The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-11-13

~.
10 her death may be Divided into thre,
Important phasess' the twSntysnin,
years from 1862 TO 1901. the vehT 81
her accession to the throne covered
BY the reigns Of Kings KamebamehI
". Luhaliio and Knlakkua. durifii
(which Liliuqkalani becomes more ant
mofc 2 eonspicuouh heure in public
Fife and a factor IN the affairs Of til,
growing constitutional monarchy; tbs
two stormy years of her sovereignty
1891 TO 1898; and the iwenty-thre,
years Of her retirement when she fig
kured in the national limelight by he,
repeated trips to Washington and Hat
er lived quietly in semi-regal fashion
pit her home. Washington Place.
Her Place In History
For better understanding Of the sub
sequent events that featured the life OF
Iiliuokalani IL is necessary 70 trac,
briefly the political md economic his
tory Of Hawaii with particular refer
enee TO the growth Of government BY
constitutional monarchy.
Some one has written that the foul
cardinal points in the history Of Hawaii
ARE Kamehameha's conquest of tbs
lgroup, beginning in 1926; the arrival Of
the first missionaries in 1890; the revo
lution and deposition Of Queen Liliuo
kalani in 1893 and the annexbtion tC
the United States that followed in 1898
But interviewer in these chronicle,
are the annala-ef governmental changes
that gradually weaned away the Ha.
waiian people and their rulers from
the theory Of despotic government TO q
government Of law, Of constitution and
of religious, social and political free.
dom, despite, the attempts of King Ka.
.lakaua and Queen Lilinokalani TO revert
toward absoluteism. "M}5.
Haoles, white men, arriving in the
islands at and after the time Of Cap
tain Cooks discovery Of the group,
|l77S-79, found a despotic, barbarous.
'idolatrous kingdom or series of king
doms. torn by tribal and fractional wars.
Layless as the government Of the ISL
lands was, however, no nation ever made
IA successful attempt, especially after
|Kamehameha 3 conquest, to deprive
them of their independence. But the
Influence of the white man soon set 20
work and even Kamehameha by some
|of his acts showed that he felt certain
duty toward his subjects that generally,
held in restraint his unlimited power.
This same influence had its effect on
Other chiefs and rulers They were
anxious to learn the manners, customp,
religion and government of the nations
which peopled the great mysterious I'M
known world somewhere beyond Has
|waii and were ready to adopt; in part
|at least, those laws and customs which
they recognized as better than their
own and as adequate representatives.
against the danger TO their power and
|the Independence Of Hawaii that ever,
Threatened from foreign quarters They
'foresaw that condition Of lawlessness
disclosed here would invite the intef1
'vention Of European governments.
First Constitution
1t remained for Kamehanneha III to
the First Constitution of
Hawaii, !" October s, 1910. Thereafter
|the growth Of constitutional govern
|ment was rapid The constitution con-
tanned declaration Of rights; freedom
|of religion was declared; the right Of
redress for personal injuries and trial
Ito establish guilt were declared; the
of the King were set
forth; a legislature with two houses
land supreme court were established
|and the Importance of education was
recognized. Following this completd
'and exhaustive code Of laws was emf
acted including one that changed tho
|land.holding system from feudal TO mod
FERN conditions. This move divided the
Hands of the Islands into three parts,
roughly speaking, that reserved by the
King as an estate incident to the
Grown, that held by the chiefs and by
some of the common people in fee
simple and that transferred 70 the min
lister of interior as public domain.
In, 1852 Kamehameha III granted a
new constitution, rempdeled, progress:
'sive and enlightened; 80 much SO that
be was declared ahead of its time. Two
years later the King died, and his
nephew. Alexander Liholiho. was pro-
claimed King as Kamehameha Nv. He
lrei0ned until his death, November 30,
1853, and was succeeded by Kamehul
|meha ". The next year, 1864, after d
stormy period With d constitutional
which he dissolved, the
ming pIUmuiRhttuli ~ new conbIlLutlOuf
and thereafter affairs ran smoothly
until his death, in, 1872, with no one
|ramed as his successor.
Election Of Lunalilo
In January, 1873, the legislature met
and unanimously elected William "a
Lunalilo, King. His reign lasted little
more than year, and he, too, died, III
February, 1874, without a successor
having been appointed,
The election Of David KalaIkaua as
King by the legislature took place
February IL, 1874, and was followed
by riotous protest by the adherents
OF Queen Emma, who was n rival can
didate. King Kalakaua was Liliuoj
kalnni 8 brother, and il Is at this point
that she enters into the historical an
mails Of Hawaii as political factor.
AS the preceding historical revienl
Indicates, the Hawaii Of Liliuokalani' d
time was new sonntry compared with
thGt of the time OF. Kamehameha ! Oh
Kamehameha III, The natural CONS
mercial and industrial relations were|
at that time, as always, with tho
United States, Kalakaua, 10 fact, hava
ing won his chief support from Amer
Jeans by reason Of his friendliness
toward America and his support Of the|
project to secure astreaty Of conmefa