However these things may be, the visit of the United States frigate Potomac, Commodore Downes, in August, 1832, served, to some extent, to lessen the severity of what, just at that time, was bordering closely upon religious persecution. The attitude of the Hawaiian government toward those professing the Roman faith was not fully relaxed, however, until July, 1839. At that time a convention, securing to those people entire freedom for Roman Catholic worship in the Islands, and allowing the return of the priests of that faith, was forced from the king, Kamehameha III, under the guns of the French frigate Artémise, commanded by Captain Laplace. A second treaty was concluded at the same time, under the same circumstances, and after a threat of hostilities in case of the refusal of the signature of the king. Under the provisions of this treaty the introduction of intoxicating liquors into the Islands was allowed. During these negotiations the American consul was formally notified by Captain Laplace that the American Protestant clergy would be regarded as a part of the native population,

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should hostilities be begun, as the result of a refusal of the king to accede to his demands.

Three years previous to this dramatic visit of L'Artémise the British consul, Mr. Charleton, whose attitude toward Americans and American influence in the Islands has been noted,* by his representations to his home government had procured a visit to the Islands from the British ship Acteon, under command of Lord Edward Russel. In November, 1836, while the guns of the Acteon were commanding the town of Honolulu, the king was induced to conclude a treaty with her commander in behalf of the British government. This treaty contained no objectionable features, and was, in its terms, merely for the protection of the persons and property of British subjects residing in the Islands. At about the time of the intervention of L'Artémise and Captain Laplace, Mr. Charleton left the Islands, it is quite fair to believe, for the purpose of informing his government of the condition of affairs, both as touching the growing American influence in the Islands and the attitude

*Ante, page 60.

assumed by Louis Philippe. That this convention forced from the king by Lord Edward Russel was to be regarded as the initial movement preparatory to serious aggressions against the sovereignty of the Islands is made probable almost to a certainty from the occurrence of a few years later.

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THE PAULET EPISODE.

It was in February, 1843, that an incident occurred in the history of the Hawaiian Isl ands which gave occasion for the first open and official declaration of paramount American interest and influence. This was the unannounced arrival, in the harbor of Honolulu, of the British frigate Carysfort, commanded by Captain Lord George Paulet, and the remarkable proceedings which followed. A few weeks previous to this occurrence two commissioners despatched by King Kamehameha III had arrived at Washington. These were Timoteo Haalilio and William Richards, the first a member of the King's suite, the latter a clergyman. Mr. Richards. had previously, in the year 1836, been sent to this country as an envoy, to secure, if possible, some American versed in statecraft, as adviser and instructor to the king in the duties of his position. This mission had been unsuccessful. The two had now come, as appears by a letter addressed to Daniel Webster, Secretary of State, under date of December 14, 1842, for the purpose of call

ing the attention of that official, and through him of the government of the United States, to the relations then existing between the two countries, and to suggest a more definite recognition of the Hawaiian government as an independent civilized power. In this letter is set forth, in interesting detail, the story of the rise of the Hawaiian people from a state of barbarism and degradation to one deserving of the respect and recognition of the civilized nations of the world.

The

"Twenty-three years ago," this letter states, "the nation had no written language and no character in which to write it. language had never been systematized nor reduced to any kind of form. The people had no acquaintance with Christianity, nor with the valuable institutions or usages of civilized life. The nation had no fixed form or regulations of government, except as they were dictated by those in authority or might by any means acquire power. The right of property was not acknowledged, and was, therefore, but partially enjoyed. There were no courts of justice, and the will of the chieftains was absolute. The property of