Evening star., 1898-03-31
Liliuokalani's !. Statement III + pofated by
an Old ID J 5R;oyalist'
QUESTION ohhs#|R NJ ABDIclfloB
Attempt to M1qed''ffy M1ed''ffy the Oath of Al
legiance.
THE CONTRACT LABOR LAW
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
IJONOIJ-yJY Morop, Z 1eos


HONOLULU, March 1, 1888.
A brief review of Liliuokalanis book has
just appeared in the leading daily of Homo
lulu. 1t is by w: Nevius Armstrong, who
is an elder brother of the late Gen. 8. G.
Armstrong of Hampton fame. Mr.. Arm
strong has several important qualifications
for discussing the book. Besides being an
acute and experienced man Of affairs, he
was for three years Kalakaua's attorney
general and was the chief companion of
the kings tour around the globe in 1881.
in his boyhood he was intimate with the
young chiefs. and at one time boarded with
them in the Royal School, conducted by Mr..
and Mrs. Cooke. He confirms the ex-
queens complaint of the meagerness Of the
fare.
Mr.. Armstrong; father, the Rev. Richard
Armstrong. was in the cabinet 6f Kameha-
meha III as minister of public instruction
This gave the son much intimacy in court
circles during his youth, SO that he knew
all about Kalakaua and his sister, whose
low rank among the numerous royal
youths Of that day forbade their being
thought OF then as possible future candi-
dates for the throne. That was fifty years
sgo. Those young Polynesian chiefs in less
than thirty years had all suceumbed TIL.
harder, and the brother and sister took
the throne in succession.
Mr.. Armstrong, however. doe.; not employ
his intimate knowledge of court circles TO
betray any confidence. 1t simply serves to
guide his judgment. The following SEN
tences disclose no secrets; they refer Cnly
TO well-known facts: ''She takes a very
rosy view OF her married life with Governor
DSminis Those who knew the couple well
for many years will be much surprised to
hear OF the divine harmony Of their lives,
especially those who heard the governor
comme ut from time to time ON the subject"
The present writer IS in a position to
recognize in the above the reviewers eS-
treme reticence about facts which would
niucn perpieX amy cne not familiar with
Lsolyreslan s domestic life. The governor,
however, was not One to let sentiment
preVeI.t him from adjusting himself to I'M
aVOdable conditions.
Mr.. Armstrong says she has a poor opin-
ION OF the kings of Hawaii yet what had
our earlier monarchs ever done for the
public goodo Individually nothing. They
had acquiesced in the course laid down for
them by the missi0na ries. The government
established by pipus adventures was the
government Of the day" The reviewer
points out that even the school in which
she got her educatiofi was created by the
missionaries, of whom her foster-father
Pake, was the deyoted friend: also that of
thirty different cabinet officers under the
kamehamehas only four were from the old
missionary stock He might have added
that those kings only established and
strengthened their government and never
provoked revolutions, as Kalakaua and his
sister did. 49,.
The reviewer usefuiy shows the import
ance of the qHeen's statement that mo
one, outside or inside the Hawaiian Islands
has contributed a. cent to the repeated out
lays I have made for the good of the Ha-
wailan people," t..At, last" he comments
we have bottom fact The down-trod-
den Hawaiians. oppressed with grief at
the loss of the monarchy. and outraged at
thsydestruction of,their- dearest rights, have
not for five years given their dear queen
even the price OF a square meal. What ex-
alted patriotism! The true patriotism
which makes heroes is in your hearts, says
Mr. Davies, but not nickel from the 35OtO
CT those deprived of their rights Some
scores Of the royalists have very large in
comes. Hundreds of the natives buy ex-
peiisive fish,, Thousands of them patronize
the gin mills. But not one cent to restore
the monarchy, which this unselfish, toiiing
queen had undertaken to do for their own
good"
AbdicntiOn Not Forced.
Mr.. Armstrong denounces as "a malicious
falsehood" her statement that when the in
strument of abdication was presented to
her she had no opportunity to confer with
any one. and unless she signed it six of her
prominent friends would be put to death.
Her friend, Sam Parker, advised her fully.
The attorney general told her that her
signing would make no difference to the
government. They cared nothing for it and
had nothing to do. with it. More than all,
at the close of her. trial, her counse! read
her own unasked statement, some of which
was in terms of strong reproach of the
government for trying her, in which doc
Gment she says:
Il was not intimidated into abdication,
but followed the counsel of able and gen.
erous friends ard well-wishers, who ad-
vised me that such an act would restore
peace and good will among my people,
vitalize the progress and prosperity of the
islands and induce the actual government
to deal leniently," etc.
On page 275 of her book she says she was
"forcer. to sign her abdication,'' and on
page 2S3 she says, as above, that it was an
entirely voluntary act. 1.-The utter unre-
liability OF her statements IS clearly mani
fest
The reviewer sums up by saying: eve
believe 1t just that this woman should be
judged not by foreign but largely by
Pclynesian standards. She was not ca
pable of-no Polynesian is capable of-com-
pretending the force and value Of political
institutions. She is obstinate and
suspicious. She never had the sense 20