Historical Collections of The Hawaiian Islands - Bayonet Constitution " of 1887- Part 1 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/hi/hifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: by Darlen6 E. Kelley December 17, 2006 http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Historical Collections of Hawai'i Keepers of the Culture KING David Kalakaua " Bayonet Constitution " of 1887- Part 1 Events which Transpired. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Part 1. King David Kalakua was forced to sign the constitution of 1887, which was called the "bayonet constituton" sharply curtailing his powers and diminishing the Native Hawaiians' voice in Government. Not only stripping the Hawaiian monarchy of much of its authority, and disenfranchised all Asians and poor citizens while it empowered rich citizens, primarily those of American and European descent but also included some Native Hawaiian elites. This constitution was written by Lorrin A. Thurston and imposed on the Kingdom of Hawai'i by a group of American and European businessmen and an armed militia called the Honolulu Rifles. The Americans were associated with a secret society called the Hawaiian League, which was in favor of annexation to the United States. The Bayonet Constitution gets its derogatory name from its opponents. The King was forced to sign the Constitution under threat of arms and rifles at the time were commonly fixed with bayonets. Some point out today that this Constitution was never ratified properly by the House of Nobles and thus was never legally valid, and that the last valid Constitution of the Kingdom was the Constitution of 1864. This Constitution effectively repealed sufferage for around 75 percent of the Native Hawaiian population, mostly by imposing strict economic thresholds for voter eligibility. Non-European, non American migrants ( i.e., Asians ) were denied the right to vote outright. Only Hawaiian, American and European males in Hawai'i were granted full voting rights if they met the economic and literacy threshhold. It should be noted that at the time this Constitution came into effect, native Hawaiian's, both full and part, accounted for less than one half of the total population, yet enjoyed significant electorial advantage because of the disrinfranchisement of Asians. At the end of the Kindom of David Kalakaua , about three out of four ethnic Hawaiian's could not vote at all because of the gender, literacy, property, and age requirements. However, because of the racial disenfranchisements of Asians, ethnic Hawaiians still amounted to about two thirds of the electoriate for representatives and about one third of the electorate for Nobles. The majority of the voters were male residents of European and American ancestry of means and early land barons. The white percent owned 67 percent of the taxable land in the Kingdom. ++++++++++++++++++ King David Kalakaua was Queen Liliuokalani's brother. In her story she tells about the event we call the " Bayonet Constitution " She writes; " It is necessary now to briefly reveiw the events which had taken place in my absence of about three months abroad. We arrived at Honolulu on the twenty-sixth day of July, 1887. A conspiracy against the peace of the Hawaiian Kingdom had been taking shape since early spring. By the 15th of June, prior to our return, it had assumed a no less definate shape than the overthrow of the monarchy. For many years our sovereigns had welcomed the advice of, and given full representations in their government and councils to, American residents who had cast their lot with our people, and established industries on the Islands. As they became wealthy, and acquired titles to lands through the simplicity of our people and their ignorance of values and the new land laws, their greed and their love of power proportionatly increased; and schemes for aggrandizing themselves still further, or for avoiding the obligations which they incurred to us, began to occupy their minds. So the merchantile element, as embodied in the Chamber of Commerce, the sugar planters, and the proprietors of the " missionary " stores, formed a distinct political party, called the " down-town " party, whose purpose was to minimize or entirely subvert other interests, and eapecially the prerogatives of the Crown, which, based on ancient custom and the authority of the island chiefs, were the sole guaranty of our nationality. Although settled among us, and drawing their wealth from our resources, they were alien to us in their customs and ideas respecting government, and desired above all things the extension of their power, and to carry out their special plans of advancement, and to secure their own personal benifit. It may be true that they really believed us unfit to be trusted to administer the grwing wealth of the Islands in a safe and proper way. But if we manifested any incompetency, it was in not foreseeing that they would be bound by no obligations, by honor, or by oath of allegiance, should an opportunity arise for seizing our country, and bringing it unser the authority of the United States. My brother, Kalakaua valued the commercial and industrial prosperity of his Kingdom highly. He sought honesty to secure it for every class of people, alien or native, in his dominions, making it second to only to the advancement of morals and education. If he believed in the divine right of kings, and the distinctions of hereditary nobility, it was not alone from the prejudices of birth and native custom, but because he was able to perceive that even the most enlightened nations on earth have not as yet been able to replace them with a ruling class equally able, patriotic, or disinterested. I say this with all reverence for the form of government and the social order existing in the United States, whose workings have, for more than a century, excited the interest of the world; not the interest of the common people only, but of nobles, rulers, and kings. Kakakaua's highest and most earnest desire was to be a true sovereign, the chief servant of a happy, prosperous, and progressive people. He regarded himself as the responsible arbiter of clashing interests, and his own breast as the ordained meeting-place of the spears of political contention. He was rightly jealous of his prerogatives. because they were responsibilities which no civic body in his Kingdom could safely undertake to administer. He freely gave his personal efforts to the securing of a reciptocity treaty with the United States, and sought the co-operation of that great and powerful nation, because he was persuaded it would enrich, or benifit, not one class, but, in a greater or less degree, all his subjects. His interviews with General Grant, his investigations into the labor problems, which the success of the Hawaiian plantations demanded,were all means to the same end, an increase of domestic prosperity. He succeeded, and the joy of the majority was great. The planters were elated, the merchants were encouraged, money flowed into their pockets, bankrupt firms became wealthy, sugar companies declared fabulous dividends; the prosperity for which my brother has so faithfully worked, he most abundantly securd for his people, especially for those of foreign birth, or missionary ancestry, who had become permanent residents of Hawai'i. The King did not accomplish these things without some native oppostion: although it was respectful and deferent to his decision, as the ideas and customs of our people require. Some foresaw that this treaty with the United States might become the entering wedge for the loss of our independence. What would be the consequences should the Islands acquire too great a commercial attraction, too large a foreign population and interst? Would not these interests demand the protection of flag backed by a great military or naval power? But Kalakaua, aware that under the provisions of international law no nation could attack us without cause, and relying on the established policy of our great ally, the United States, fully assured that no colonal scheme would find acceptance there, boldly adventured upon the effort which so greatly increased the wealth and importance of the Kingdom. a wealth, which has, however, owing to circumstances which he could not then foresee, and which none of his royal councellors even dreamed of, now gone almost wholly into the pockets of aliens and foes. For years the " missionary party" had, by means of controlling the cabinets appointed by the King, kept itself in power. Its leaders were constantly intriguing to make the ministry their tool, or to have in its organization a power for carrying out their own special plans, and securing their own personal benefit. And now, without any provocation on the part of the King, having matured their plans in secret, the men of foreign birth rose one day 'en masse', called a public meeting, and forced the King, without any appeal to the suffrages of the people, to sign a constitution of their own preparation, a document which deprived the sovereign of all power, made him a mere tool in their hands, and practically took away the franchise from the Hawaiian rece. This constitution was never in any way ratified, either by the people, or by its representatives, even after violence had procured the King's signture to it. Contrary entirely to the intent of the prior constitution drawn by a Hawaiian monarch ( under which for twenty three years the nation had been conducted to prosperity), this draft of 887 took all power from the ruler, and meant that from that day the " missionary party " took the law into its own hands. It may be asked, " Why did the King give his signature? " I answer without any hesitation, because he had discovered traitors among his most trusted friends, and knew not in whom he could trust; and because he had every assurance, short of actual demonstration, that the conspirators were ripe for revolution, and had taken measures to have him assassinated if he refused. His movements of late had been watched, and his steps dogged, as though he had been a fugitive from justice. Whenever he attempted to go out in the evening, either to call at the hotel, or visit any one of his friends' houses, he was conscious of the presence of enemies who were following stealthily on his track. But, happily, Providence watched over him, and thus he was guarded from personal harm. He signed that Constitution under absolute compulsion. Details of the conspiracy have come to me since from sources upon which I can rely, which lead to the conviction that but for the repugnance or timidity of one of the executive committee, since risen very high in the counsels of the so-called republic, he would have been assassinated. Then they had planned for the immediate abrogation of the monarchy, the declaration of a republic, and a proposal for annexation to be made to the United States. The Constitution of the republic, was actually framed and agreed upon; but the plot was not fully carried out, more moderate councils prevailed. They therefore took the very Constitution of which I have spoken, the one which had been drafted for a republic, hastily rewrote it so as to answer their ends, and forced Kalakaua to affix his official signature. It has been known ever since that day as " The Bayonet Constitution." and the name is well chosen; for the cruel treatment received by the King from the military companies, which had been organized by his enemies under other pretences, but really to give tham the power of coercion, was the chief measure used to enforce his submission. They had illegally come out against him, bearing arms; and it is openly stated that they had prepared measures to be a law unto themselves. Whatever the faults of Mr. Gibson, so long prime minister of Kalalaua, he was an able man, and his only public crime was his loyalty to his King. And it was for this reason that he, and his son-in-law, Mr. Fred H. Hayselden of Lanai, were seized by a mob composed of the " missionary party " armed with rifles, and marched down the public streets to the wharves; not an atom of respect being shown to the grey hairs of the old man who had occupied for years the hghest position in the King's cabinet. Who was the man, where is he now,who knocked off the hat, and struck the loyal man, as he silently accepted his changed position? So these two citizens were forced along the small structure on the wharf, where hung two ropes with nooses already prepared, and a man of widely known missionary ancestry, led the outcry, vociferating loudly and lustily, " Hang Them! Hang Them!' Could it be possible, I thought, that a son of my early instructors, the child of such a lovely and amiable Christian mother, could so far forget the spirit of that religion his parents taught, and be so carrie away with political passion, as to be guilty of murder? Yet he was not the only one, by any means, who seemed to have forgotten those principles of our Lord, to teach which their parents had come for to our shores. For while this was going on in the city, another missionary boy rode out to the country residence of Mr. Gibson, at Kapiolani Park, and entering aburptly into the presence of his daughter, Mrs. Hayselden, threw a lasso over her head, as though the gentle woman had been a wild animal, and avowed his intention of dragging her into town. While he held her, those with him sarched the house, hoping that they might discover arms or some other evidence by which Mr. Gibson and the members of his family could be convicted and hung, but they were disappointed. After subjecting her this brutality, which she bore bravely, the ruffians left her to await the return from Honolulu of her natural protectors. But alas! instead of her presence, what sorrow was to be hers! She received news of the manner in which they had been treated, and how doubtful it was whether they would be ever allowed to meet again this side of the grave; for keeping their victims some days in the terror of life, on the fifth day of July, 1887, the two men, against whom no charge, political nor criminal, was ever made, were placed on board a sailing vessel and landed at San Francisco. The treatment received was too much for the elder sufferer; and although the conspirators had not directly assassinated him, he died soon after. Hs son returned to Hawai'i; and became sheriff of Lanai during my reign. He was one of the first persons selected for dismissal by the present Government; he had taken no part in public manifestations, but was informed by the attorney-general, Mr. W.O. Smith, that he was removed from office, " simply because you are a friend of the queen." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Con't in part 2- The 1887 Constitution.