Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-06-21


MORENO RECEIVING SENTENCE.
purpose. One of the youths was Rob
ert w. Wilcox, now a delegate in con.
gress from the American territory Of
Hawaii. On August 80, 1880, with the
three youths under his guidance,
Moreno sailed from Honolulu for this
| country.
| Unfortunately for him, Moreno did
| not confine himself alone to the du-
ties devolving upon him at that time.
He was burning for revenge upon
| those who had caused his removal
from the position of prime minister.
He went to President-elect Garfield,
told him that the United States min
| lister at Honolulu had interfered with
| the government of the king. He told
his story also to Secretary of State
Evarts, and was making progress,
when a revolution occurred in Hawaii,
whereby King Kalakaua was obliged
to form another cabinet, and Moreno's
credentials were revoked.
This singularly gifted man was born
near Chiavassa, Piedmont, Italy, in
1880. From an humble Piedmontese
he rose to riches and to the confidence
of rulers. In the days of his affluence
and power he counted among his
friends King Humbert, Lii Hung Chang,
King Kalakaua, Napoleon I'LL, John
Sherman, James G. Blaine, Leland
Stanford, and others high in the co.
teries of wealth and power. He re-
ceived his education from Catholic
bishop, who was his uncle. He became
proficient in languages, mastering IA
different tongues, including his own
Italian, English, German, French.
Spanish, modern Greek, Arabic and
the court dialects of China, Japan and
Hawaii, as well as several other dia-
lects which were useful to him as "a
man of the world and it's affairs. In
his dealings with national and interna-
tional men and affairs, he found his
conversational powers to be of great
value, because he could converse with
men in their own language without
the aid or interference of an inter-
prefer. He often said that interpreters
were more often causes of interior
ence and annoyance than aids.
In his young manhood Moreno owned
his merchant vessel, and sailed it
| wherever he chose to cruise. He set
tied in Sumatra in 1861 for time,
and there married daughter of the
sultan. Because of a revolution in
Sumatra, Moreno, as son-in-law of
the sultan, was obliged to flee, and
he never dared go back to claim HRS
wife. He went to King Victor Emman-
uel, then to Emperor Napoleon, and
to other rulers, urging the colonial
ton of Sumatra by Europeans. Ma
poleon was especially pleased with
Moreno's suggestions, bestowed upon
him a medal of the Legion of Honor,
but was unable to carry out his col
onization scheme. Napoleon sent him
to Tonquin in an official capacity,
where he served two years. He then
went to China, became acquainted with
Lii Hung Chang, received a concession
to establish steamship line under
the Chinese flag, between Shanghai,
Honolulu and San Francisco.
1t was while on this mission that he
became a favorite of King Kalakaua,
and was made prime minister, giving
up his Chinese concessions.
Later he proceeded with his Ha-
waiian protege to European countries,
and was received royalty in France,
Germany and Italy. He made the ac-
quaintances of Gambet tia, Victor Hugo,
De Lesseps and Crown Prince William,
now the German emperor.
Subsequently he returned to this
country and spent his declining days
defending the italians who were here
in servitude under the padrone sys-
tenn. One by one his great friends for
got him, and the old man in poverty
declined to claim their recognition. His
pride was all that remained of his
. former self. On March 10, of this year,
he fell speeches. on the sidewalk near
PENNSYLVANIA avenue. He was taken
!. to Providence hospital fingered one
. dav in Inconsistencies. and died. he
, who had possessed the sincere friend
ship of potentates, princes and mil
Ionaires thus passed away The pass
, ing of Baron Fava from this country
) recalls the passing of Celso Caesar
i Moreno. It does seem pity that hs
might not have lived few month.
J longer. But human views of men. ma
: tions and epochs are circumscribed
/, for ssthere is divinity that shapes
our ends, roug hew them how WI
viii" SMITH p. TRxs