Historical Collections of The Hawaiian Islands - Kamehameha V --- (Part 1) The US GenWeb Archives provide genealogical and historical data to the general public without fee or charge of any kind. It is intended that this material not be used in a commercial manner. All submissions become part of the permanent collection. Historical Collections of The Hawaiian Islands " Keepers of the Culture " A study in time of the Hawaiian Islands As told by the ancients-- Kamehameha V -- Part 1. by Darlene E. Kelley December 16, 2000 http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ As told by the ancients-- Kamehameha V.-- Part 1. Lot Kamehameha [ 1830 -- 1872 ] Born; December 11,1830 Father; Mataio Kekuanaoa, governor of Oahu [ 1839 --1868 ] Mother; Kinau, daughter of Kamehameha l; kuhina nui and governor of Oahu [ 1832--1839 ] Ruled ; November 30, 1863 -- 1872 Died ; December 11,1872. Prince Lot had come to the throne unexectedly. He had not been a popular Prince, for his disposition was reserved and unresponsive. But he was the next in line of the great house of Kamehamehas because, after the death of Prince Albert. He had been named heir-apparent by his younger brother, Alexander Liholiho. Kamehameha lV. This fact alone gave him the allegiance of the nation. Although as well educated as well traveled as his brother, Lot lacked the sparkle of greatness and the human touch that had marked Kamehameha lV. Lot's mind ran in channels of practicality, whereas Alexander's had run in those of brilliance. The fifth King Kamehameha was never to be the close friend and ideal of his people that the fourth had been. There was intense interest on the part of the ministers of the KIngdom and considerable apprehension, as to what course the new King might take, It was well known that he was not in sympathy with the current administration, and that, like his brother, he was bitterly opposed to annexation with the United States. As Prince, Lot had filled the office of Minister of the Interior during the reign of his brother. In that position he had shown both ability and political acumen. He was recognized as a man of force, and, like Kamehameha the Great, he hoped to protect the Islands from foreign influence. He believed that the constitution which Kamehameha lll had adopted was not a good one for the Hawaiian government. He said the Hawaiian people were not far enough advanced in civilization either to appreciate or to profit by such measures; and they did not know what to do with such liberty as was given to them. He said the majority of the people were like children and must be protected. He believed strongly in royalty and that a king must remain the father of his people.This attitude was not necessarily selfish, inflated, or personally despotic. Even while his brother and, particularly, the young Prince Albert lived-- at which time his own chances of King were very remote-- he had fought at each session of the Legislature for a revision of the constitution which would strengthen the power of the throne. He was Hawaiian, and the strenghtening of the power of the throne meant a lessening of the power of foreign influence. This was his course. All of this and much more was known to the officials of the government, but when the new King refused to take thr oath to support the constitution, they were not only surprised but alarmed. The King did not call the Legislation together as the usual procedure, but issued a proclamation asking for the election of delegates to a convention to consider some changes to the constitution. The King himself, with Mr. Wyllie, a Britisher and a prominent member of his cabinet, made a tour of all the islands that they might explain to the people the King's plans regarding the constitution. The convention met in July, 1864. There were present, sixteen nobles and twent seven elected delegates. The session was a stormy one. Most of the delegates were opposed to the King's plans. After a week of lengthy discussions, the King lost his patience and dismissed the convention, saying that he would set aside the old constitution and write a new one. This he did. At the first meeting of the Legislature following the Convention, the King gave his reasons for taking such a drastic step, and expressed his own ideas regarding the future responsibility of the government. " In calling a national convention, I was influenced by a firm conviction of its being necessary that the system under which a people lives, should be strictly adapted to its genius and traditions. The right to the throne of this country, originally acquired by conquest and by birth, belongs hereditarily to the family of Kamehameha l. The Constitution of 1852, by its ninety-fourth article, left the heir to the throne free to take an oath to support the Constitution or to refuse to do so." The King then explained that Kamehameha lll would have never signed that constitution unless he believed that it might be changed to suit the needs of the people and that the King would hold the controlling power in all maters of the Kingdom. Returning to his discussion of the convention, the King further explained that he had called the convention so that the representatives would have the opportunity to discuss the proposed changes in the government, but that the convention had shown antagonistic elements which prevented the very ideas of im- provement which he, the King, hoped for. And so. he dismissed it. The King then spoke specifically of different important matters--- of education, of foreign policies, of the control of the growing menace of leprosy, and the care of the people generally. An important measure in the King's new constitution was that concerning the privilege of voting on governmental matters.Only those would be allowed to vote who owned a certain amount of property, and who, if born since 1840, were able to read and write. Another striking innovation was the discarding of the old and important office of Kuhina-nui, thus preventing for a number of years to come the participation of high-born Hawaiian women in governmental affairs. Many problems confronted the new gvernment. More and more of the natives were dying from diseases which had been brought to the islands from foreign countries. Ignorance and fear. as well as missionary deception became some of the problem. Between the years of 1853 and 1866, the Hawaiian population dropped from seventy thousand to fifty-seven thousand. The whaling industry, which had been the great commercial asset of the islands, declined because of the use of kerosene oil in the place of whale oil all over the world and because of the passing from the style of the hopskirt, for which quantities of whalebone had been used to offset these discouragements, the demand for Hawaiian sugar was steadily increasing. The Civil war in the United States had cut off the North of its supply of sugar, previously obtained from the South. Plantations were started in the islands, and these called for more laborers. This situation led to the organization of Hawaii's first Bureau of Immigration. The methods of Kamehameha V in dealing with the government were original and striking. For instance, several months before the Legislature was to meet, the King would hold a cabinet meeting nearly every day. He said '" I want my cabinet to know before the Leislature meets to let them know what I will support and what I will not support. And I wish the cabinet to show me beforehand the reasons why the government should bring forward the reasons why they should bring forward certain measures, then it will be no surprise to my cabinet during the session of the Legislature from not knowing what my views are." The royal household was conducted in the same careful manner. The King was very particular about details, and he was especially careful regarding money matters. He kept an account of all purchases made by himself or others of his establishment,entering every item in a memorndum book. After breakfast he would call his people together and, looking over his book, he would pass the money out to those who had made purchases for him, saying, " You promised that such and such an article would be paid for today; now go and pay for it." Business men said they could always be sure of their money when the King had ordered the purchases. Unlike the chiefs and Kings of olden times, who gave little or no consideration when dealing with their serfs or dependents, Kamehameha V was both just and generous when dealing with his people, The story is told of a visit he made to the island of Hawaii. During his travels, he lodged in a small house of native man rather than in the home of a chief. When leaving, he gave the owner of the house a present of twenty dollars in gold. The man was amazed. He said, " What is this for?" And the King replied," I have turned you out of your house for two days, and I wish to make you a little present for your kindness to me." The man refused the money, saying that he was his King and everything belonged to him, I do not wish anything. To which the King repied, " I am not the King to get everything I can out of my people. I receive my salary so as to pay for what I need. I am not giving this to you as pay, but as a small present." He then walked away, leaving the money on the mat. Kamehameha V was a batchelor, and through the years he became more set in his ways and ideas. Pressure of the missionaries against the hula had been pressed upon him, so one of the first things to feel his censure was the hula. He may have encouraged the hula in his younger days, but, for several years before he came to the throne, he found the natives on his lands in Oahu traveling thirty miles a day to see the hula dancers and, when at home, sitting around their houses in the daytime neglecting to plant and cultivate food for their families. He was indignant and forbade any more dancers on his land, and turned away the dancers. At the next session of the Legislature he used all his influenec having a law passed prohibiting the Hawaiian hula unless a license wass first obtained, and forbidding any license to be granted outside of Honolulu. It was the usual thing to have hula dances around the palace at the time of the death of the member of the royal family; however, whe the father of Kamehameha V died no hulas were performed, but instead the native choirs were allowed to sing. In his youth, Kamehamha V, had acquired a adiction for drink, but when he came to the throne, and as long as he lived, under his own and religious pressures, he promoted the cause of temperace in the Kingdom. If his servants broke the laws, or were arrested for drunkenness, he either paid their fines or left them in jail as he thought best. In 1865 a bill was brought before the Legislature to repel the law which called it a penal offense to sell or give intoxicating liquors to natives. Alchohol had been one of the white man's contributions to the Islands, along with firearms and disease. The Hawaiian population seemed to wilt to an alarming degree as a result of all three commodities, and drastic actions had had to be taken in years previous to Lot's reign. Kamehameha surprised the supporters of the bill saying. " I will never sign the death warrant of my people." The measure was defeated in the second reading.