The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-04-07
WHO G0T THE SILVER
AND REASON WHY
ACCOUNT OF PRESENTATION
PROM PAPERS or HALF
CENTURY AGO.

just who received the silver service
reposing in the archives, which it is
proposed to present to Prince Kuhio,
and just what it was given for by the
French monarch, is shown in the fol-.
lowing extract from the files of the
Pelynesian, Of February 81, 1858, an
account OF the official presentation.
The Polynesian saidi
On Friday, the nineteenth instant,
II. 1. MS Consul, Commissioner and
Plenipotentiary, Mr.. =. Perrin, had an
audience with His Majesty the King,
on which occasion he presented in the
name of his Sovereign, the Emperor
Louis Napoleon, some superb and costly
works of art, as a token of the high
esteem and friendly consideration with
which the Emperor regards His Maj
esty. These gifts consisted of a beau
tiful epergne in silver, pair of silver
candelabra, beautifully designed
clock, other eandelabra in bronze and
ormolu, and some four or five hundred
pieces of plate for dinner service.
These costly marks of good will on the
part of the Emperor of France were
received in a manner that became the
dignity of the donor, and the Commits
sioner of II. /. M. having expressed him
self as follows;
"Sire: Votre Majestic a decide lie
reglement de difficulties leguees par un
autre regne, ct depuis longtemps PEN
dantes entire l'Empire francais ct les
Etats Havaiens. Touchee du temoignage
de confante Difference que lui dome
lie feu Roi Kamehameha III, par So
resolution du "a Mars, 1851, Sa Majestic
l'Empereur, mon Auguste Souverain, a
voulu repondre en- me ehargeant
d 'offrir, en- son nom, Votre Majestic,
un gage considerable de SEES sentiments
affectueux. C'est bien volontiers que
je m 'acquitte aujourdhui de la derniere
ct de la plus agreeable partie de ma
tache.
"Parvenu au terme dune mission
rendue Tongue ct difficile, i'exprimerai
lei hautement lie voeu de la duree de
] 'heureuse entente enfn retabli1; du
rhaintien dune politique destinee n
distinguer ct illustrer lie regne de Votre
Majestic; .cette politique d ,une egale
bienveillance Wis Wis de toutes les
nationalites, en- meme temps qu'elle
contribuera au maintien de l'Indepenl-
ance Havaienne, rendra seuie possible
| les ameliorations qu'exige un Etat
| naissant, ct qui S lest acquis, de bonnie
heure, les sympathies de pllsieuFs des
grands pouvoirs du monde
His Majesty replied to the following
effect;
lin accepting from your hand this
mark of esteem and consideration from
4 the Emperor of the French toward my
self, 1 must express to you, as the rep
rosentative of my great and good friend,
the deep feeling of qualification and
pleasure which / experience whilst
realizing the first fruits of the happy
Termination of difficulties which have
| from their commencement been source
of pain and anxiety.
81 will not multiply words on an oc.
easion which is suggestive of so many
remarks, hut my sincere wish is that
| the understanding now finally arrived
at, at the expense of great patience
sustained by firm conviction of the
just intentions entertained on both
sides, may be destined to a perma.
nency commensurate with the import.
ance which properly attaches to it. In
offering my best acknowledgement to
the Emperor ON whose part you now ap
pear here, can not but congratulate
myself and him ON the reestablishment
of entirely friendly relations, the in
terruption of which has given me at
much pain as their resumption affords
me pleasure.