The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-01-24
SOME HISTORY.
A Naval Officer in Favor of an
1ieNafiou.

u UNHkSiTATlN0LN, NES.'
Commander Jewell. of the United
States navy, is moved by an articly
in the issue OF this paper of Decem
Der Sd to make somewhat spirited
reply to Que of our contributors.
We print the Commanders letter
in full, as it certainly is q forcible
answer TO the query:
Shall We Annex Hawaii!'
/ To THE EprroR OF THE ILLUSTRATED
AMERICAN.
Dear Sir:-In your issue of De.
cember 3, 1892, in an article entitled
Shall We Annex Hawaii" the fol-
lowing language Is used:
On the death OF hamebameha V
they (the planters) secured the elec
tion OF kalakaua as King. There
was q lawful heir to the throne,
Queen Emma, and no law or prece-
dent for election by the Legislature.
Still Ii was done by the power OF
gold. We have here to record the
first Interference by American forces,
1t must be told, 10 the everlasting
shame OF the American people and
the discredit OF her Representatives.
The people arose en- masse to sup
port Queen Emms The American
Minister. Pierce, thereupon landed
marines and sailors from an Amer
icsn war vessel and put down the up
rising by force.
Your historian would have been
spared the modification he expert
enced in the recital of this shameful
story had he made the slightest
effort to verify his data. Not often
are so many misststements and per-
versions of fact crowded into so few |
lines kalakaua was not elected to !
succeed hamehameha v; there was
no lawful heir to the throne: Queen
Emma was not heir TO the throne, |
lawful or unlawful; there was both
law and precedent for the election of
q King by the Legislature. So much
for the misstataments; the perYer-
sions are in regard 70 the actions OF
the American representatives and
70 the object for which the Amer
can forces were landed, as 1 shall
proceed TO show.
| was at Honolulu when the events
to took place-in fact. it
vas my fortune to command the first
detachment of the American forces
hat landed. and which drove the
ioters out Of the court house, where !
he meetings of the Legislature were
eid. Consequently, l know some
hing about these events, and l have
AIKEN the trouble to verify my recol-
ection of them by reference to vari- !
Us sources of information. !,
The constitution of Hawaii, under .
'hich kalakaua was elected King in {
S74. had been adopted some ten L
ears before, during the reign of :;
.smehameha V. This constitution !,
royided that, failing heirs of his u
Sn body, the sovereign might nom s 3
ate, and, with the consent of the y
1bles, appoint his successor by IL
1blic proclamation. In the event E,
at no such nomination and pro u
were made, it was pro- u
ded that the Legislature should s.
ect the sovereign, who, however, l
ust be of the ALI Of the kingdom; a
e., be must be a descendant of the d
.cient chiefs. Kamehameha ". ei
ID died without issue. and his sue "
ssor, kamehameha v, was also Oh
ildless. The latter died in De Sd
mber. 1872, without having ap-
,inted successor in the constitn- ST
,naI manner, and with him the CT
line ended. "
His successor was Lunalilo. who, th
January, 1872, in accordance with fe
g constitution, was elected King tn
the Legislature. Queen Emma, r
g widow OF Kamehameha ", was ar
for the throne, as was le
the late King. Lunalilo m
d not belong to the royal line, but at
was a high chief, descendant of OF
9 ancient chiefs. His reign lasted Isl
little more than a year and he died lei
the Sd or 4th OF February, 1874. di
, had no heir, and had not ap- tiC
inted successor as the constitu- OF
N provided. Therefore a special Sc
ssion of the Legislature was called pa
his Ministers to elect a successor CC
accordance with the terms of the mi
Institution tn
1t SO happened that the biennial Ar
'ction Of representatives to the en-
,islative assembly had occurred pr
t few days prior to the death of ed
, King. This assembly was re an
rksble body from the fact that the tn
,resentstiyes, with a single excep- BE
n, were natives. and, with few ey- rel
,tions, they belonged to the pop thu
r party, whose campaign cry had pc
N Hawaii for the Hawaiians." lis
Two candidates for the throne laV
re nominated in this Legislature, phi
b of whom had been candidates L
the previous election. One was act
Vid Kslskaus, a high chief, de del
ndsnt of ancient chiefs, Noble fiec
the kingdom, and an intelligent me
educated man. He was candi- "
G Of the native Hawaiian party, ans
was supported generally by those the
he people who were Of American lyil
IN or dezcaut Tho other capdid.fa ,-,,