The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-02

and visiting in person the five hundred
schools scattered all over the group,
travelling in canoes, miserable little
schooners, on horseback and muleback,
often weary ana worn. but following the
star of duty through storm and under
the tropical sun.
He was a member of the Privy Coun-
ell and House of Mobiles, preached every
Sabbath and acted as Kings Chaplain,
conducting prayer services in the Palace.
well remember going with my father
to these services. Kaukeouli, and Queen
Kalama, were central figures; Kanaina,
Paki, father of Bernice Pauahi Bishop
John Ii and his wife Sari, John Young
and Kekouanoa were grouped about,
many of them taking part in the serv-
ice l dropped a courtesy to His Maj
esty' with profound respect and admira-
ton, for Kamehameha III smiled on lit
tie children.
After one of these prayer services in
the old Palace, Kamehameha lifted me
in his arms and placed me upon the
throne-a large morocco arm chair sur
mounted by carved and gilded crown
and asked me how L would like to be
queen. Although but wee lasste at the
time, 1 recall the thrill of exultation it
gave me to sit upon that awe-inspiring
chair.
the cabinet with others, he staunchly
defended Hawaii from aggressive foreign
powers. Half a century ago the Para
disc of the Pacific was coveted by both
England and France The king and
chiefs were so tormented with fears of
| losing their flag that annexation to the
| United States was almost accomplished
as a safeguard to their liberties in 1853.
The death of King Kamehameha III
stayed proceedings.
In those troublous times Mr. Armstrong
enlisted the sympathies of Daniel Web
ster Secretary of State. through a rela-
tive who was a, personal friend to the
great statesman, and with more than po-
litical interest ne espoused the cause of
the defenseless little kingdom.
Mr.. Armstrong writes with evident sat
isfaction: Daniel Webster has written
one of his laundering letters to the
French government and tells them they
must leave the Islands independent. -
The whole navy was offered for protec-
ton, if necessary.
! A French frigate came into the port of
Honolulu in 1S49. making large demands
upon the government and spiked the
guns on the old fort, stole a feather
cloak from the kings yacht. and $40 600
from the treasury, and veXed the souls
of the king and chiefs by making hideous
effigies of them on the walls of the old
fort, and threatened to take the govern
ment officers, our father among them,
on board the frigate as reprisals.
Then 1t was Captain Long of the Amer
lean warship Boston, in port, treasured
Us by declaring: ''He would send those
Frenchmen to -, very orthodox hot
place-with his guns if they touched an
American A peace-loving missionary
did not hesitate to stand in the breach
with the troubled king and chiefs, en-
couraging and counseling them to pru-
dence under the strained conditions.
In 1855 Mr.. Armstrong drew up and
proposed an act remodeling the Depart
ment of Public instruction. and placing
it under a Board of Education, in order
that he might give his whole time to
promoting education and seeking the
good of Hawaiian youth, and was presi-
dent of this Board thirteen years-till the
day of his death. In his journal he
writes: IF l know my heart, I wish
in this office to honor God in laboring
for the good of the rising generations"
On the children he fixed his hopes, and
his purpose was to aid in giving to Ha-
wall the strong foundations of Chris
tan faith and morality which would
make them strong enough to resist the
incoming tide of evil influences. How
bravely the missionary fathers and moth
erS struggled against this tide only the
recording angel can tell. In 1S4S, Mr.
Armstrong writes 1T would seem the
design of God to blot this people from
the face of the world" '"They are a
poor, helpless race, and need aid at
every turn and all the time" Drunken
ness and disease were making great raw
ages at this time. Again he writes: IF
a stronger race is to supplant the weak
er. the same Christianity which can mas
ter the one is likely to control the other,
bearing TO the supplanting race new
| powers for good''-so he fixed his eyes on
the star of hope with prophetic vision.
In 1857 Mr.. Armstrong undertook, with
Rev Edward G. Beckwith, the mission
! of gathering funds for Oahu College of
which he was a trustee, in our Eastern
States. They returned with $4,000,
goodly sum considering the financial
crisis which was distressing the country
at the time. While in Boston he visit
ed and took counsel with Horace Mann.
| 1t is interesting to realize that the ad-
vanced methods of this great educator
! influenced the schools of Hawaii as far
as the limited resources at hand would
allow. In the school report of 1851 Mr..
! Armstrong states that the average sal
airy of a common school teacher was $50
per month, and this did not represent
cash, as taxes were largely collected In
produce. In Kau the teachers were paid
in soap, kalo, goats, etc. It is not sur
prising that several of the teachers. pro-
tested against the goats, realizing the
difficulty of collecting their salary on
the hoof. We are assured in the report
| that these teachers live better than any
other class of the common people"
With all his cares and responsibilities,
Mr.. Armstrong contributed largely to
the literature of Hawaii, as the following
/ list of books written in the Hawaiian
| language will show:
work on Surveying.
| Manual on Popery.
! Work on Moral Philosophy.
A semi monthly periodical on Schools
and Education.
Work on Political Economy and Do
mestiC Economy.
Joined with others in preparing Hymn
! book and School Reader.
! Translated the Shorter Catechism.
Edited two Hawaiian newspapers, the
/ Nona-Nona, and Haze Hawaii-to the lat
| ter Kamehameha " contributed.
Wrote scholarly articles for the Ha-