The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-01-06
Another Addition % Contributions
On he SlliGt
GATE Amo Cause or ofslon
Symbolism OF the Colovs- white
Red ana blue Union Jack.
A Change Made.
(By Jas w. GiryinD

lBy Jas w. Giryin.D
The Hawaiian Flag was invented
about 1913 at the suggestion of an Am
erican. Prior to that date the flag OF
Great Britain Was used as the ensign
of Hawaii. There is no doubt OF the
friendship which existed between Ka-
mehameha and the great explorer, Van
couver, who had shown much kindness
to him and his people and probably on
receipt OF present OF a British nag
the King was pleased to adopt II as the
ensign Of his country. On the break
ing out of the war OF 1912, between
Great Britain and America, Kameha-
meha was solicitous that he be not
considered an ally of either OF these
great powers, with both of whom he
was in friendly relations. He, there
fore, decided to adopt an ensign which
at once should show his friendship TO
both and at the same time would dis
play his independence OF either.
The inventor OF the flag was no
doubt the King himself, and the max
er of 1t under his directions, was Capt
Geo. c. Beckley, an Englishman who
had been made high chief, and whose
descendants are still amongst us.
The King said that the adoption OF
the Union Jack" was 70 demonstrate
his friendship for England. The
Union Jack, named 30 from its being
union of the crosses of st. George, 81.
Andrew, and st. Patrick, and which
was called the meteor flag Of England
was invented after the union with Ire
land in 1901.
BY adopting the stripes and tricolor
of America he showed his friendship
TO that country, and the tout ensemble
of the flag linked his with the two
greatest commercial countries of the
world.
The King understood the meaning OF
the three colors better than he did that
OF the three crosses.
He ordered white, symbolical OF pur-
ity and sincerity, for the uppermost
stripe. nothing being higher than the
sun from whence emanates the bril-
liant white light by which all things
are discerned. The ancient priests in
variably wore white tapa garments
when officiating at any propitiatory
sacrifice.
In ignorance OF the wisdom OF Ka'
mehameha, the Great. in adopting
white for the upper bar. many nativei
Of late years have detained agains,
II. saying that 1t presaged that tn,
white man would eventually rule tn,
land KauikeaOuli, Kamehameha III
had no such presentiment. The motto
he adopted for the Hawaiian coat o.
arms, "Ua mau Ike ca o ka alma | ki
pOno' Cthe breath OF the land Is con
tinued through righteousness) Is tn,
highest sentiment to be found on tn,
escutcheon OF any OF the nations o
the earth. Had the Hawaiian ruler
lived up to 1t the whites would neve
have dominated the land.
The King ordered red as the color 70
the second bar, as 1t was color yer.
highly priced by the people, 1t beinI
symbolical OF blood. which is the life.
Singular 1t Is that this Is the only colo
In as high esteem by royalty as purp
among the nations. The best red W
know OF Is manufactured from tn
cOchineal and is In reality the blood o
that insect.
TIC OIutItN Ulut tic iOWtTIuUs
stripe, blue being a symbol OF continu
ity, in the hope that his Kingdom woul
continue forever. From the azure vaul
of heaven which encircles the globe an
from the deep blue sea which encircle
the Islands his idea OF continuity wa
obtained.
These three stripes were thrice re
peated. At the present time the legal
adopted flag of Hawaii Is minus tn
lower or blue stripe, as the Hawaiia
Flag, as seen and described by Cap
de Freycinet floating at Kawaihae an
over the fort at Honolulu in 1917.
At what time this last bar wa
dropped. or why, history sayeth no
1t may be that some ingenious person
wishing to make more symetrica
flag, or one of better proportions
dropped the ninth bar and soothed tn
Hawaiians by suggesting that the eigt
remaining bars represented the eigt
inhabited islands OF the group. Thi
was absurd, as late discoveries hav
proven that Niihau was as much an In
habited island as Kakoolawe. How
ever, we have the Hawaiian Flag 40
is and 1t has been universally admiret
We trust 1t will long remain the Stat
Flag OF Hawaii. II Is q singular &C
incidence that at this period OF tn
worlds history when the great Anglo
Saxon nations, Great Britain and Am
erica, are approaching 80 near to on
another In great alliance. that tn
latter should have annexed a peopl
whose flag was a combination OF thOe
OF the two, and probably Just in time I
save that flag from being absorbed
an aggressive oriental nation.
JAMES w. GIRVIS.