14 HAWAIIAN GROUP. 



wards, the repeal of so much of the law as authorized the infliction of 

 corporal punishment, was effected through the instrumentality of the 

 missionaries, and religious toleration was proclaimed. If any blame 

 is to be imputed to them, it is because they did not at an earlier period 

 take steps to obtain the withdrawal of an ordinance so much at variance 

 with the institutions of the country whence they came, where alone, 

 of nations professing Christianity, toleration is an unknown term, 

 because all sects stand upon an equal footing. It is possible that they 

 had warm and excited feelings to contend with ; but if they had it in 

 their power to obtain the repeal of the law, under which they must 

 have heard that much severity was practised, at an earlier period, there 

 can be no excuse for their delay. This supineness, whether apparent or 

 real, has naturally excited censure, both in Hawaii and in the United 

 States, and has served to give a shadow of probability to the numerous 

 falsehoods and misstatements that have been published in relation to 

 their conduct in other matters. Even the severity that was reported 

 to have been practised while the law continued in force, was far less 

 than is usually represented, and the reports in relation to it seem 

 generally to have been much exaggerated. 



The arrival of Captain Laplace, in the French frigate Artemise, 

 brought about a crisis, for which it appears that no party was 

 prepared. It was generally supposed in Honolulu, that the mission 

 of this officer was the consequence of representations made by a 

 secret agent of the Romish missionaries, by the name of Murphy, 

 who is suspected of having informed the French government that a 

 persecution was still going on against French Catholics and citizens 

 How far this could be true will appear from the fact that the number 

 of the subjects of France in these islands is four, including the consul, 

 but excluding his family, who are English ; how valuable the com- 

 merce which required a frigate to protect it, will be properly appre- 

 ciated, when it is stated, that only three French vessels had visited 

 the islands during the two years previous to the mission of Captain 

 Laplace, and that the value of their cargoes was no more than 

 $20,000 or $30,000. Only one French vessel arrived in the year 

 which followed the transactions I am about to refer to. 



That some gross misstatement had been made, is evident from the 

 tenor of Captain Laplace's manifesto,* in which he states that he had 

 been specially sent to put an end to the ill-treatment received by 

 French subjects, and to secure them the free right of their worship. 



* This will be found in Appendix 1. 



