Give ear Hawaii o Keawe! Maui o Kama! Oahu o Kuihewa! Kauai o Mano!

In the providence of God, and by the will of his late Majesty Kamehameha III, this day read in your hearing, I have been called to the high and responsible position of the Chief Ruler of this nation. I am deeply sensible of the importance and sacredness of the great trust committed to my hands, and, in the discharge of this trust I shall abide by the Constitution and laws which I have just sworn to maintain and support. It is not my wish to entertain you on the present occasion with pleasant promises for the future; but I trust the close of my career will show that I have not been raised to the head of this nation to  oppress it and curse it, but on the contrary to cheer and bless it, and that when I come to my end I may, like the beloved chief whose funeral we yesterday celebrated, pass from earth amid the bitter lamentation of my people. Continue reading →