The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-12-11


to settle he had better do it at once, /
as he would not live through the day. !
Kamehameha was told this by some
one, and he bowed his head as if in
prayer. After a while he said, 1T is
hard to die on my birthday, but Gods
will be DONE Presently he started to
go into another room, but stumbled and
fell upon his knees, while some of his
attendants held on to him and steadied
him. He remained on his knees and
said, This is the way our Saviour fell
on his way to die on the Cross" They
helped him back to the room that he
came from. Before he became insensi-
BILE he offered the throne to Mrs. Ber-
rice Pauahi Bishop. but she declined
it. saying. There is your sister Keeli-
kolani." Kamehameha said, ''She will
not do" and turning to Gov. P. Nahao-
lelua asked, Whom shall I appoint to
the throne? Which of these four, Pau
ahi, Queen Emma, Lunalilo or Keeliko-
LAMP" Nahaolelua would not answer at
first, and finally declined to say which
one he thought ought to have the
throne. Kamehameha then said, 81
thought you were a man of common
sense, but it seems you have none:"
kainoa he kanaka naauao, manao paa
oe. aka aole kai
Soon his spirit took it's flight from
it's earthly tenement, before the King
had signed the will which had been
hastily drawn up, or had appointed his
successor to the throne.
r. A. LYMAN.
A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF
KAMEHAMEHA V.
AS some of those present may not be
familiar with the history of Kameha-
meha ", whose characteristics will
form the subject of the next paper.
brief Introductory statement of some
of the leading facts in his career may
be in place.
He was born December IL, 1880, in
Honolulu, and christened Lot Kapua-
iva Kamehameha. His mother, Kinau,
was the daughter of Kamehameha 1.
by Kalakua, a sister of Kaahumanu.
She was Kuhina Nui or Premier, from
the date of Kaahumanu's death, June
5th, 1882, until her own death April 4th,
1889, and in this position showed more
than ordinary discretion and firmness.
His father, Kekuanaoa, a chief of sec
ondary rank, but of great force of char
acter, and executive ability, acted for
many years as Governor of Oahu and
police magistrate of Honolulu.
Kamehameha was educated with the
other young chiefs in the Royal School
under the care of Mr.. and Mrs. Cooke
from 1889 till 1S49. In 1S49 he and his
younger brother, Alexander Liholiho,
accompanied DR.. Judd on an embassy
to France and England, and spent a
year abroad, visiting the United States
also. The manuscript journal of that
embassy is one of the treasures in
the files of this Society. When from
i'll health John Young resigned the po-
sition of Minister of the Interior in
June, 1857, Prince Kamehameha was
appointed in his place and retained the
office during the remainder of this
reign. Prince Kamehameha inherited
good deal of his grandfather's strength
of will and practical shrewdness, and
showed considerable administrative
ability in his management of the Inter
ior Department.
In the year 1862 he made a voyage to
Victoria, and travelled in California,
where he was the guest of Governor
Downey. He was a conservative in his
political views, and had opposed some
of the changes which were made during
his uncle Kamehameha Ills reign, be-
lieving them to be too sudden and too
sweeping.
Upon his brothers death, November
so, 1863, he was Immediately proclaimed
King under the title of. Kamehameha
V.
The circumstances under which he
abrogated the Constitution of 1852, are
perhaps sufficiently explained in the
paper which is about to be read. After
a prosperous reign of nine years he
suddenly died December IL, 1872, and
with him ended the line of the Kane
hamehas.
The lapse of time has softened the
asperity of the party contests of that
day, and has thrown additional light
on the characters and motives of those
who took part in them.
Many who opposed Kamehameha VS.
policy at the time. have since learned
to judge him more charitably, and to
admit that he understood his own peo-
pie, and was a sincere patriot accord
ing to his lights. When in 1865 a bill
was brought before the Legislature to
repeal the law making it a penal Of
Tense to sell or give intoxicating liquor
to natives, and was strongly supported
by Hons. r. G. Wyllie and David Ka-
lakaua, contrary to their expectations
Kamehameha said, II will never sign
the death warrant of my people," and
the bill was defeated on it's second
reading.
None will deny that he possessed
certain manly and honorable traits of
character No one ever accused him of
a lack of courage or of dishonesty or
dupiicity. 1t was his policy to place
the ablest men that could be procured
at the head Of affairs, and to give them
a steady support, which insured sta
BILE and consistent administration 1t
may truly be said of him that he was
the last great chief of the olden type.
w. D. ALEXANDER.