HAWAIIAN GROUP. 15 



He ascribes the fancied evils of which he complains to the evil course 

 of the American missionaries, and charges the king with having been 

 misled by " perfidious counsellors." 



How far this opinion was well founded, will appear by a letter ad- 

 dressed on this subject to the king, by the American consul, and his 

 reply. I deem it an act of justice to the American missionaries, that 

 these official documents should be made public, as the most authentic 

 testimony that can be procured on the subject, and which I am of 

 opinion must command full belief.* 



So far as can be learned from Captain Laplace's manifesto, his in- 

 structions had reference only to the subject of religious toleration ; he 

 was to insure the future good treatment of French Catholics, and of 

 the natives converted by them. He demanded, in addition, as surety 

 for the future good conduct of the king and chiefs, the sum of $20,000, 

 for which it has been alleged he has not accounted ; and the French 

 consul contrived to turn the intervention of Captain Laplace to his 

 own personal advantage, as will presently be seen. 



The promulgation of this manifesto, and the exorbitant demand 

 with which it was accompanied, produced great consternation at Ho- 

 nolulu, and throughout the island of Oahu. The foreign residents 

 were in alarm for their property, which was exposed on the one side 

 to the dangers of a bombardment, and on the other to the pilfering 

 of the natives ; the natives were dismayed at the demand of a sum 

 they were unable to pay ; while the missionaries, with their wives 

 and children, were the objects of a proscription, from which, the 

 American consul was informed, their national flag should not be a 

 protection, nor guard them from insult and injury. 



Until the demands of the French captain should be complied with, 

 the port of Honolulu was declared by him in a state of blockade, and 

 no advices were allowed to be sent from it except with his knowledge. 



The conduct of the foreign residents, at this juncture, was most 

 extraordinary. So far from aiding, by their advice and countenance, 

 the government under whose protection they had been living and 

 making fortunes, they organized a committee to look to their own 

 safety in the threatened crisis, formed a company of minute-men, not 

 to act against the invaders, but against the natives ; and actually 

 applied to Captain Laplace for the loan of arms and ammunition, to be 

 employed against those to whom they were in so many ways indebted. 

 They thus took part against the native government, which they de- 

 serted in its utmost need ; and it is with regret that I am compelled 



* This correspondence will be found in Appendix II. 



