Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 8, 1 August 2010 — 'LET IT BE PRINTED!' [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

'LET IT BE PRINTED!'

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Translation of article by Puakea Nogelmeier Kuokoa, 5 August 1865, page 2, columns 4 and 5 The speech of His Highness W.C. Lunalilo Ladi.es and Gentīemen: — This is the day we commemorate the retuni ofthe Hawaiian Flag by Admiral Thomas. Twenty-two years have passed since that offtcer arrived at these shores, restoring the Flag to our King and the nation. Our hearts were filled with joy on that day that is forever remembered, and many tears were shed, notfrom sadness, butfromjoy. How vety dijferent from the previous Februaiy 25. 1 recall what I saw as I stood i.n the grounds ofthe old Fort with our current Ki.ng and his younger brothers, now deceased; we witnessed our Flag bei.ng brought down. On that day, these i.slands were surrendered to the Crown of Great Bri.tai.n, and on that dav the ftying-star flag of Albi.on waved victoriously over these Islands. Many here probably heard the short speecli Ki.ng Kamehameha III gave regarding that event. "Attention, Nobles, people, and subjectsfrom my ancestors ' ti.me, as well as those offorei.gn lands! Pav heed all ofyou! I say to you all that I am i.n di.stress as a result of predi.caments i.nto whi.eh I have been drawn without cause, therefore I have surrendered the soverei.gnty ofour land, and so you should all heed that! However, my reign over all ofyou, my people, and your rights, will eonūnue because I am hopeful that the sovereignty of the land willyetbe restored, ifmy acti.ons arejust." That speech by the Ki.ng to his people was short, but important nonetheless. He expressed his sadness about what he had seen. There were many tears that day. Those were dark and fearful days. The enti.re nati.on mourned during those months of investi.gati.on, thinking that the government mi.ght have been lostfor all ti.me to the hands ofaforei.gn powei: Forfive long months all remai.ned ealm, as at the outset, and on the 31st ofJuly, the day we now commemorate, we saw "tlieflagforwhich they had dared for a thousand years to vali.antly face war and the wind" brought down by one ofthe own sons ofEngland. As Doctor Guli.ck clarified, "Amenea gai.ni.ng i.ndependence was not something that si.mply eame to be, nor was i.t some short-lived fooli.shness. Instead, i.t was something that eame about and will

The article, starting at top left, as it appeared in 1 865.

be remembered for centuries, and is something that wūī eonūnue on into thefiiture." The same is true ofthis, our restoration dav, it is not something thatjust eame to be. Admiral Thomas di.d not simply eome here regarding trouble that was occurring and seek the facts as thev have done before, buthe heard,from a hi.gh-level source, ofactions happening between this Government and those under its Uomain. He carefully considered it, and the setting was petfectly clear to hi.m prior to his sailing here and his retuni

of the land to its Ki.ng who had acted justly. The people (though I speak as an i.ndividual ) had acted appmpnately, were thoughtful and vigilant in the workings of the Government, and if they had spoken or acted i.rresponsi.bly, they would certai.nly have incurred the wrath of the opposi.ti.on. Somethi.ng real that was witnessed was whether the assets that the nati.on had entrusted to someone in a certai.11 department would eonūnue to exi.st. lt was assumed they had not. Tlie books of every ki.nd, whi.eh were cri.ti.cal, were taken away from the ojfi.ces and hidden, then taken to the Royal Ciypt, there to be left among the resi-

dents ofthat eeri.e plaee. Ni.ght and dav, the work was carried out there, i and the casket ofGood Ka 'ahumanu heeame the deskfor wri.ti.ng. But the sun rose agai.11, brighter than evet: The hopes ofthe good and benevolent Kaui.keaouli. were fulfilled (you will li.keh neverforget the short speech he gave with the wishesfor hi.s people 011 the dav he surrendered the land to Great Bri.tai.n, and hi.s hopes that onee hi.s acti.ons 011 behalfofhis Kingdom were justified, itwould be restored to him as before). At thi.s ti.me, we are an independent modern nati.on, and we are seen as such, and though we have only recently emerged from darkness into enli.ghtenment, our status has grown, and conti.nues to expand through ri.ghteousness. Eaeh ofthe tnany peoples ofthe eailh has thi.ngs ofwhi.ch thev may be proud. England has promoted i.ts poweiful navy and through i.ts eoloni.es all around the world (and i.t i.s sai.d to be true) the sun never sets 011 i.ts bounds. France glorifies i.ts Bonaparte, and the way all ofEurope trembled whi.le that soldi.er ofa hundred wars sat 011 the French throne. Rome pri.ded i.tselfon i.ts strength and i.ts weahh. The United States ofAmeri.ca was boastful that when i.t moved toward li.berty, i.t gai.ned i.ts i.ndependence, and i.n recent years, stamped out both rebelli.on and slavery, never to ri.se agai.11. Ofwhat do we boast? I sav si.ncerely, i.ndeed there is somethi.ng, for i.n thefew, shortyears si.nce the li.ght ofGod's wonl reached our shores, the tree ofknowledge and wisdom has been planted, the roots have expanded out, the branches have spread wide, and now itsfruits are bei.ng sent out among the benighted peoples ofthi.s great Pacific Oeean. The bri.ghtness ofour enli.ghtenment grows every day, and I am proud to say that we are assumi.ng a posi.ti.on among the leamed and ci.vilized peoples ofthe world. I eall thi.s the true beauty of thi.s land, Hawai 'i. As a closure to my reflections, I say that we should gi.ve our love to Hi.ni, the Judge ofall thi.ngs, because ofhi.s lovefor us, i.n our hours of strife and i.n ti.mes of good fortune andjoy. "Mav God Save The Ki.ng Wi.th Hi.s Etemal Love." I

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British Admiral Richard Thomas ordered the restoration of the Hawaiian Kingdom.