The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-07-11

notice the fact that the Hawaiian peo-
pie had no national air. Each nation
but ours, he said, had its expression
of patriotism and love of country in
it's own music; but we were using for
that purpose on state occasions the
time honored British anthem, God
Save the Queen This he desired me
to supplant by one of my own compost
ton.
Wrote the National Anthem.
Gin one week IS time I notified the
King that / had completed my task.
The Princess Victoria had been leader
of the choir Of the Kawaiahao church,
but upon her death, May 20, 1866, /
assumed the leadership. It was in this
building and by that choir that 1 first
introduced the Hawaiian National
Anthem The King was present for
the purpose of criticizing my new COM
position of both words and music, and
was liberal in his commen.l ations to
me on my success. He not only adj
mired the beauty of the music, but
spoke enthusiastically of the apppro-
pirate words, so well adapted to the
air and to the purpose for which they
were written
AS child Liliuokalani met her flu.
ture husband. John O. Dominis, the son
of an American sea captain. He at
tended boys school adjoining a sort
of royal boarding institute, and it is
related that the pupils were in the
habit of climbing the fence to catch
a glimpse of the dusky princes anG
princesses. Dominis married Liliuoka
lani in 1862, rose to be a general anj
Governor of Oahu, and died in 1891
some months before his Queen lost he
throne.
In 1887 Liliuokalani, Dominis, Queer
kapiolani and retinue went to Lon
don to attend Queen Victoria IS jubilee
They were well received by British
royalty, but their visit was cut shor
by news that revolutionary move
ment had manifested itself in Hawaii
By the time they reached home Kin!
kalakaua was ready to sign what Liliu
okalani describes as the s'Bayone
Constitution. Finally, the King de
parted for the United States in searcl
of health, leaving his sister. Liliuoka
LAM, to occupy the position of regent
1t was not pleasant billet, owing Il
the unrest of the country. and matter
were further complicated for the re
gent by news of Kalakaua s death.
"Before [ had time to collect mysel
before my brothers. remains wer,
buried,' writes the ex-Queen, ga traI
i Il.
| waiting as a wild beast watches for hi
prey. The ministers, who were appar
emily of one mind with the justices o,
the Supreme Court, called together thu
members of the council, and when al
had taken their seats, sent for me. )
turned to Gov. Dominis before entering
the chamber and inquired of him, 'Wha-
is the object of this meeting2' He sait
that they had come together to witnes:
my taking of the oath Of office. I tolG
him at once that I did not wish to take
the oath just then, and asked why sueI
proceedings could not be deferred unit
after my brothers. funeral. He sale
that Others had decided that I must
take the oath then and there.
Few persons have ever been placed
without word of warning in such g
trying situation, and I doubt if there
was any other woman in the citv who
could have borne with passable equan
unity what I had to endure that day
will scarcely limit the comparison tc
my sex; [ doubt if many women could
have passed successfully through suef
an ordeal. Ere I realized what was in
yofved [ was compelled to take the
oath to the Constitution, the adoption
of which had led to my brother s
death. -
The Queens Downfall.
The queen, in the hands of poor ad
visers, proved to be reactionary. She
and her friends drafted a new Con
stitution, which was intended to dis
franchise all foreigners, who were dis
liked by the more ignorant class of Ha
waiians. The majority of the foreign
ers were American planters and mer
chants. and they made haste to protect
their interests. They formed a 'Fcom
mittee of public safety deposed Lii
uokalani. established provisional
government, with the Stars and Stripe:
as its flag, and sent a commission K
Washington to ask President Harrison
TO annex the group
Harrison favored the plan, but weni
out of Office before the matter had beer
thoroughly threshed out in the Senate
His successor, President Cleveland, tool
the opposite view and withdrew thu
United States protectorate after sending
a commissioner to study the situation
in the islands. Some of the imperial
istic American newspapers made great