Template:586-587

From TheMorganReport
Jump to navigation Jump to search
-p586-

in the direction of educating the people they would have been educated to the degree they are now?

Mr. Jones. Oh, no; it was owing to the missionaries that the Hawaiians have been brought to what they are.

The Chairman. What King was on the throne when you went to Hawaii?

Mr. Jones. Kamehameha IV.

The Chairman. What year did you say that was?

Mr. Jones. That was in 1857.

The Chairman. That was after the constitution of 1854 had been proclaimed?

Mr. Jones. Yes.

The Chairman. Did Kamehameha IV have in his cabinet any of the American missionary element?

Mr. Jones. In my day, no.

The Chairman. Did he have any American citizens in his cabinet?

Mr. Jones. Oh, he had, I think, David L. Gray. I think he took the position of minister of finance in the cabinet of Kamehameha IV.

The Chairman. How long did he remain in office?

Mr. Jones. I do not remember; two or three years, perhaps.

The Chairman. Was there any other person who was a member of the Kamehameha cabinet—Kamehameha IV—any American citizen?

Mr. Jones. I do not remember any American except Gray. Mr. Wilie, a Scotchman, was in for many years.

The Chairman. Was he a missionary?

Mr. Jones. Oh, no; he was rather an anti-missionary.

Senator Gray. What do you mean by "anti-missionary?"

Mr. Jones. I do not think he was in full sympathy with the missionaries. I would not call him what we call an anti-missionary man to-day.

Senator Gray. What was he?

Mr. Jones. He was minister of foreign affairs for many years.

The Chairman. Then Kamehameha V had white men in his cabinet?

Mr. Jones. He had three Americans in his cabinet.

The Chairman. Who were they ?

Mr. Jones. He had Charles Coffin Harris, formerly of New Hampshire; he had J. Mott Smith, who was then Hawaiian minister here; he had Stephen H. Phillips, a lawyer. Phillips was his attorney-general.

The Chairman. All Americans?

Mr. Jones. Yes.

The Chairman. American citizens?

Mr. Jones. American citizens; yes.

The Chairman. Then did he have other white men, from Europe, in his cabinet—I mean Kamehameha V?

Mr. Jones. Yes; he had Dr. Hutchinson for years; I think he was an Englishman.

The Chairman. Well, the next King?

Mr. Jones. The next King was Lunalilo; he lived but fourteen months. That cabinet was comprised of three Americans. They always speak of the missionary children there as Americans, because they always claim to be Americans. That cabinet was composed of Hon. C. R. Bishop, minister of foreign affairs; E. O. Hall, minister of the interior—he was formerly connected with the mission; and A. F. Judd, who was attorney-general.

The Chairman. And then chief justice of the supreme court?

Mr. Jones. Yes. He was attorney-general.

-p587-

The Chairman. Under Lunalilo?

Mr. Jones. Yes.

The Chairman. Then, after Lunalilo came Kalakaua?

Mr. Jones. Yes.

The Chairman. Did he have Americans in his cabinet?

Mr. Jones. Yes. He had A. S. Hartwell in his first cabinet and Sam Wilder, an American. I forget the other two now. He had a great many cabinets. There were generally one or more Americans in his cabinet.

The Chairman. He changed his cabinet very often?

Mr. Jones. Yes.

The Chairman. Were those changes made because of want of confidence?

Mr. Jones. Oh, no. It was his own sweet will that he turned them out.

Senator Frye. That is, he was King.

Mr. Jones. Yes.

The Chairman. Did Kalakaua have the right to dismiss his cabinet without the Legislature?

Mr. Jones. Yes, under the constitution of '87.

The Chairman. Under that provision of the constitution giving authority he made frequent changes in his cabinet?

Mr. Jones. Yes.

The Chairman. Now, speaking of these men in the different cabinets, commencing with Kamehameha V down to Kalakaua and his cabinets, were any of these men impeached by the people of Hawaii for any disloyalty to the Government?

Mr. Jones. No.

The Chairman. Or any crime against the Government?

Mr. Jones. No.

The Chairman. Were they men of fine character?

Mr. Jones. Many of them were. Do you include Kalakaua?

The Chairman. I am speaking of the first cabinet of Kalakaua?

Mr. Jones. I should say most of them were men of good character.

The Chairman. You would consider that they were not a disintegrating or disloyal element in the monarchy?

Mr. Jones. No.

The Chairman. They gave full support there?

Mr. Jones. They gave full support there. Yes, so far as I ever knew. Of course I knew nothing of the inner workings of the Government in those days. But none of them were ever impeached for dishonesty of purpose, doubted, to my knowledge.

The Chairman. What is the opinion among the more intelligent people of Hawaii as to the reasons that influenced Kalakaua to make so many changes in his cabinet?

Mr. Jones. Well, for the purpose of gaining supreme power. If he found an obstacle in his way he would do it at once.

The Chairman. Was it the opinion of the people of Hawaii that Kalakaua wanted that supreme power of government for the benefit of the government, or for his personal advantage?

Mr. Jones. For his personal advantage only.

The Chairman. There was at one time a colony of Mormons there?

Mr. Jones. Yes.

The Chairman. Who established that colony?

Mr. Jones. Gibson. He was afterwards Kalakaua's factotum.

The Chairman. In Kalakaua's cabinet?