Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, Volume X, Number 1, 7 January 1871 — Our National Flag. [ARTICLE]

Our National Flag.

With a wish to inspire all our readers —j foreigners as \vell as Ha\vaiians; young' •s well as old—with loyalty towards our Sovereign King, and admiration for our nat.onal Government, we prinfc herewith the Hawaiian Flag, in its beautiful colors. It is an emblem of the peaee whieh the Hawaiian people enjoy; of the union of our group under one Go\rernment; of our admission into the great family o( nations; and of our comraerce, whieh is every year extending to foreiga countries. The difficult work of engraving and printing this flag in its true colors, as well as all the labor connected with ihe paper, is done by Hawaiians. They are the typesetters, the priirters, the editor and the publisher—all are nātive born Hawaiians. We point with pride to this specimen of native typography as an eyidence of what we, native ean do in this line. And it may serve as an evidence abroad of the present civilized condition of our Hawaiijf!P people. We are not what we were fifty years ago, but have learned to read, work and live like Americans and Europeans. If any doubt, let them eome here and see. We accompany the bcautiful flag with Pedsce William Lunalilo's prize hymn— M God Saye the King." It is an admirable composition, worthy of the nobleman who composed it, and worthy to be preserved as lbe National Anthem of Hawaii nei. lt «ras wntten about ten years ago, in response to a ofiered by us for the best version of "Gsd Save the King." It is now reprt£ duced with some slight alterations, and a tmnslation made by Rev. L. Lyons ? pf Wai- j mea. Ii w iH be conceded that the sentiment! and l«nguage of both the original and tran§-' lalion are grand and cannot be surpa"Ssed. s | Our fie\v and enlarged heading for the!

paper has been engraved and electrotyped expressly for us; and we hope it will be received by our 3,000 patrons as an evidence of our determination to make the Kuokoa what it purports to be —Ke kilohana pookela © lea lahui Hawaii (the choicest family gift or keepsake of the Hawaiian people.) We need hardly add that our subscription terms are so very low—tvvo dollars a year—that we need all the aid we ean obtain to carry | on our enterprise, and we shall be happy to ! add ariy new names to our list. If our carriers are too modest to solicit subscriptions or advertisements, we h«pe those who desire to aid us will send in their names or favors without further uotice. From the account of the origin of the Hawaiian Flag published ten years ago, we copy the folllowing, whieh will interest our foreign as well as Hawaiian readers: The Hawaiian Flag was designed for King Kamehameha 1., in the year 1816. As the King desired to send a vessel to China, to sell a cargo of sandal-wood, he, in company with John Y oung, Isaac Davis and Capt. Alexander Adams, (the latter now living in the city of Honolulu, and aged hinety-one years,) made this flag for the ship, whieh was a war vessel, called the Forrester, carrying 16 guns, and was owned by Kamehameha I. T he flag having been made, tkfe vessel oailed for Maeao, China, where the ensign was not credited nor recognized|is a Government flag. The ship was heavily taxed for the harbor, her«cargo of sandal-wood sold at a loss, and she returned to these islands. The King having heard the loss attending his speculation, said he woukl impose a tax on the harbor of Honolulu, similar'to wat of foreign countries. This vvas the origin of harbor dues these islands. Un the 25ih of February, 1843, Lord George Paulet hau!ed down this flag with the purpose of adding these islands to the sovereignty of Great Britain, and raised the British flag. on flag-staffs throlighout the group, whieh remained up until the 31st of July of the same -year, when AdmiTal i Thomas restored jhe.flag, being responsible j for the act of Lord Grfsfge*£kulet.