Historical Collections of The Hawaiian Islands - Kalakaua -- Part 3 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-- Kalakaua -- part 3 Kalakaua's early years by Darlene E. Kelley January 1, 2001 http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kalakaua -- part 3 Kalakaua's early years as told by the ancients-- In 1843, Alexander Simpson, a Canadian citizen and visitor to Hawaii, linked himself with Richard Charlton, British consul, regarding some land disputes and lodged complaints against the Hawaiian government. Charlton, hoping to bring his complaint to England, then met on his way in Mexico, Rear Admiral Richard Thomas. He scceeded in convincing Thomas to send the frigate Carysfort under Lord George Paulet's command to Honolulu to investigate. Paulet, an ambitious man, decided the islands should be under British rule. He was aware that a few years before LaPlace, a Frenchman, had forced Kamehameha lll to yield to his demands that the Catholic religion be brought safely to the islands, that French imports and French residents be given preferential treatment, and that a sum of $20,000 be paid to LaPlace as a guarentee that the terms be carried out. Paulet threatened the King with " coercive action " unless " complete restoration" for Simpson and Charlton was given, plus land, an indemnity of over $200,000 for " unfair treatment of British subjects." Guns from the Carysfort were aimed at Honolulu. As the King could get no help from the French consul or his good friend and advisor, Gerrit P. Judd, who had left the missionary field to enter the government at the King's request, Kamehameha lll said, " Let them take the country." Kalakaua and the older children of the High Chiefs' School were indignant. Neverless they marched , two by two, to Honolulu's crumbling fort to see the Hawaiian flag lowered and the British Standard raised. It was a subdued but resentful crowd that watched in silence. Kalakaua heard Kamehameha speak the historic words that he would restore the land when his conduct was justified. Kalakaua and the children caught the spirit of revolt and played at retaliation. They held " indignation meetings," Lot, to the delight of the other children, called the British officers " lobster backs, " and they glared at them with scorn whenever they met on the street. Further, Moses put up the American Flag, but Mr. Cooke took it down. Kalakaua and Lot were angry that it was the American flag and not the Hawaiian. A quarrel broke out between them and Moses, ending with a fist fight and a black eye for Kalakaua. It became immediately evident that Paulet had no intention of allowing Kamehameha to have any rule over his people nor allow their privileges to continue. He recruited a native regiment, calling it the Queen's Own [ in reference to Queen Victoria ], and began a heavy taxation system. It was then tat Dr. Judd moved into action by joining the King in withholding records of lands, which resulted in endless legal upsets; refusing to grant moneys for payment to the regiments and others; and lastly working secretly at night in the Royal Mausoleum, using Kaahumanu's coffin as a desk, to send envoys to England. The envoys reached Great Britain and notified the Queen. Admiral Sir Richard Thomas also received word of Paulet's action. Thomas sailed for Honolulu fom the west coast of South America. he arrived on July 26, 1843, six months after Paulet's " takeover." Thomas made short order of Paulet; he confered with Judd and the King, drew up articles of parity for British subjects, simular to those of the French, and restored the Islands. On July 31, 1843, a wildly cheering crowd gathered on the plains east of Honolulu, waving and shouting as the King appeared with his royal guards. The children of the High Chief's School stood at attention while the Hawaiian Flag was again raised, and cannons were fired at the Fort, on the plains, in the harbor, and at Punch Bowl. It was a day of wild rejoicing. In the afternoon Kamehameha lll, after a solemn procession with his chiefs to Kawaiahao Church, spoke the words that were to become the motto of Hawaii; " Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono "-- The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. Kalakaua, sitting in the front row of straight backed pews, would find much to contemplate in these often ambiguosly interpreted words as the years passed. A ten day celebration of Restoration followed, and was annually observed. The last Restoration Day came in 1847 when Kalakaua was thirteen. The missionary element was thereafter to declare the celebrations " too expensive." The younger children of the Royal school rode in carriages and the older children rode horseback, leading the parade-- all except Kalakaua. He stood on the sidelines and watched, for he had been badly injured when Amos Starr Cooke had struck him in a moment of anger. He had fallen and dislocated his shoulder. Cooke was not angry solely with Kalakaua, but with Moses, who constantly baited Cooke by disobediently joining the sailors on the wharf for drink and carousing. But Moses was next in line to be King, and Cooke did not dare strike him; the blow fell, possibly accidentally, but nevertheless on Kalakaua. Bitterly, Kalakaua stood with Kinimaka, watching the colorful procession but not taking part in it. The carriage of the King and Queen followed the royal children riders. A thousand special horsemen, five abreast. horses and elders alike wearing gay ribbons and flowers, were followed by 2,500 regular horsemen. The procession arrived at the Nuuanu picnic ground in a pouring rain but with spirits undampened. The delighted native crowds gathered under two open lanai, or covered pavilions, which were thatched with ti leaves and thickly carpeted with rushes, and from where they threw flowers into the passing carriages. Kalakaua held his breath while John Ii, a trustee and teacher at the school, who on this day began the ancient games. Someday, he vowed, he would be part of the games. His muscular build easily qualified him He closely watched Ii, who, standing tall in a dark broadcloth suit and a brilliant yellow cape, came to salute the children before he stepped into the arena. In the tradition of ancient warriors he stood alone, unarmed, opposed by twenty spearmen spearmen, each of whom endeavored to hit him. Dexterously catching the first spear, he successfully parried all the rest, which were aimed with furious force at all parts of the body. With grace of a dancer, he tossed the spars back at his opponents, driving them one by one from the field. Even the haole, from under their frame stucture, cheered wildly and " applauded thunderously. " When the games were over, Kalakaua was allowed to go with the other children to the " Long House " where the chiefs and King sat on the floor at the far end of the mats and ate with the people, the natives, while the foreigners dined on linen covered tables in a frame shelter. At school Kalakaua and his classmates were learning of Kamehameha lll's great progress toward a constitutional monarchy, of which neither the children nor the Hawaiian King , nor his royal council had a clear concept. Many of the learned chiefs were opposing the movement on the argument that the Hawaiians were not ready for such freedom. It would bring about the loss of the country, they prophesied. It was American in origin and concept, for Kamehameha lll had many missionary and other haole advisors. The children of the school recited dutifully the Declaration of Rights, written in 1839: " God has made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the face of the earth in unity and blessedness. God has bestowed certain rights alike on all men, all chiefs, and all people of all lands." They only partially understood the meaning or applicability to their society. The students were given long hours of study of the first constitution the Hawaiians ever had. They had no understanding of " the transfer of power--- " from the high chiefs to an elected legislature-- elected for the first time by the commoner. They merely memorized the words. The greatest of constitional rights was for the protection "to the persons of all people, together with their land, their building lots, and all their property, and nothing whatsoever shall be taken away from an individual, except by express provisions of the laws." The Hawaiian alii, who knew the commoner had no land, buiding lots, nor property of his own found the right non applicable; the commoner who had no understanding of owning land, building lots, or property, ignored the right completely. The haole who wanted land, building lots, and property thought the right a great step forward into democracy, but they were not willing to accept the " Law of the government" relative to land claims. They saw hundreds of ways to gain land from the " Lazy kanaka" and make it profitable; some worked from an altruistic purpose for Hawaii, but most worked for themselves. Hawaii was unique in allowing noncitizens to take an active part in the government, both to vote and to hold office. To give the commoner the land that he couldn't comprehend owning, Kamehameha lll was prevailed upon through haole advisors to institute the Land Reform Movement and the " the Great Mahele, " hailed by the teachers of the of the High Chiefs' School as the greatest of Kamehameha's contributions. Previously, all the land belonged to the king. No the lands were divided into threeparts, the Kings land, the high chiefs lands, and the remaining land , when which then became available to the commoners. The royal children, Moses, Lot, Liholiho, and Victoria [ then three years old ] would be heirs to the Kamehameha lands of Kamehameha lll, called the Crown lands, as ditinct from the government lands. Whoever held the Crown wa heir to the government lands as well. Other high chiefs' childrens' parents laid claim to their new divisions; Kanaina claimed his portion for Lunalilo,and High Chief Aikanka claimed his lands for his daughter Keohokalole. Under Aikanka and Keohokalole, Kalakaua was to share his land inheritance with his two sisters, Kamakaeha [ Liliuokalani } and Likelike-- but not until much later.