The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1888-07-10

resisteth the ordinance of God. 4" The
teachers of Christianity thus lent their
influence to tyranny, by applying the
words OF holy writ to the cases Of those
of whom it was not spoken. Yet all of
these powers combined failed to crush
out the spirit OF freedom among the Eng
fish people.
One OF the colonists facetiously claim
ed that there was constitutional way to
deal with tyrants. Considering the fact
that the English Constitution is only
series of presidents, it is difficult to
prove his position false. King John met
British arms at Runnymede, and yielded
an unwilling recognition of the peoples
rights, because he could do no other.
The Plantagenets felt the peoples might
and learned to respect the peoples
rights. During the hundred and sixty
years which preceded the union OF the
Roses" history tells us, "nine kings
reigned in England. Six OF the nine
were deposed. Five lost their lives as
we'll as their crowns" Charles l.
learned to his cost how Englishmen deal
with tyrants. James IL. furnished an
other example. Will EngIishmen glory
in Magma Charta and the Bill OF Rights,
and turn their backs upon the Declara-
ton of Independence, that grand state
ment OF the principles which lie at the
foundation of English polity? No, the
Fourth of July is day to be celebrated
throughout the world, wherever freedom
is known.
Would the American colonists act
upon presidents or would they be the
first Englishmen for centuries to ac-
knowledge themselves the chattels OF
king. cabinet or parliament, by tamely
submitting to tax TO which they had
never in any way given their consent?
They were the scions OF hardy stock.
Many OF their ancestors had fled from
tyranny to establish their race IN the
wilderness, choosing clear conscience
to ease, and to liberty wealth. Their sons
learned liberty and learned to love 1t
from mountain, forest, and the great free
country around them. They learned 1t
from generations of free men born and
reared out of the way OF tyrants. They
learned it from the history OF the mother
country. They learned self-reliance
from their isolation from the rest OF the
world. They learned self-control i'll the
church and in the school. They learned
seli-gOvernment in the town-meetlng,
while their insigniicance was their pro-
lection. as well rs in the church. Was
anything wanting to fit them to be the
worlds champions OF liberty II they
failed where were the downtrOdden OF
the earth to look for examples? Not to
England for were not these Englishmen
with the best possible preparation for
the championship? Not to France; Tor
had not the collapse of feudalism
lett the masses OF Frenchmen a
prey to nobility and ROYALTY alike,
while liberty was only to be learned
by its absence, while self-reliance,
self-control and self-government were
not developed by experience, and while
aspirations were not encouraged by his
tory? No; the world was looking to
America for an example and for champ
ions. The English people were looking
on with sympathy. Parliament by no
means represented the people. Franklin
felt very strongly that it was not the
choice OF the people OF the mother coun-
try to Cypress the people OF America.
When General Gage was sent TO Boston
with an army, the Duke o. Richmond
said in parliament that he hoped the
Americans would resist and be victorious.
When the representations OF the first
Continental Congress were laid before
parliament, the Earl OF Chatham de
clared that four-hfths OF the people OF
England were in sympathy with the col
onists. And when motion was made
in the House of Lords, the Kings own
brother voted to Withdraw the army
from Boston. Even Lord North, whose
sense of duty only required him to carry
out the wishes of his Sovereign, had to
be goaded on by the King with threats
at various times that he would abdicate
and return to Hanover if his measures
were not carried out, and again that he
would resort to the sword if parliament
would not carry out his will, and still
again that he would veto an obnoxious
measure if parliament insisted upon pas
sing it. What would Englishmen have
done if he had carried out his dire
threat to abdicate and abandon them?
Their condition would have been as sad
as that OF sheep deserted by the wolf !
His threat to resort to the swG.d recalls
a story of Geo. Stevenson. Once when
he was talking about the possibilities OF
the railway and intimating that trains
would yet run at speed OF twelve miles
an hour, some one interrupted him by
asking, What if bull were to plant
himself upon the track and resist the
passage of the train, wouldn't that be
bad?' Yes" replied Stevenson, q it
would be bad-for the bull" So, ii
King George had taken up arms against
the English people it would have been
bad-very bad-for the Elector OF Han
over. So much for depression. But
all this is to call to mind that Americas
quarrel was not with the people of Eng
land. In fact their sympathy was with
the colonists And the colonists, in
turn, felt this sympathy and regarded
themselves as the champions OF the lib
critics of England. What will become
of the liberties OF England If We yield?"
was 2 question frequently propounded in
their discussions. And the lovers of
liberty in less favored lands, notably in
France, were looking on in sympathy.
The people of France were not prepared
by antecedent events for such a leader
ship. else the Twelfth OF July were as
glorious as the Fourth But they were
looking to America for an example. And
were they to look in vain?
Reluctantly the hope OF a peaceful
solution OF the difficulty was abandoned
Having made up their minds that they
must conquer their liberties in arms,
were they to fight against their ac-
knowledged king? No, independence