The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-22


HAWAIIAN MoNARCHs.
European annals. Originally each island
had it's own king, and some more than
one, but about a century ago arose the
great Kamehameha, and in a series of
wonderful campaigns reduced them all
under his rule.
He is the great Hawaiian hero, the war
rior, king and sage, the David and Sol
omon and Haroun al Raschid all in one.
But it is great mistake to say, as many
recent writers have done, that the civili-
zation he fostered was purely native and
original. and still more to begin Hawaiian
history with Cooks voyage. A hundred
years before that the islands were visited
by white men and many times between
that date and Cooks visit. White men
lived on the islands even before Kane
hameha's reign. They had introduced
many improvements, and he had the as
sistance of some Of them in his wars
He was succeeded by five kings, of his
blood, who took his name as title, but
were known by other names. OF these
Alexander died in 1868, and Lot late in
1872, William Lunalilo taking the crown
in January, 1873. David Kalakaua was
elected to succeed him in 1874, and in
1891 he died and gave place to Liliuoka-
lani.
Now, the old royal line expired as
aforesaid with King Lot, and as King
Bill and Kalakaua, though of ancient
royal stock, had to be voted into power,
there was necessarily some lowering of
the royal dignity and lessening of the
royal prerogative. And as liberal con-
stitution had been adopted and govern
ment established somewhat on the Eng
lish model, there is really no change
perceptible to the mass of the people in
adopting provisional government semi
republican in tone.
And through all this century, while
civilization was rapidly progressing and
later whilc Christianity was becoming
dominant, the Kanakas were fading away
at rate unprecedented since the tender
natives of the West Indies died off under
Spain's harsh rule. First, the wars of
Kamehameha wrought havoc, and as the
last of these wars was ending there came
q mysterious pestilence which reduced
the population by one-fourth or more
Diseases introduced by profigate sail
Drs doubtless wrought some destruction,
but not nearly so much as has been re-
ported. Then came the leprosy (or rather
Il developed) and for a time threatened
general destruction. Even now IL is
great curse. but not SO destructive as
formerly.
Beyond all these known causes, how
ever. there are causes not understood.
A too rapid civilization is often fatal TO
primitive races. The sudden inflow of
new impressions on unprepared nerve
centers breaks them down. The wear
ing of clothes seemed for time 10 make
the native women barren, as they paid
10 attention to the ordinary rules for
keeping their rsiment in healthful con-
dition. Another cause has lately been
assigned in these words; Hawaii is
holiday land-a lazy land-a soft, lux.
urieus,r rrel1ptueps- -land--and the de-
preston from safety is correspondingly
great There is no set purpose in life,
no firm and high resolve, and so when
melancholy comes il kills"
No other man dies so easily and gently
as true Kanaka. lie can lie down and
die whenever the notion takes him, and
with no apparent disease. This happens
among many dark races, but with mono
% often as the Kanskas. Captain Cook
guessed their number at 400,0 and IL
may have been half that In 1922 the