The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-12-20

ed: Here. o Chief is your feast!' and
removing the covers, the throng OF in
: censed people stoned the old fellow to
death, and piled over his remains vast
mound made OF stones from the Gala
bashes. This mound is still pointed out
I to the skepticaI listener proof of the
truth of the tale From this occurrence
the famous "Kau makaha' is said to
have arisen, which perhaps is equally
good evidence
In dealing with interiors, a form of
: address was often used which is most re-
markable in it's lofty tone of self-con-
scious superiority. One of the old resi-
dents long since departed, illustrates
I this in an account of audience with
the King, in which the visitors were adj
dressed in the third, instead of the Sec
ond person. The two were spoken to as
''laua," instead of "Olua."
In dealing with equals their manners
were in the highest degree formal but
courteous. an effort always being made
/ 10 avoid giving offense by word or deed
a captured chief might be offered in
sacrifice to the god, but if his life was
spared neither ne nor his family were
made slaves. The captive was treated
with the courtesy and Difference pertain
/ ing to his rank, even if it were superior
/ to that of the captor
A chief of Maui, otherwise not cele-
brated, has become famous, so FernaR
der says, by establishing the AHA Aln.'
tanned regular graduations of rank, web
established and understood, and which
were seldom infringed. Once an Ali.
always an Alii,'' was the Hawaiian the
DRY, and no loss of property crime af-
fected the right of the Ali TO his posi-
ton.
An interesting exhibition of the Gus
toms of the Aliis in securing distinction
is the selection of names. Kalanikupna-
paikalaninui was the name of the father
OF the great kamehameha. kaIan!kaua-
nakinilani and Observation-Disclosures
were high chiefs of Maui But the recent
statements of genealogy in the public
prints of the city have made people Ia
miliar with those high sounding names
Sometimes they were chosen to common
crate events, more often stately and high
sounding titles referred to the heavens,
conflicts with the stars and like myth
cal events. An old hulumanu of HonoIu-
lu was named Observation-Disclosures In
honor of the towing a Russian war
vessel int Honolulu Harbor early in the
last century by cattle drawing long
rope attached to the veSSePS bow, up
what is now Punchbowl street.
It is fair TO say that most OF the oid
chiefs possessed more than ordinary men
tai capacity. Some had minds OF high
type Nothing could better illustrate this
intelligent grasp of the fitness of things
than the well known fact that long be-
recognized the foolishness and INSULT
cheney of the ancient pagan forms. and
voluntarily discarded idolatry. 1t was
because of this Intelligent conception OF
the superiority of Christian civilization
that the change of this nation from
heathenism tn civilization was accom-
lplished, in outward form at least, in so
short a space of time. The chiefs them
selves became the first pupils at the
schools, learning to read and write, and
then with despotic power they compelled
the whole nation to learn. Within ten
years after the establishment of the
Protestant mission, 1t is said that there
were more than nine hundred schools. ar
tended by over fifty thousand pupils, In
the country. This could not have been
accomplished had it not been for the de-
termination of the chiefs that the people
should have the advantages which could
be obtained only by education, and to ac~
complish that end they used their des-
potic authority. We familiar In the
pages of history with the oft repeated
story of the exercise of despotic power
by tyrants, TO prevent the people from
learning, or from acquiring other privi-
leges, but where, except in dark Hawaii,
do we read of the use of such power to
compel a nation to advance into the
light?
The character of many of the chiefs OF
Hawaii is well illustrated in Jarvis fine
tribute TO Kamehameha I. He says: IF
/ judged by his comparative advantages,
ne may be justly styled the Napoleon of
the Pacific. Without the worst traits OF
his prototype, he possessed, according to
the situation he occupied, equal military
skill, as vigorous an intellect, and as
keen a judgment as his illustrious con-
/ temporary; like force of character In
bending wills to his own. and a similar
/ ingenuity in adapting circumstances to
/ his designs. Nothing in intellectual or
physical nature that arrested his atten-
/ ton proved beyond his grasp. 1t was hts
misfortune not to have come In contact
with men whose moral qualities were
sufficiently pure and developed to have
rightly Influenced his religious aspirfa-
tons He felt himself, and Justly so,
above them all the ruling mind; avarices
drunkenness. lust and tyranny, the beset-
ting sins alike of civilized and savage
monarchs, he manfully withstood."
The sad fact is that this fine race final
I " succumbed to the evils of the ciyiliz-
alton the superior advantage OF which
they saw and desired for their people.
But in all the time of Hawairs growth,
the chief was the friend and upholder
of that which was best for the whole
people. They appreciated the value OF
law. They that the good OF the
greatest number was the main object
of Christian civilization, and in order TO
accomplish that the few. who possessed
might. must surrender something for the
general good. 1t is to the undying glory
of the chiefs OF Hawaii that within
twenty years after the arrival Of the
missionaries and the systematic instrue- ,
ton Of the nation in the arts OF peace,
that laws were promulgated for the good
OF all, which required the surrender by
the few OF cherished rights and prtvf- .
leges; and these rights and privileges
were given up without a murmur, or IL
there were murmurs, their echo has long
since died away and is lost. History hard
ly contains parallel 10 the splendid act
Of Kamehameha III and his chiefs, in
the transaction known as the great ,
Land A1ahele, or division, Of 1S4S, when
the whole magnificent domain Of Ha-
wai was re-apportioned in order that the
commoner might achieve definite rights
in land and that the people as whole, !
through the government, might receive
the benefits Of a public domain. This |
wisdom and willingness to sacrifice for
the benefit Of the nation. was further
shown. when by law, a twentieth part
OF the public domain was set apart for