APPENDIX. 



LAPLACE S MANIFESTO. 



His Majesty, the King of the French, having commanded me to 

 come to Honolulu, in order to put an end, either by force or per- 

 suasion, to the ill-treatment to which the French have been victims at 

 the Sandwich Islands, I hasten, first, to employ this last means as the 

 most conformable to the political, noble, and liberal system pursued by 

 France against the powerless ; hoping, thereby, that I shall make the 

 principal chiefs of these islands understand how fatal the conduct which 

 they pursue towards her, will be to their interests, and perhaps cause 

 disasters to them and their country, should they be obstinate in their 

 perseverance. Misled by perfidious counsellors ; deceived by the ex- 

 cessive indulgence which the French government has extended towards 

 them for several years, they are undoubtedly ignorant how potent it is, 

 and that in the world there is not a power capable of preventing it 

 from punishing its enemies ; otherwise they would have endeavoured 

 to merit its favour, or, not to incur its displeasure, as they have done 

 in ill-treating the French. They would have faithfully put into execu- 

 tion the treaties, in place of violating them as soon as the fear disap- 

 peared, as well as the ships of war which had caused it, whereby bad 

 intentions had been constrained. In fine, they will comprehend, that 

 to persecute the Catholic religion, to tarnish it with the name of 

 idolatry, and to expel, under this absurd pretext, the French from this 

 archipelago, was to offer an insult to France, and to its sovereign. 



It is, without doubt, the formal intention of France that the King 

 of the Sandwich Islands be powerful, independent of every foreign 



f501) 



