New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-29
THE ISLAND REALM.
IT HAS A LONG AND EVENTFUL HISTORY
IN TRADITION AND RECORD.
ORIGIN OF THE NATIVE P0rULAT1oN-THElK
suPERsT1TION:-C ROwTH OF CIVILIZATION
GRADUAL FORMATION OF THE KING
DoM-DEvELOPMENT OF THE
CONSTITUTION.


CONSTITUTION.
Since the death Of Kaakaua events in Hawaii have
travelled quickly toward the revolution which Is now
reported The King loved power. but he loved money
more and was ready a. each successive crisis arose
during the term Of his rule to compromise LOT 0N"
During the short space Of generation the Govern
mcnt of Hawaii has progressed from an ap'ol"'o
monarchy TO a constitutional popular administrator
Queen Iilinokalani who succeeded Kaalata, Wa MS
sister She ascended the throne just two years ago
She does not possess tact and afabity which as
ungul,hcd her brother and held his throne securely
while he lived The public conditions from whlch rev
CLINTON has snrung were directly resultant from the
operation o, the Reciprocity Treaty between Hawai- ana
this country Under that treaty practically every
filing produced I'm the ISLANDS. and notably It's sugar
product was admitted into this country free OF dnF'
At once a tremendous impulse was given 10 produc-
ton American investors went TO the Islands In great
numbers purchased sugar plantations. developed an
enormous ndustorv. and hundreds became permanent
residents Honolulu. IN a few years all the I'M
portan industries were in American hands ncluiing the
railways, the lighting plants. and pretty much every
thing necessary TO the life Of civilized people
The progressive natives welcomed these changes
ard profted by them. But there a reaconary
element supported II Is said. BY British mhnehce'
which has constantly urged the rcigning family to
measures OF opposition. sharp crisis arose In 1881
when Kaakaua dismissed liberal ministry sought ne"
advisers among the native party and IN eec declarcu
himself irresponsible ruler. Bnt ne hsu not eo' i''
on this course when he perceived that he could not
maintain himself In the end he endured sad huniii-
aton He was compelled to recall lis old advisers
and 10 proclaim a constitution under the terms OF when
he became mere fcurehead in the Government, ana
public affairs carried on by ministry Responsible
to Parliament and dependent for life on its support
This Is the Constitution which Queen Dlluokalanl on
January Is attempted 10 annul and substitute by doc
ument denying the privileges of citizenship to for
eigners The Queens intention TO do something OF THIS
sort has been apparent ever since she came 70 inc
throne. Although The wife OF an American. her sym
pathes have always been eagerly and openly Brltish
and unable TO substitute British influence for American
A. the paramount foreign influence IN the Islands. she
became suddenly impressed with the beauties OF native
autonomy and has maintained constant quarrel Win
her minister in the obvious effort to get I'D OF them
Her reign has been turbulent Plots and counter
plots have menaced her throne, and although she would
nrobsby have held herself In power 10 the end Of her life
n she had chosen to ally herself with the necessarily
ruling powcr,. it has been pain for several months
that a single spark would kndle tie flames OF revo!u-
ton.
Taking the more modern method in the study and
writing of history which accepts the traditions OF
race as Of value under critical review In restoring
the past the tory OF Hawaii ascendS 10 very re-
mote date in the past. The language OF tie people
shows that they Il branch OF the Malayan stock,
which, under vorious notifications. Is now spread
uroug bout Polynesia. tie Malay Archipelago and
MADAGASCAR Polynessn traditions. which have been
frequently Investigated since the beginning was made
by the famous Wilkes expedition. point TO the miGra-
ton from successive centres. the earliest OF WHICH,
and the supposed original home OF the race, Is an
island IN Malaysia The lIawaians cherish very
definite tradition which points TO the settlement OF
the Islands by Adventures from Samoa. Their list
n, sovcrccns puts the date OF this movement in the
eleventh or twelfth century Of the Christian era.
This traditional history, reaching back thus over
period OF several centuries, Is worth remembering oe
cause without II there seems no possibility OF ac-
counting for the docility and readiness with which
these islanders accepted the political customs OF
cyi,,zation The undisurbed aud secluded life when
they I'D enabled them TO perfect religion ana i
nautical system OF their own. which were remarkaDe
for curious symmetry " not for FEATURES 'hat
appeal to the reason Of civilized man. While their
life is here called uudistubed 1t must not he under
stood that It was devoid OF But the wars OF
sem civilized races are generally trfing ahairs rs
far as the loss OF life Is concerned IN oru"'a'N
skir.n!sh b,tvec The vanguards or The pckeN OF
.rmcs trained 10 the destructive methods OF Europe
or America would be more destructive TO human HE
than war Of years In Samoa or Hawaii.
II x In the succession OF rulers and the dlny
rememhcred traditions OF these more or less harm
less wars among the islanders that the history Oh
the Islands consists before the visit OF captain COON
That was In January l715, only h''le over Il
century ago. To Americans century means "uci
and II doubtless means much In Hawaii. But II
Mon have made on the eastern COAST OIL "ri'a III
400 voars # clear understanding Is 10 be reached
a. 70 the capacity OF the Kanaka for adapting hisc
10 conditions utterly inconccvable bN MN from 'he
ro,nt of view Of his primitive state IL Is no Wohue
thai "A Hawaiian writing In the "Londoh Hines
n, January 49, 1887 ventured to think that 'hcse
islands which have since worked out for themSeNe"
Tho prohm q, constitutional government conld t'ach
much hoth In civilization and in the art Of hsis-
lotou to far older countries Unfortunately H'"a'i
obtained an unenviabe nooricty through the murder
NJ Captain Cook Hence the filIacy thai the natives
were once cannbas. The IlawaiianN justly resent
This accusation for trace of cannbal'm mas ever
beeu found on any Of the sandwich Islands ihlS
accusation OF cannbaSm grew not much ont OF the
conduct % the people toward Cook ~ out OF what
WIS soon learned respecting their religious ptacnceS
which. A. I'm the cas-" OF many other races SET
higher value on sacrifice the higher the nature Of
the victim. so far human sacrifice was concerned
they had reached as high level Of knowledge as the
Pboenicans the early Hebrews. the primitive Romans
or the early Inhabitants Of Britain ana the Khenish
lowlande In the case Of captain COoK th'y were
nlscd by tradition, the counterpart OF WHICH mas
been found before and since his time among other
savage or hafcivilized races. They misook him
for tho ,mpersona,ion Of one OF their deicS. When
nc displayed the vices and tho reckleSSnees OF a
sailor they tested him ana when he showed that
he could not endure pain as god should have done
nor even as an American Indian would have done
under the circumstances. theV KlHed MN iorth"i az
a person who bad ventured among them under
false pretences The lesson is an obvious one. but
II look white men several generations Of knocking
about In unknown parts Of the world TO learn It,
II is scarcely a century since Cook was killed In
hot blood for appearing TO he what he was not
II 10 not centuries since man. under similar
misunderstanding, would have been burned at the
stake In many parts Of Europe.
II Is pretty clear that Cook did nothing 10 dis
abuse the islanders Of the notion which they had
conceived respecting him. When the ships anchored
In wamea Bay and he vent aIhore with guard
of twelve marines he was met by crowd OF natives.
who fell nat their faces and remained In that
h. rir ham IN rirn Inh