The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1898-08-16

| free and enlightened government and
presenting a spectacle of senatorial DELHI
| Grafton and dccorum which Will compare
| favorably with parliamentary proceed
| ings in many older and more cultured
civilizations What is there to commem-
| crate? What shall I say? What but
| present "A contrast with which your own
| minds must be busy, between this year
| and this scene and what may have hap
pened here one hundred years ago? We
| can Imagine Ia l11s, on the site where we
| are assembled, a crowd OF half-naked saw
/ ages, mingling their loud, discordant cries
with the dissonant beat of the ancient
rude drum. The smoke for a sacrifice as
| cends, and can picture an upliftcd
| club falling on a human victim to beat
| out his brains, where now the mailet OF
our worthy president only strikes to pre-
serve peace and goodwill. This. o, Ha-
waiians! this stride from savage disorder
| TO our present order Is something worthy
OF your commcmOration.
THE past one hundred years have
| brought many fosscs and sorrows to the
people of these Islands. but let us glance
| at the blessings that have come with the
century. These witnesses. looking down
from the walls OF our legislative hall. Will
help us to review the past. See the con-
quering hero, In his royal feather cloak
| the Puhikapa OF the olden warrior time.
He began our century with savage war
and massacre. and yet he was chiefly the
destroyer Of cruelty and superstition. and
| wadcd through human blood for the sake
OF enduring peace within his native Isles.
| lie was among the first TO greet the dis
| coverer Cook on board his ship in IT'S,
when on Lahaina, and this Hawaiian
chiefs great mind, though mere youth
| then, well appreciated the mighty changes
| that must follow after the arrived of the
white strangers. He met destiny with
| the mind OF philosopher and IA patriot.
and Kamehameha, the barbarian con-
queror. welcomed the new era with the
spirit of an enlightened statesman: he
made the white men his friends.
| Next look upon Iiholiho. his son. the
bold; hcadstrong Prince. who. after the
| death OF the conqueror. goes on with the
work of peace and onfranchisement. and
marks a noble period in Hawaiian his.
| tory. Need we glance at anything more
than the breoking Of the tnous, and es-
| pecially the restoration OF Hawaiian wo-
| men to an equal condition with the rest
| OF their race? To he a woman before.
was to be an animal feeding In an outer
| kennel. but I.iholiho tramples on the
cruel superstition, and the woman of
these Isles Joins her lord and her lover at
the feast and may rest on his bosop as
| she feeds.
, Next we will gaze on the benevolent
| face of Kauikeaouli, he who portioned
| out his dominions to his people. and who
abdicated absolute sovereignty in behalf
of the majesty OF the law. He too. like
| the great founder of the Kingdom. took
| worthy white men into his confidence:
and Richards, Haalilio, Lee, Judd and
| Nylie helped worthily to illustrate the
enlightened reign of Kamehamcha III
| And next behold the face of the second
| Liholiho, the courteous and gentlcmanly
| Prince. How his heart ycarned for the life
and welfare of his people! This love Of
| "A Hawaiian King IL illustrated by our
noble hospital, which will stand as n
proud monument of the benevolent Ka-
mehamoha ", and his gracious spouse,
who Is stll with us
| I'VE will look now upon the rcsoluto
| face of the King with the strong arm.
| lie gave what Hawaii needs, "A vigorous
| admins tration; and II will be well for
her to he led by spirit Of authority, so
forcibly illustrated by kamchamcha ".
| who comes next? Where IL the noble
| face of Lunalilo? 1t In not here. where y
| should he, but all the more conspicuous
| to our minds by absence, like the statue
of Brutus, when removed from the pro-
| cession at Rome. causing Brutus 10 be
present all the more In every heart What
| "A hope of the Hawaiian people was this
| Prince lie was of the blood of those
| that Were once esteemed as gods. and
was always King in the hearts of Ha-
waiians. He passed away like a dream,
| but his coming brought the gift OF high
er political privilege TO the people. Ana
now today, at the end of the hundred
years, we stand face TO face with King
| Kalakaua the seventh of the royal line
| from the founder. His Majesty assembled
| the throne amid "A storm, but this reign
and this era have splendid opportnnitics:
crowned and Amounted King Of Hawaii
ans, to become the foremost OF Polynesia,
nay even of all aboriginal oceania. And
is not this history Mt which we have
planccd worthy of some commemoration?
All nations keep their epochs and their
eras. Rome dated from her foundation,
and Greece from her Olympic games, Ice.
land, the dreary, frozen Isle, little while
ago celebrated her thousandth year since
her discovery and settlement; and a King
/ and great mobiles and statesmen from for
| eign lands were pleased to take part In
| the celebration. The great centennial OF
America and its celebration are fresh In
our memories. by commemorative not
able periods. nations renew as they re-
view their national life; And they mark
the commemoration with some monument
or memorial. Usually It was temple,
or a statue, or "A medal. In modern times,
eras are marked by exhibitions of ma
teriai progress, as wei as works OF Mrt;
for an exhibition OF our material pro-
gress, but We can mark the close OF our
epoch by some work of art.
| I'm proposing this resolution, have not
made up my mind as to the shape In
which our commemoration should mani
fest itself Some would appreciate utii-
itarian monument, such as a prominent
lighthouse; others, building for instruc-
tion, or a museum; and l highly appre-
Ciate the unitarian view, yet ] am In
Clned to favor "A work OF art. Ana what
is the most notable event and character,
apart from discovery, In this country for
| Iawaiians TO commemorate? What else
but the consolidation OF the archipelago
by the hero Kamehameha? The warrior
chief of Eohala towers far above any
other one OF his race in all oceanlca. His
| character, In view OF thoughtful ana
noble minds OF all lands. This approcia-
tion OF his character | hope TO promote
with my feeble pen; and his fame viii be
raised as a proud memCnto for Hawaii
Therefore, let Hawaiians, especially You
Hawaiian Mobiles and Representatives
= lift up your hero before the eyes Of the
! people, not only in story, hut in evorlnst'
I ing bronze. Thus enlightened nations
I commemorate their heroes and good men
= You have never yet contributed nuythinl
towards such Commcmoratiun. tn,
paintings on these walls were gifts, ol
@ contributions from various sources. Tht
I British Parliament and the American Con
' gress, and other representative bodies o
{ enlightened States, have each voted hun
: dreds OF thousands OF dollars for monu
7 ments to their great chiefs and teachers
: such as Napoleon, Wellington, Washing
ton, Howard, Penn and Rousseau. Tn