Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 36, Number 11, 1 November 2019 — LĀKŪ'OKO'A: [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

LĀKŪ'OKO'A:

How Timoteo Ha'alilio Helped Secure Hawaiian Independence

By Kau'i Sai-Dudoit "...the 28th ofNovember was the day that tlie Hawaiian Kingdom gained its independence from the other power of the nations ofBritain and France. On that day in the year 1843, the great powers of Britain anā France joined togetlier to discuss the bestowing of independence on thisNation, and the two ofthem agreed to tliis and we gained this independence... we are overjoyed, and ean boast that we are amongst the

few Independent Nations under the sun. There are many islands like us, who live peacefully under the powers over them, but Hawai'i lives clearly without any powerplaced above its head. Therefore, the eommemoration by the Hawaiian heartsfrom the East to the West ofthese islands on this day, is not a small thing, but it is important, and we know by heart the foundational words ofour Kingdom. "E mau ke ea o ka 'āina i ka pono. " The gaining ofthis Independence, was not by the point ofa sword or the mouth ofa gun, but was gotten peacefully... " Ka Nupepa Kuokoa. Buke V, Helu 48, Aoao 3. Dekemaba 1, 1866. Every internationally recognized country celebrates their Independence Day and the heroes who contributed to its consummation. Hawai'i is no exception. For the first fifty years, Hawai'i celebrated the momentous event of its independence in grand fashion with horse races, mele, parades, feasts, speeches and church gatherings. Merchant shops and government businesses were closed and, on occasion, there would be twenty-one gun salutes from Pū'ōwaina and Honolulu Harbor - all in celebration of this nahonal holiday. This year marks the 176th year of Hawaiian independence, and while we traverse our way through this complicated history, let us understand and appreciate the triumphs of that day and the heroes worthy of celebration. There are three men whose dedicated efforts culminated in the success of this endeavor, and although all three deserve our gratitude and aloha, one man stands out for his unwavering dedication and ultimate sacrifice for his king, country and people: Timoteo Kamalehua Ha'alilio. The following summarizes of some of the events that led to Lā Kū'oko'a and the efforts of Timoteo Ha'alilio. By the middle of the 19th century, gunboat diplomacy by foreign nations was a mounting threat in Hawaiian waters. To address this, in April 1842

Kamehameha III commissioned three joint Ministers Plenipotentiary: Timoteo Ha'alilio, William Richards, and Sir George Simpson. Their task was to gain recognition of Hawaiian independence, whieh at the time was a near impossible undertaking, as no non-European nation had ever achieved this feat.

Sir George Simpson, a British subject, was the Gover-nor-in-Chief of the Hudson's Bay Company and a man of great influence and standing internationally. He agreed to join the effort because he supported the idea of Hawaiian independence. Upon receiving the commission, Sir George left Hawai'i for England, via Alaska and Siberia, with plans to meet up with Ha'alilio and Richards in Europe. Rev. William Richards arrived in Hawai'i with the second

company of missionaries sent by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) on April 24, 1823. In Iuly 1838, he resigned from the ABCFM to become translator to King Kamehameha III. In 1839, Richards interpreted Wayland' s Political Economy by integrating

Hawaiian practice to create the Hawaiian counterpart, No Ke Kalaiaina, and worked with the king and chiefs to write the 1839 Declaration of Rights and, in 1840, the first constitution of Hawai'i. After accompanying Timoteo Ha'alilio on their successful fourteen-month mission around the globe to secure recognition of Hawaiian independence, Richards was appointed to the king's Privy Council, became a Hawaiian subject and faithfully served the Hawaiian kingdom until his

death in 1847. To understand the sentiments of the Hawaiian people towards this man, his final resting plaee is in Lahaina at Waine'e Cemetary next to Keōpūolani, Kaumuali'i, Nahi'ena'ena and other high-ranking ali'i. The third Minister, Timoteo Ha'alilio, was a native-born son who dedicated his life to the building

and progress of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Born in 1808 to Eseka Kipa and Ko 'ele 'ele, his father died when he was young and his mother remarried Chief Ha'alo'u, Governor of Moloka'i. In 1816, Ha'alilio was taken by Kamehameha Pai'ea as a eompanion to the young Kauikeaouli, and the two forged a bond that would last throughout their adult lives. In 1823, Ha'alilio and Kauikeaouli were instructed in reading and writing by Hiram Bingham. On lune 7, 1826, at the age of 18, Ha'alilio married Hana Hupa in a ceremony conducted by Rev. Levi Chamberlain as recorded in his journal. Ha'alilio soon became Kauikeaouli's personal secretary and would serve on the House of Nobles. Then, in 1836, the two became members of the first Hawaiian Historical Society under the tutelage of Rev. Sheldon Dibble of Lahainaluna Seminary, and their work was published in 1836 as Ka Mooolelo Hawaii [sicj. We are afforded a glimpse of Ha'alilio's character, when in July of 1839, a French ship, L'Artemise, captained by Cyrille-Pierre-Theodore Laplaee arrived in Hawai'i with instructions to enter into diplomatic

relations with the Hawaiian government regarding the unfair treatment of Roman Catholics. Within hours of his arrival, he sent an ultimatum to the Hawaiian chiefs: "His Majesty the Kitig oftlie French having commanded me to eome to Honolulu in order to put an end eitlier byforce or by persuasion to the ill-treatment ofwhich the French are

the victims at the Sandwich Islands, I liastenfirst to employ the latter means as being more in hannony with the nob!e and Iiberal political system pursued by France towards weaker nations... " Laplaee granted a reprieve of five days, to allow the king to return from Lahaina but demanded in the meanhme a hostage to dissuade hostilities to his ship and crew. In his journal he writes, "Within minutes a young chief presented himself The king's secretary and one of his favorites [Haalilio] was a handsome young man offrank, pleasant countenance and good manners; he wore Euwpean dress and spoke Eng-

lish quite well. He took but little time to express delight at being on board ship; in retum, everyone in his new quarters welcomed liim warmly...[he] seemed warm-hearted, extroverted, and capable of taking our part when mediating between his sovereign and ourselves (as I later learned he in fact did.)" Hawaiian Journal of History, vol. 32, 1998 M. Birkett. The French Perspective on the Laplaee Affair. Ha'alilio, along with Richards, helped to craft the 1839 Declaration and the 1840 Constitution. In 1841, Ha'alilio was the acting governor of O'ahu and in 1842, was appointed head of the Kingdom's Treasury, along with Gerritt P. Judd and John Papa 'Ī'ī, an indication of the confidence the king and other ali'i held in Ha'alilio. All of these efforts were part of a strategic plan by Kamehameha III to address the myriad strains burden-

ing the tiny kingdom, whieh led to the king's appointment of the three envoys in 1842. Years ago, I eame across a short passage by an observer of the instance when Kamehameha III made his request of Ha'alilio, and Ha'alilio's response. He said, "Please don't ask this of me, ask me anything but not this." Kamehameha III replied, "There is no one I trust more with the welfare of our country than you." With that, Ha'alilio accepted the eommission, in spite of his initial reluctance. Preparations were made and on July 18, 1842, Ha'alilio and Richards boarded the schooner Shaw in Lahaina, bound for Mazatlan, Mexico. In a letter to G.P. Judd, printed in Ka Nonanona newspaper he writes that they arrived in Mazatlan on October 29, 1842 and says that they traversed that land in peaee although the physical exhaustion was great. They were drenched by rain and snow in the mountains, valleys and forests of Mexico, having forded rivers that lie beneath the mountains during the day and night. They endured hunger

mounted on the backs of mules, yet he writes that they endured unharmed because God watches over them, and he sends his love to all including his wife, Hana. Ka Nonanona newspaper. January 17, 1843 On November 2, they booked passage aboard the man-o-war, Falmouth, headed to New Orleans, and by December made their way to Washington, D.C., where they met with Daniel Webster, the U.S. Secretary of State who stated in a letter dated December 19, 1842: "...the U.S., therefore, are more interested in the fate ofthe Islands, and their government, than any other nation

ean be; and this consideration induces the President to be quite willing to declare, as the sense oftlie government oftlie U.S., that tlie government oftlie Sandwich Islands ought to be respected; that no power ought either to take possession ofthe Islatuls as a conquest, orfor thepurpose ofcolonization; and that no power out to seekfor any undue controI over existing govemment, orany exclusive privileges orpreferences in matters ofcommerce. " The envoys spent January visiting and being hosted by friends as reported in the New York Herald from the Boston Carrier newspaper on January 24, 1843: "The Sandwich island chief Haalilio, now on a visit to tliis part ofour country, in company with Rev. Mr. Richards, has been treated with attention by many ofour citizens, and has made a veryfavorable impression by his general appearanee and address. He speaks English tolerably well, is a great observer ofmen and things, and evidently possesses a cultivated mind. "

Shortly thereafter it was reported in the French newspaper, Le GIobe, that: "Last Wednesday, Haalilio embarked in New Yorkfor New Haven, aboard the steam boat Globe, togetlier witli the Reverand [sic] Richards, who serves him as eompanion and interpreter on his diplomatic voyage. When the time eame for luneh, one of the employees gave to the reverand [sic] two admission tickets, onefor himselfand one for his servant. Mr. Richards explained that the alleged servant was not less than one oftlie highest and most powerful Iords of the Sandwicli kingdom, and the ambassador to the government ofthe United States. The employee, after having

examined Haalilio from head to foot, replied that he does not know anythi?ig about diplomacy, but that he knows how to distinguish white from black, and that in consequence, Haalilio, being of very dark copper colour, would have luneh at the table of the servants, or he would not have luneh at all. This decision appealed before the captain Stone, who refused to alter it. Thus the reverand [ sic ], not wanting to separate himselffrom his illustrious eompanion, went to take part with him at the luneh of the servants." Translation by Lorenz Gonshor Undaunted by the encounter of racism in the United States, and satisfied that the United States was a willing party to their request, the two men booked passage on February 3, 1843, onboard the Caledonia from Boston to Liverpool, England onee Ha'alilio recovered from a serious illness. While Ha'alilio and

Richards were enroute on their mission to Great Britain, Lord George Paulet landed in Hawai'i and occupied the kingdom for five months. He immediately set up the British Commission to adjudicate all matters pertaining to lands of British subjects and foreigners. Completely unaware of Paulet's oeeupahon, the two men continued their diplomatic negotiations with Great Britain, France and Belgium. On June 1, 1843, while in France, Ha'alilio sent a letter to Le Globe in response to an article they printed stating that Hawai'i was now under the British crown. Ha'alilio wrote, "These islands are civilized, Cliristian and independent. Their independence was recognised by the United States on the 19th of December 1842, and by the British Government on thefirst of April last. We have a!so a positive verbal promise ofthe same aehon acknowledgement by the French Government. Is it possible that a British OffiSEE HA'ALILIO ON PAGE 9

HA'ALILIO

Continued from page 7 cer ean have seized the islands on the 8th ofMarch and the British Government acknowledged their independence barely three weeks after? " Ha'alilio and Richards returned to London to deal with the Paulet Affair, and in October of 1843, commissioned the Col-

lege of Heraldry to create the kingdom's Royal Coat of Arms. At the conclusion of their negotiations, Great Britain and France signed a proclamation recognizing Hawai'i's independence on November 28, 1843. Belgium followed suit on March 27, 1844, by way of a

letter. While continuing their negotiations, Ha'alilio again heeame deathly ill while in Belgium, whieh required a few months of recuperation before he was able to eonhnue, after whieh the two men sailed back to the United States on May 23, 1844. During the summer of 1 844, pursuing his interest to better the governance of Hawai'i, Ha'alilio spent his time traveling throughout the eastern United States, and Ontario and Quebec in Canada. In 'l'he Polynesian newspaper, March 29, 1845, William Richards wrote: " While in Europe, as well as in the U.S.A., he [Ha'alilio] maele it a special business to visit and examine all objects ofpublic interest whieh elaim tlie attention of the traveler. The various manufacturing establishments, the museums, the hospitals, the prisons, the great works of architecture, the ancient palaces and cathedrals, the bridges, dockyards, and mausoleums of the dead, - all received his attention, and produced an influence on ltis mind whieh it was most interesting to witness". In October of 1 844, while in Massachusetts, Ha'alilio was diagnosed with a serious illness (possibly tuberculosis) at the Massachusetts General Hospital, where doctors advised him to remain for a year or more to try and regain his heahh, but Ha'alilio had been gone from home for far too long, and asked Richards to take him home to Hawai 'i. One week after leaving Massachusetts, on December 3, 1844, this Hawaiian patriot

drew his last breath on his final journey to

his beloved Hawai'i. In an article dated March 23, 1845 in Thrum's Annuals, Ha'alilio is remembered: "This morning a large ship was seen ojf the harbor, with her flag half-masted. It proved to be the "Montreal, " Captain Snow, from Boston. Mr. Richards eame on shore alone,

or unaccompanied by Haalilio, and we were soon informed that his corpse was on board, the noble spirit that animated it liad long been fled to join the pleasures of another and better world. It has been a day of grief and sadness. Aloha ino ia Haalilio. On March 26th, the last earthly honors have been paid to Haaliiio. The services have been solemn and impressive. The town has an aspect of mourning since tlie arrival ofthe remains. Theflags have been at half-mast...At noon, the stores were voluntarily closed by tlie merchants as a token ofrespect to Haalilio, and at three P.M. the people being assembled, the procession was formed, a very large number offoreigners , coming to pay the last sad tribute to him on whom so many hopes were centered. . .After arriving at the ehapel, Mr. Armstrong pronounced a very beautiful and impressive eulogy on the deceased, alluding to his infancy; ltis being a companionfrom boyhood to His Majesty; his high office oftrust; his fulfillment ofit, and liis death as a Christian. From the church the procession re-formed and marched to the tomb wliere he was deposited under a salute, to rest till he shall be called before Him who is King ofKing's [sic]. " Measured by any standard, and in any era, Ha'alilio Kamalehua Ha'alilio's life defines resolve, sacrifice, and most of all, patriotism. He is a national treasure, a trusted friend of Hawai'i, a diplomat and a celebrated hero, yet most of us have never heard of him. I urge

you to take the time to learn of this

man: to know his name, to honor his memory and to teach your children and grandchildren about him. Let's bring Ha'alilio back into our nahonal consciousness. During the month of November, visit Kealopiko in the South Shore Market. View and take a picture with the display of Timoteo Ha'alilio, piek up a po'e aloha 'āina card made by Dr. Ron Williams Jr., and don a t-shirt bearing his name. A hiki i ke aloha 'āina hope loa! Aloha Lā Kū'oko'a iā kākou a pau!l

J EK Timoteo Ha'alilio - Photo: Courtesy Hawaii State Archives

Ha'alilio & Richards - Photo: Courtesy

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