The record-union., 1896-03-29
HAWAII, THE PEARL OF The
PACIFIC
The Eleventh Of a Series of Letters by
John R. MuSiCk.
The Events Which Led to the Over
throw of Monarchy-The Pro-
visional Government.

Copyright. 1895, by Funk & wagnalls
Company, New York;
i The feeling is still too bitter between
the Republicans or P G.'s, as they are
contemptuously called by their enc
mics, and the Royalists for the exact
truth as to the overthrow of the mon
archy to be obtained. The political feel
ing here is at about the same heat twas
in the United States in 1866. The Roy
alists still call the Government PRO
yisional," and refuse to recognize it.
To understand the cause of the over
throw of monarchy one must have some
knowledge of the history of Hawaii. In
the latter part of the eighteenth CEN
tury powerful chief of Hawaii, known
as Kamehameha, captured two Amer
lean sailors named Davis and Young
The latter was boatswain on the Boston
frigate Eleanor, the former on a little
sloop, the Fair American. The latter
vessel was seized, its Captain and crew.
with the exception of Davis, killed,
and its cannon taken on shore. Young
and Davis, being expert gunners, were
spared to manage the artillery for
kamehameha, who at once began the
conquest of the whole group of islands
The two Americans were his Generals;
they married the daughters of chiefs
or princes, and were given high Offices
After several years of war all the
Sandwich Islands were conquered, and
kamehaneha declared King over ALL
He was succeeded by four direct de-
scendants known as Kamehameha II,
Ill, ", V. The natives having abol-
ished idolatry, in the year 1920 the
missionaries sent by the American
Board of Missions came to convert them.
They were kindly received by the ma
tives, but by this time the islands had
become a rendezvous for whaling YES
sells, whose officers and crews were
lewd, lawless men, and they objected
to the restraints of religion and decency.
The missionaries, however, had come
to stay and IN an earnest manner be-
gan the conversion of the heather.
They were often threatened by the law
less sailors, who regarded their up
right lives a. a standing rebuke to their
own immortality. But, in spite of all
threats and danger the missionaries
held their ground. They had the respect
and confidence of the Kings, who re-
mained their friends, and the cause of
Christianity advanced until all of the
Missionaries who came to the islands
young men, raised families of children,
grew old and died. Children born on
the islands grew up, died, and left
children, natural born Hawaiians, the
same as any American citizen to-day
is an American.
The business interests of the islands
soon began to attract the attention of
world mo
in agriculture or mercantile pursuits.
These dots on the face of the globe as
sumed great Importance, and the Eng
lish, always jealous of any advance of
Americans in the acquisition of terri
: tory, began to turn their attention to-
ward the islands.
AS the American Congregationalist
and Presbyterians had succeeded so
well, the Church of England, from pure
~ political motives it is claimed, began
a religious conquest of the islands.
From this time on there was a struggle
between Americans and English to con-
troll the ruling monarchs.
Kamehameha III. gave the people
the first liberal constitution All the
kamehamehas seem to have been
friendly to the Americans, as they were
probably under the influence of Young
and Davis and their descendants.
The anti-missionary party in time be-
came the anti-American party. His
tory shows how England has sought
in the past to get control of the islands,
and how she objected to the annexa-
ton of them to the United States dur
ing the Forties, as the trade was in
creasing in proportions that alarmed
her
The direct line of Kamehamehas end
ed with Kamehameha v After one or
two short reigns, David Kalakaua was
elected King. Though a dissolute man,
with many weaknesses, he seems to
have had an idea of justice and right
But he tried to please all parties, ,,and Of
course failed.
By this time sugar and rice planta-
tions had become a source of great
wealth in the islands, and Americans
with pluck and energy were peopling
the country and getting the cream Of
its industries
The lands had previously been di-
vided among the common people in
way that was equitable to all, the asser-
tions made on the floors of the Amer
lean Congress to the contrary notwit.-
standing. Under the old Kings all land
was invested in their name, as lands
originally were in Great Britain These
Kings distributed them somewhat ac-
cording to the feudal system, to chiefs,
reserving great tracts of what are still
called crown lands. At the suggestion
Of the missionaries large quantities of
lands were set apart for the common
people. and these lands, though small in
acreage, composed nearly all the very
best soil on the islands They were
the taro patches and rice fields, some of
which are to-day worth $500 per acre.
while there are vast tracts of lava
strewn mountain land not worth 81 for
500 acres.
Among the many American emil
grants to the islands were shrewd bust
ness men, who procured long leases on
sugar lands and bought large tracts
from the King. British influence was
brought to bear upon King Kalakaua
He was told to be "a real King and
have a great army and navy" Public
improvements were neglected, roads
became impossible, while the King Sc
cured q large loan from England, and
SGuandered vast sums of the revenue
in loans and on hula dancing girls.
Kalakaua was not a bad man. He
was a weak, vain man. and easily in
fuenced by bad surroundings. He was
constantly in need Of money. though
his annuity was greater than the sal
ary of the President of the United
States. He found himself hampered
by the Constitution, which limited his
power, and declared his intention of
giving the people another Constitution,
which was in reality a return to abS0-