1839.] REINSTATEMENT OF CATHOLIC PRIESTS. 371 



chapel and school were, nevertheless, soon after opened at Hono- 

 lulu, by another Catholic priest, named Walsh; and, in 1838, Kaa- 

 humanu being dead, Messrs. Bachelot and Short ventured to return 

 to the islands, from California, where they had passed the greater 

 part of the time, since their expulsion. They were again ordered 

 by the government to take their departure ; and, on their refusal, 

 were forcibly put on board the vessel which brought them, and 

 thus sent away, notwithstanding the protests made by the consuls 

 of the United States and Great Britain, on the part of the owners 

 of the vessel, and by the commanders of a British and a French 

 ship of war, which arrived at the time in the islands. That the 

 Protestant missionaries were the instigators of this proceeding, has 

 been asserted, though it is denied by their friends ; that they 

 might, if they chose, have prevented it, there can, however, 

 be as little doubt, as that they should have done so, if it were in 

 their power. 



For this act, which, besides being entirely at variance with the 

 constant principle of Protestantism, and the spirit of toleration now 

 so happily pervading the world, indicated extreme ignorance, and 

 culpable disregard of consequences, on the part of those who 

 directed it, a severe retribution was soon after exacted. On the 

 9th of July, 1839, the French frigate Artemise arrived at Hono- 

 lulu, and her captain, Laplace, immediately demanded reparation 

 for the insult offered to his country and its national religion ; with 

 which object, he required that the Roman Catholic worship 

 should be declared free throughout the islands, and its professors 

 should enjoy all the privileges heretofore granted to Protestants ; 

 that the government should give a piece of ground for the 

 erection of a Catholic church ; that all Catholics imprisoned 

 on account of their religion should be liberated ; and, finally, 

 that, as a security for the performance of these engagements, 

 twenty thousand dollars should be placed, and should remain, in 

 his hands.. With these demands the king immediately complied ; 

 and, had the French commander contented himself with what he 

 had thus effected, his conduct would have been blameless in the eyes 

 of all unprejudiced men. But he also required and obtained, that 

 the brandy and wines of his country, the introduction of which, 

 as of all other spirituous liquors, was most properly prohibited by 

 law, should be admitted into the islands on paying a duty of not 

 more than five per cent, on their value — an act, considering the 

 relative degrees of civilization of the two parties, far more repre- 

 hensible than that for which he had just before obtained atonement 



