The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-11-25
HAWAIIAN HISTORY.
Career and Character of Kane
hameha 1.


with foliage, its beautiful stream here
rushing impetuously over the rocks
and dashing itself into foam ; there
following lazily in the sun, and widen
ing into shallow pools; the perfect
peace and quiet which peryaded. All
this is probably no more beautiful
now than it was ninety-eight years
ago. But then its peace and tran
guilty were broken by the noise of
battle. The shouts of defiance and |
the clang of arms rolled up the valley |
and were caught and echoed back by |
the encircling heights. Slowly, inch |
by inch, the fierce tide surged up the
valley, narrower grew the way, and
hundreds missed their footing on the
dizzy brink and were hurled head
long into the stream beneath, where
their bodies chOked up the waters.
One band slowly, but steadily, forced
its opponents up the narrow way. In
the van Of the advancing host strobe
a gigantic warrior, wrapped in yell
low War-clOak, welding a massive
club. Now and then he rushed into
the thickest of the fight, struck down
a foe, and then retired, while he urged
his followers to take advantage of the
enemy's broken and disOrdered ranks.
Gladly they Obeyed him, and the
spears flew fast, and mighty warriors
fell on either side. Finally, the enemy
became disheartened and turned in
flight; but, in their wild and frantic
haste, they were hurled over the pre-
IL L., E. Il,
the mighty chief and his followers
fell upon them in their confusion,
and almost to the last man they
were slain. Night came down,
the victors rested their weary
limbs and slept, but their leader
withdrew to a distance, folded his
feather cloak about him and contem-
plated the scene, in truth, "The
Lonely One"-Kamehameha. A year
had passed after this battle, and
heap of cOrpses lay upon the wave
washed sands of Kawaihae, while
standing around were Kamehameha
and his war chiefs. In the CHASTITY
heap lay the bodies of KeOua and his
comrades. KeOUa, the uncOnquered
opponent of Kamehameha, had been
induced to come to Kawaihae to make
peace with his rival, but on landing
was treache"Ously slain, his COM
panions meeting the same fate. No
thing can free Kamehameha the First
from the responsibility of this foul
and wicked murder. The deed was
planned in his council and executed
by his most trusty cOunsellOrs. 1t
was eXecCted in his presence and
within sound of his voice, yet he did
not raise his hand to stop the bloody
deed, nor open his lips to rebuke the
assassins. But before we judge him
for what will always be a great stain
upon his fair name, let us look at the
social and political state of affairs in
the islands, AID the principles of right
and wrong governing mems lives and
actions in that age. For nine years
the war had wasted Hawaii, and both
parties longed for peace, and to Kane
hameha and his chiefs this seemed to
be the only way to put an end to the
war and bloodshed. In those days
the putting away Of q rival by foul
means, whether chief or servant, noble
or low born, was not an objectionable
Offense in the eyes of society. More
over, the very men who advised and
planned the murder of Keoua, placed
Kamehameha on his throne, and they
were too strong and influential to be
censured or estranged from his
cause. History repeats itself. Ma
poleOn committed q deed equal
in barbarity, and far less eXcu-
sable than the murder of Keoua
when he seized the Duke of Enghien
dragged him to Paris, and going
through the mere form of trial, sem
fenced him to be shot. The sentence
was carried out, and the unhappy
prince was laid in grave which had
been dug for him before the trial took
place. This was done in 1S04-twelve
years after the murder of Keoua-
done not in savage land, but in civil
lied enlightened France. Three years
more passed away and Kamehameha
stood again as victor on blood bought
field. 1t was mis- last great battle,
and as he stood on the yonder pail
with heaps of dead around him,
we'll might he say, "the conquest is
complete the islandsare mine" AS q
warrior, Kamehameha is without q
peer in Hawaiian history. His move
ments were remarkable for their brilli-
ancy of force and execution, the word
fordefeat was not found in his vocabu-
lary-his self-reliance made such q
word impossible. "Order is heavens
first lawn and Kamehameha recognize
hight by the intention of q great soul,
brought system out of confusion,
peace out of turmoil, anarchy and
strife. Kamehameha was eminently
fitted to be q ruler, his proud spirit
could brook no equal, and his imperi-
Gus will awed men into submission.
His word was law, land no one dared to
transgress it. Absolute power was
in his hand, and the lives and prop
erty of his people belonged to him.
But this absolute power SO often
abused was a means in his hand of
suppressing the greed and avarice OF
the chiefs, of elevating the degraded
natives, of binding into a stable gov
eminent, this group of islands, torn,
as they had been for generations, by
rival factions, and disturbed by fire.
quent rebellions. Kamehameha's
life was influenced by q lofty am
bition. His high purpose was to
bring the islands under one govern
ment. Although stern and forbidding
by nature, his lovable traits of char
acter were not few, and he secured
the affections of his people to re-
markable degree. His death, May s,
1919, in his eighty-third year, was
sincerely mourned throughout the
group, and great was the lamentation
which followed. He died in the faith