Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-03
PREMIER GIBSON OF HAWAII
Was the Power Behind the Throne During
Kalakaua's Reign.
originated the scheme of a Great MidS
ocean Island Confederation - Ex.
traordfnary Dream of Empire.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.

fi"Hi tut Gan ErsnClsco Chrnnfcie
Among the many visionary projects %
haiakaua was one having for Its aim the
establishment of race bund or protective
poi''cai UNION embracing all the independ-
ent islanders of Polynesian strain in tbs
North and South Pacific Humanitarian
ana race considerations We're advanced I'm
Justfhcation of the movement by the Ha-
"alian government, but its real object was
never publicly revealed. 1t secretly aimed
at nothing less than a great mid-ocean is
ianu confederation, with Hawaii as the
central and controlling force and Kalakaua
recoehized as the supreme executive head
Vi 'he vast ocean empire. and wearing the
august title of Emperor of POLYNESIA
Inc scheme originated in the fertile and
caring brain of Premier Walter M. Gibson
kaua in February lSS3 He ha6 q $50, - a.
tne election OF kalakaua to the thrnnsa a.
iSi4. and had been steadily advanced IL,
o otie pubic service until he reached the head
ot lne ministry and became the trusted ad
wiser OF the crown. Known to be ambitious
anu CRAFTY, he was distrusted by most Of
me european and American residents of
tile kingdom, and universally denouncsd ~,
what was known as the missionary alar,ant
"a powerful class which On the end was
| NANNY instrumental in revolutionizIne tbs
s tha ,1 ana establishing a republic on
the ruins of the native monarchy. nut as
ne spoke and wrote the Hawaiian lanruage
IiuenIiy' and to large extent enfoyed tha
SoIuiuence or the native people the King
persistently declined to part with lds 49,
vices. He was one of the stroneast 49, -,
ms oay-a puzzle alike to his frIends a M
Ioes. After having been a vagrant roya, 80
nr;so I'd IN ms own ship and suffering i'm
pLisoilment at the hands of the Dutch an
thorltles in Sumatra on a charge ~ Inrit
ing the natives in the island to Rebellion n.
t ~ ms appearance in the Hawaiian grouD
as Mormon missionary from Utah and
soon made himself prominent IN nnbiio 80
Ialrs' His life was enshrouded in rnysterv.
even the land of his nativity was a Question
"a uouDt' out whether American or Erpolisb
by birth-and as occasion served he cIat,.i
10 De either-he was a man of broad Iea-1
ing ana unquestionable abilities The cast
o "a M illind was dreamy and imaginative,
anu ne was more poet than statesman
ana less dishonest than impractical and ad.
Nenturesome- Among his literary wo-Ls
due,a rrison Life in Wcftervreden, Henry the
dii9strious OF Portugal. Essay on Camoens
ana a volume of Sanitary Instruct,ons g.,
the native Hawaians "
IL was this strange being with his mental
the me-. ana fascinating fancies who for
me last ten years of his life controlled the
oinclal hand of kalakaua. 1t was through
nis influence that the Hawaiian legislature
autnorlzed and provided for the coronation
OF the sovereign-elect, and through ms skin
ana sagacity that the ceremonies of tho nr
casion were impressively enacted in the
presence of the representatives of most or
the great civilized powers and with tba
"arSnlps or many nations giving salutation
70 the event in the harbor of Honolulu
Inns courtesy was intensely gratifying To
the ambitious premier through whose ef-
IorS IL had been extended, but he greatly
overeStfmated its Significance He CON-
strued 1t as a sudden recognition of Hawaii
as great nation. and began TO dream OF
extending Its boundaries and making 81 a
power to be felt in the civilized world
men the idea of a great island confederacy
daWned upon and fascinated him He ais
cerned but little difficulty in the wav n,
organizing such a political union over
winch halakaua would be the logical em-
peror, and he the premier of an almost
poundless empire of Polynesian arrhipela-
goes Inc conception. gilded by the imag-
indllon OF the visionary author was equal
ly fascinating to the newly crowned kInq
ana soon various projects looking to the
advanced
In pursuance of a carefully prepared pro-
gram OF operations, a few months after the
coronation a bark was purchased nv HE
hawaiian government and dispatched 10
the Gilbert Islands. under pretext OF re-
turning number Of contract laborers TO
tie group. out secretly conveying commits.
siohers from the king authorized to neeo-
tate with the several chiefs for the eyten
sion OF Hawaiian protectorate over the
Whole archipelago. This Accomplished the
commissioners were to visit other groups
on similar errand. Meanwhile Premier
Gibson addressed to the several govern
ments a formal protest against fur+ber en-
hexation of Polynesian islands by foreign
Po"ers: Inc pompous protest was reNa I'd
60 with a smile, the bark was WRECKED
after vague conferences with a few OF the
Gilbert Island chiefs, and the comnissiop
ers got back to Hawaii as hest thav co,,Id
Inns ended kalakaua's dream of asnnIra
LOT ne could never after raise money
enough TO purchase and equip a ship for
Dioson peaceful conquest of Polynesia