Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-03-25
REVIEWS EARLY
| court HISTORY
!. OF THE ISLANDS
Writer ID California Newspaper
Tells OF Arrival of First
y. S. Minister

the arr1Val Oh the IEst american NM
lister to the Hawaiian islands. as well
ss something about early court lie
IN this city: -. -
The first American minister 10
the Hawaiian islands was DR.. James
Mcbride father of DR.. James H. Nc.
Bride of Pasadena. He was a noted
bioueer and public man of Oregon,
and went out In the spring OF 1868,
bearing credentials from President
Lincoln. King Kamehameha was
then ruling. and his wife was Queen
Emma. On the arrival Of DR.. Nc.
Bride and his secretary, John l.. Ber-
nard. they were met by the secretary
Of the American legation, but they
were obliged TO walk from the wharf
TO the legation for the reason that In
al Honolulu there were. but three ye-
hicies: the king had one, Of course,
the leading banker In the islands had
4 phaeton. and one Of the merchants
owned one:horse carryaH. The le-
cation was q sort Of bungalow, white
Sashed, With a. yeranda extending
across ahehfrcnt, and high white
washed fence which shut off view
at the house from the street.
Meeting With kips.
"A fewsdays after their arrival a
meeting With the king was arranged.
and they were taken to the throne
room and INTRODUCED to the king and
his suite, where q short informal con.
versation was held. A few days later
q brilliant reception was planned, and
the rooms Of The royal palace were
thronged With members Of the royal
family, Diplomatic representatives in
the islands and prominent residents
OF the islands. After the reception
the royal band played music for dane
Ing. DIR. McBride's rank entitled him
TO dance With the queen, but as he
had never Iearhed to dance he was
obliged To- forego this pleasure. and
HIS secretary was accorded the priv
lege. During the interyals between
the dances the young secretary, then
"a, had tie opportunity to converse
with the queen and others Of the roya
family, beTfhning pleasant social rela
lions which continued throughout his
ttay.
fsDr. McBfide lost no time in making
himself aeHdSihtld with political ant
commercial interests in the islands
and in one Of his early letters to Sec
fekary OF STATE Seward he stated thai
this was t0;become q very important
halfway house between Europe ant
America % one side, and China and
Japan on Che other"
Russian MAYA Captain.
can interesting visitor to Honolulu
In 1854 ives 4 Russian naval officer
- t.0l : ENv.rxt Is
The captain had short time befor
been stationed IN Alaska. He stoo'
high in the cohfIdence of his govern
ment and knew that Alaska was ~
UNDERSTANDS possession to Russia
and. through frequent conversation
with him, DIR. Mcbride became cor
WINGED that Russia was anxious to Us
pose OF her holdings. 90 he set him
self To the task Of convincing III
state department Of the desirabilit
81 purchasing. writing letters to Sci
tetary Seward and sending samples Q
cold and other minerals known I
exist there, together with document
end affidayits Of whalers and other
acquainted with the furs and fisherie
OF the resion. As soon as the storr
OF tue St4mHtNdt Hdu puooSHl oSWoi
took up the matter. and the wori
knows the result
Plan for Naval station.
'.Another evidence Of DR.. Mcbride
foresight was hts recommendation
the state department year later {
the purchase Of q tract of land sui
able for = naval station at or mes
Honolulu
As an American diplomat he con
PEELED respect for the governmer
which heSrepresented and the dignit
OF ! his office, openly rebuking tn
British and French ministers for col
versine IN HIS presence in publ
meetings N French. language wit
which he was not familiar. and con
belling two young officers In the Bri
the door 81 the United States legatio
he coat of. arms which they ha
smnggled away In the night Intern'
tional demands and an apology frol
the British government followed. II
interesting 10 know that the two mi
shipmen were Lord Gordon and Lor
Charles Befesford.
Pioneer AZ Oregon.
.Dr. Mcbride was one Of the fir
hardy pioneers to Oregon. and }
reason OF his Intellectual and NOR
force became one of the leaders ]
the lower Willamette Valley. II vi
as . reward for his services tn;
President Lincoln appointed him
the Hawaiian post. He resigned
1867 and returned to Oregon. whel
he died 10 years later at his hon
near Portland. leaving four sons; OF
wa congressman from Oregon dnriT
the Civil War and chief justice
Idaho; q: second associate justice
the supreme court of Oregon, q THU
United States senator from Gregg
and q fourth, DR.. James H. McBrit
Of Pasad6nssis one Of the leading a
thorities ON nervous diseases If 4
United States"
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