KAMEHAMEHA III.
A. Dc PETIr-THOUARs,

" Captain Commander of the


French frigate Venus"
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French tlgate Venus


In the succeeding October, Mr. Short
left Honolulu for Valparaiso. Very soon
after another priest, M. Maigret, arrived
at Honolulu, but was not allowed to land
unless he would give security to depart
within some stipulated period, and in the
mean time to abstain from attempting to
propagate his faith. This he could not
or would not do, and he and M. Bachclot
finally left Honolulu in November, 1897.
NJ. Bachelot was at that time in i'll health,
and died at sea. The government of the
Islands then published a pretty full and
formal ordinance, prohibiting the teaching
of the " pecularities of the Popc's reli-
oion," and the exhibition of its ceremo-
MES, and announcing that nc teacher of
that religion would be allowed to reside
in the Islands.


We are sorry to add, that, in the course
of this struggle to exclude Catholic priests,
fand the inculcations of the Catholic reli-
gion, from his dominions, the King of the
Islands should have so far followed the
bad example Of Christendom as to punish
some of his subjects whom the priests had
persuaded to adopt that religion. This
indiscreet and un just persecution, howev-
er, seems not to have been extended to
resident foreigners in single instance
All such, of all nations, were treated with
uniform kindness in their persons and
property, except SO far as they may be
supposed to have been incommoded or
panied by the exclusion of the Catholic
clergy, and the suppression of the Cath
olic public worship.


We have now related the general Sc


ries of conduct and pretenson, on the


part Of the Island authorities, which is
supposed to have provoked the armed in


terposition of France. And it is plain,
we repeat, that the exact question be-
tween the parties was whether the local
f government could rightfulIy, in point Of


international law, prevent Catholic priests


from teaching their religion to the natives.
! 1t is clear, that the matter complained of
: by the French was the Sandwich Island
: doctrine of the right to do this, and the
, practical assertion of that doctrine, and
5 that the main object of the treaty was to
disatiirm and eX,inguish that right
There was nothing else to complain of.
, There was no other occasion for such
treaty. OF any un(rendlness or disres-
pect on the part Of the Island government
! towards France or Frenchmen as such, of
t any aversion 10 French Catholic priests,


other or greater than to all Catholic priests,


Of the slightest invasion of any right of any


French or any foreign resident in his per-


son or property, or freedom of conscience,
: except what may be thought to be inyolv-
S ed in the prohibition of public Catholic
: worship, nay, of any wanion or inten-


tional harshness in the mode adopted to


effect the exclusion of the teacher
priests" we see no trace OF evidence. 1t
is to be regretted, that native inhabitants


were punished for becoming Catholics.
o But Captain Laplace was not so absurd as
: to pretend, that France had any thing to


do with that. 1t is to be regretted that
i NJ. Bachelot was compelled to go to sea
