🧚 The Hawaiian Flag · page 2

Undeterred by this English experience, a Frenchman thought it worth his while to secure the little kingdom.91 In 1849 Admiral Tromelin sailed into Honolulu harbour and made some emphatic demands, alleging that the king had unlawfully fined a French ship.92 The king replied that the ship had violated his laws and was necessarily held responsible.93 The admiral at once landed an armed force with field pieces and scaling ladders and captured the fort.94 The king, however, had withdrawn his troops, leaving an empty fort with the Hawaiian flag flying from its staff.95 The Frenchman did not quite dare to pull that flag down in the face of very earnest protests from both the English and American consuls.96 The French smashed calabashes, spiked the guns, poured powder into the harbour, wrote on the walls of the fort that they were “Les Braves” and then withdrew, turning their trouble over to their home government.97 For nearly two years the French made trouble.98 At last the king, Ka-meha-meha III, became tired and placed his kingdom “provisionally under the protection of the United States,” declaring that the protectorate should be “perpetual” if the relations with France were not placed on a better footing.99 The Frenchmen soon discovered that the difficulties could be easily settled, and the long list of grievances “were reduced to two points, viz., the liberty of Catholic worship and the trade in spirits.”100 This last meant the abundant entrance of French brandy.101 “Nothing more was heard of the rest of the demands.”102

Flag episodes after these experiences were limited to ordinary affairs of government.103 Sometimes it floated proudly over fort and palace, while salutes were fired from men-of-war entering the harbour.104 Sometimes it hung at half mast over the palace while the body of some member of the royal family or some one of high chief blood lay in state.105 Sometimes its absence from the palace marked the king’s departure for some other island.106 Its reappearance was the signal of the king’s return.107 It floated over ministers’ and consuls’ offices in different parts of the world and fulfilled its modest duty as the representative of one of “the little kings.”108

Then came the turbulent times of internal dissension through the reign of Kalakaua and that of his sister, Liliuokalani, resulting in the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893.109 January 14, 1893, the queen thought herself strong enough to abrogate the Constitution of the islands and promulgate a new Constitution suited to her own wishes.110 She found that she had opened a volcano under her feet.111 She prorogued the Legislature in the forenoon and attempted to install her new Constitution.112 Her cabinet objected.113 A group of prominent citizens strengthened the cabinet.114 An impromptu mass meeting was held in the afternoon and a committee of public safety of thirteen was appointed.115 This was Saturday.116 Sunday was a day of suppressed excitement.117 Monday, January 16, over 1,300 citizens gathered in the armory and authorised this committee of public safety to take such steps as might be necessary.118 That afternoon at 5 o’clock 300 United States marines and sailors were landed.119 The marines were stationed at the American legation and the sailors at Arion Hall.120

The next day, January 17, the committee of public safety issued the following proclamation:121

“First—The Hawaiian monarchial system of government is hereby abrogated.122

“Second—A Provisional Government for the control and management of public affairs and the protection of public peace is hereby established, to exist until terms of union with the United States of America have been negotiated and agreed upon.”123

This Provisional Government, with President Dole at its head, under the old Hawaiian flag, was at once recognised, under date of January 17, as the “de facto government of the Hawaiian Islands,” by Minister Stevens of the United States.124 January 18, ministers and consul-generals from several nations hastened to hand in their recognition of the new government, and on the 19th English and Japanese ministers practically completed the list.125

This continued until February 1, 1893, when negotiations had progressed so far that United States Minister Stevens felt safe in raising the Stars and Stripes over the government buildings and declaring a protectorate.126 This was the fourth time that a far-away representative of a foreign power had felt certain that his annexation of Hawaii would be joyfully received by his home government.127 And this fourth act was subject to reversal.128 Five prominent men went to Washington, empowered to make a treaty of annexation with the United States.129 March 4, 1893, President Cleveland was inaugurated.130 He withdrew the treaty from consideration by the Senate.131 Then came the visit of “Paramount Blount,” who arrived in Honolulu March 29.132

The Provisional Government was strongly entrenched, and Mr. Blount found that the only thing he could do was to withdraw United States protection.133

April 1st the announcement was made in the morning papers that the United States flag would be lowered at 11 o’clock, and the Hawaiian flag restored as the emblem of the Provisional Government.134 For the brief space of almost two months the Stars and Stripes had floated over Hawaii.135

Hundreds of people flocked to the spacious grounds around the government buildings.136 It was a curious crowd—Orientals, Europeans, Africans and Americans—mingling together.137 The Stars and Stripes slipped down the rattling lines from the flagstaff when the bugle call was sounded.138 “There was another gleam of colour and the Hawaiian flag crawled up the now taut ropes and shook itself free, its blue, white and crimson bars floating in their accustomed place.139 The silence was undisturbed.140 The troops of the Provisional Government presented arms, but the American men-of-war in the harbour did not salute the restored flag.”141

As time passed, President Cleveland’s desire to restore the monarchy became more and more apparent, and under the same old Hawaiian colours, “on July 4, 1894, the Constitution of the Republic of Hawaii was promulgated,” and all designs for United States interference were thwarted.142 The beautiful and loved flag of Hawaii, the royal flag from the times of Ka-meha-meha I, the ensign of the Provisional Government, unchanged, became the banner of the first Republic of the Pacific Ocean.143

It remained the flag of the Republic until the news reached Honolulu that President McKinley, on July 7, 1898, had signed the joint resolution of annexation adopted by both houses of Congress.144

It was necessary that the officials of the newly annexed islands should take the oath of allegiance to the United States, and that the final change of government should be marked by a new and authorised flag-raising ceremony.145 Great preparations were made for the solemn exercises attending the transfer of the Republic of Hawaii to the Republic of the United States.146 On August 12, 1898, thousands of people again crowded into the government grounds.147 The National Guard of Hawaii and companies of United States marines were drawn up around the former palace.148 In front of the palace, now the Capitol Building, was a grandstand, about which the Hawaiian and United States colours were intertwined.149

The Hawaiian and United States officials, the diplomatic corps and a few friends filled the grandstand.150 After prayers came the formal transfer of sovereignty.151

The final salute to the Hawaiian emblem of an independent nation was fired.152 As the last report died away in echoes among the surrounding hills, the Hawaiian national anthem, “Hawaii Ponoi,” in solemn grandeur, stirred the hearts of the multitude.153 Mrs. Garland, an eye-witness, said: “The music ceased and for one instant the Hawaiian flag still floated, then as it was slowly lowered, utter stillness held every one mute.154 A great wave of intense feeling seemed to flow over the people.155 For the moment we were in a country without a flag.156 There were few who did not weep.157 Then a clear sounding call from the bugles of the s. s. Philadelphia, a sudden stir through all the throng, and then with the triumphant ringing strains of the ‘Star Spangled Banner,’ up rose majestically our own dear flag, reaching the truck with the last grand chord.158 Three mighty cheers burst forth.159 Men grasped each other by the hand, and hats and handkerchiefs waved.160 A group of Hawaiian young women stood behind us.161 As the Stars and Stripes went up, from one came the repressed exclamation, ‘Oh, you beautiful thing.’”162

Then President Dole and his cabinet took the oath of allegiance to the United States.163 The soldiers marched to their barracks to be sworn into their new service.164 The crowd dispersed, while salutes were fired from the ships in the harbour.165 The American flag floats in its own influential place over the palace, not as a kingly, but as a republican flag.166 The Hawaiian flag still floats over many a home in the islands, as well as over the corner posts of the old palace under the American flag, as the permanent flag of the Territory of Hawaii.167

The Hawaiian flag is surrounded by many historical memories which mean much to residents of both native and foreign descent, and they rejoice that the dear old flag is not lost from the nation’s history.168 As one writer says, this feeling shows that “the flag does not represent so much a particular form of government as it does the great heart of the people which throbs beneath.”169

NOTES170

[1] This is one of the most ancient legends in Hawaiian annals.171

[2] Laa-mai-Kahiki means Laa-from-Kahiki in the Hawaiian language, or Raa-from-Tahiti in the Tahitian dialect.172 In the Hawaiian stories he was always known as Laa-mai-Kahiki.173 He was a very high chief from Hawaii absorbed in the royal line of Tahiti.174 The letter “r” being used for “l” and “t” for “k” explains the slight difference in the names, Laa and Raa-Kahiki and Tahiti.175 This is simply such a change as is found in dialects everywhere.176