any way injure the prop
erty of any British subject Thus We
see that the King OF Hawaii was the only
landlord in those days, the undisruted
owner and master of every acre of ground
in this archipelago. The sole original title
was in the King Custom, tradition and
the ancient religious beliefs had settled
this sovereignty of the soll in the reigning
Chief. Minor Chiefs or lords might have
rights of use of fruitful valleys and prolific
fishing grounds but these were concessions
given and taken away by a word, or the
showing OF a sign OF symbol. This con
dition of things had never been questioned
in the olden days before the white man
came, but his presence and counsel had
awakened new ideas. especially in regard
to the rights-the natural rights OF our
selves and of all oar fellow men to the uses
of the earth and sea. kamehameha HI
was thoughtful man with the head OF a
European on the shoulders OF a Polyncsian
IA remark which is equally true To- all OF
the seven Kings who have ruled over
united Hawaii. Influenced by this foreign
advice and by the prOmptings OF his own
enlightened mind, he resolves that his
Mobiles and his people shall have an indie
pendent share in the great advantages
which Providence has supplied for man
kind in the natural kingdom. Hence the
Welding. first foreshadowed in the Con
vention of 18th November, 1886, of this alb
solute right-the willing surrender-the
gracious giving up of that which was his,
but which he nevertheless had wisely be
gun to contemplate only trust. Hence
lands and seas have been sUbdivided, con-
veyed and held, under the sway Of apower
to which the King himself yielded-the
power of the law. And now, at this day,
in this jubilee year of King kalakaua, he,
a Sovereign. wiser, with broader and better
knowledge, supported by the affection OF a
devoted people, holds property i'll lands
onlY as a pOssessor under law, liable to
have his title questioned and his claims
- of hi Il
Thus the despotic land tenure of 1886 has
completely passed away, and in 1886 the
hOmestcads of the people have become
prS,ate domains under the law. Mean
while all this change, this transfer OF
dominion over the soil from the Sovereign
to the people, has not weakened the hands
of the King, but has made him stronger IN
all the exercise of Government. Then a
semi -barbarOus Chief received a paltry
tribute of produce on arbitrary demand.
Now an enlightened Ruler has a well
organized treasury for carrying out all the
measures of civilized government, in addi-
ton to the provision for his own royal
state and personal welfare.
Another contrast. At this natal period
an event of adifferent character permits a
striking comparison to be instituted be
tween the first and fiftieth year of King
Kalakaua's lifetime. Hawaii had cast
away her gods of stone and wood. She had
disregarded the terrible kapus of her super
stitious age-had cast away the one and
disregarded the Other-nOt yet as the re-
suit of any religious instruction, but as a
consequence of contact with new race of
fellow beings who showed themselves to
be utterly unaffected by what had hitherto
enslaved their own minds. 1t was not in
struction which caused the wooden idols
of 1919 to be destroyed, but rather the effect
of having seen these once sacred and fear
full blocks destroyed without accompany
ing disaster, and consumed by fire without
injury to the burner The Hawaiian mind
emancipated by this positive evidence OF
the harmlessness OF long-dreaded buga-
boo of supposed mischievous power now
iovfully encourages general icOnOclaSm
of the once feared and awe-inspiring Pan
theon of Hawaii and had no gods to battle
| for when the American missionaries came
but was ripe and ready for Christian in
! structiOn.
After such a resolution, when an unsO-
| phisticated people are casting off an ancient
| superstition, it is no doubt well that they
| should not have their minds disturbed
when new and purer creed is put before
! them, by its presentation by a variety OF
! advocates themselves imbued with di
| verse views of truth. Later on, however
the time must arrive when the advanced
neophyte should hear and weigh for him
! self the grounds of his faith. kamehame
! ha III and the advisers and officers of hi:
! Government did not realize that such ;
/ time had arrived at this period when Ger
tain Catholic priests set foot on Hawaiian
shores. as shown by proclamation of thu
! King, in which occur these words: 'Th
! men of France (priests) whom Kaahu
manu- banished are under the same un
altered order up to this period. The re
lection of those men is perpetual
| will not assent to their remaining in m
! dominions Ali who shall enCOurag
the Papal missionaries l shall regard a
enemies to me, to my COunsellors, 10 m.
Chiefs, to my people and TO my Kingdom.
This was overzeal, and in the endeavo
to save the Hawaiian mind from conflict
ing views of the Christian religion a cours
of conduct was adopted which was an at
negarion of the leading principles of tina
religion.
In contrast with the decree Of the Kin
of that day against religious liberation, W