Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen/Chapter 53
CHAPTER LIII
INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT McKINLEY
Time would fail me to speak of the countless new friends who vied in making my visit to Washington one of the most delightful seasons I ever passed. It was my custom to give a reception about every fortnight; to receive callers at eight to nine any evening, and often at other times. Both houses of Congress were well represented at my receptions, if not always by the gentlemen themselves, by their wives or daughters. Although all were presented through Captain Palmer by name and by card, yet it will be seen that, when there were seldom less than two hundred callers, and my largest reception numbered nearly five hundred persons, it was not possible for me to return all calls.
I therefore made it a rule to pay return visits only to those connected with the government, and even then it was scarcely possible to keep up with the number of my visitors. But there are two persons at least of whom I must make mention by name. These are Senator George C. Perkins, formerly governor of the State of California, and Representative Samuel G. Hilborn, also of that State. Both of these gentlemen have visited Honolulu.
I had had the pleasure of entertaining Governor Perkins when he was there, but was in retirement at the time Mr. Hilborn went there accompanied by his wife and daughter. Like many other visitors, Mr. Hilborn landed in Hawaii supposing that my government had been a failure, and that the present rulers were the choice of the people, and annexation desirable for both nations. And like any person who goes there and examines the situation frankly and fairly, Mr. Hilborn returned with his mind made up to the contrary.
While I was at the Shoreham, Mr. Hilborn called, and introduced his wife and daughter; and the beautiful voice of Miss Grace Hilborn, as she sang some of my own Hawaiian songs, to our instrument, the ukulele, gave to me that joy, so sadly sweet, of listening to the sounds of home in foreign lands. This charming family never relaxed their attentions to me while I resided in Washington, and I am indebted to each of them in more ways than I can speak of in these recollections. Mr. Hilborn is a hard-working man in his public life, yet he always found the time for any friendly chat with me if I wished to speak with some gentleman on whose good judgment I could rely.
Governor Perkins received me on my first visit to the Senate Chamber, where I went with my party simply to watch the deliberations; he provided us at once with seats in the gallery reserved for the personal friends of the senators, but subsequently he did a greater and more conspicuous kindness than this. On Friday noon, the 26th of February, I informed Captain Palmer that I had great curiosity to see the inauguration of the President of the United States, if it were possible to get seats. He said that it was rather late to make the proper arrangements. I requested him to communicate my wish to Governor Perkins. So, at two o’clock of that day he went to the Capitol, was welcomed by Senator Perkins, introduced to the members of the committee, and leaving the matter in their hands, he returned to the hotel.
Almost immediately on his arrival there, Captain Palmer received a despatch saying that it had been agreed between Senator Sherman and Secretary Olney that two seats in the gallery reserved for the diplomatic corps should be assigned to me, and that it was much regretted that I had not applied earlier, when I could have had seats for three, in the place of one attendant. We said nothing about our intentions; and leaving Captain Palmer and Mrs. Nahaolclua in the carriage, I, attended by Mr. Joseph Heleluhe, witnessed the interesting ceremonies.
The storm which burst from the reporters’ gallery when they saw me there will be remembered by those who read any of the newspapers on the day following. As it had been a very gallant act on the part of quite a number of gentlemen, and especially of Secretary Sherman and Secretary Olney, I permitted nothing to be said by my secretaries in answer to the misrepresentations made in the press. But they were not to go unrebuked; for Mr. Sherman’s letter, bearing the date of the very afternoon when my secretary called at the Senate chamber, was given by Mr. Olney to the press without comment, and there was immediate silence on the subject, for with which administration were the critics to find fault?
After the inaugural ceremonies were over we visited the building of the Central National Bank, where I was most courteously received by the president of the board of directors; and after resting with my suite in his office, we were conducted to a room in the building from which I saw and intensely enjoyed the grand procession. The day was all that could be desired; my friends accused me of having imported it from our own perfect climate expressly for the new administration. Although too weary to attend the ball in the evening, I felt that I would not have missed for anything that which I had seen during the day.
But there was another pleasure in store for me that very night; for in the carriage with the President, and representing the United States Navy, was Admiral George Brown, who, with his wife, had already visited me at the Shoreham. In meeting with me under the changed circumstances which had befallen since he knew me as the Princess Royal at the date of his attentions to my brother, the gallant sailor could not restrain his emotions, and the tears flowed from his eyes. On the last days of the sessions of the Senate, a bill had passed by unanimous consent permitting sundry officers of the United States service to receive decorations which had been conferred by King Kalakaua, and also by myself while reigning sovereign; and amongst these was one bestowed upon Admiral Brown.
“There, I have waited over four years for the privilege of wearing that,” he exclaimed, as he entered my parlor that night; “and now that it is mine, I am determined that you shall be the very first one to see it.” I thanked him warmly, as I handed him back his coveted decoration, for, indeed, I fully appreciated his loyalty in bringing it to show me. Since that meeting he has been retired from active service, but it is to be hoped that so gallant a gentleman and efficient an officer may long be spared to his friends and his country. I can never forget his kindness to my brother during the king’s last days on earth.
One object of my visit to Washington was to ask a favor of the Masonic fraternity; so, while at the Shoreham, I sent a letter to Mr. Frederic Webber, Secretary of the Supreme Council, thirty-third degree, asking him to call at my apartments, a request with which he very promptly complied. He remembered me perfectly from our meeting in 1887, when he had been one of the thirteen Masons of high degree to call on the party of Queen Kapiolani; of that committee of the Supreme Council, General Albert Pike, now gone to the great majority, was the head. Besides this, Mr. Webber was, during the lifetime of Governor Dominis, in correspondence with my husband on matters connected with the order.
I showed Mr. Webber my jewel of the Mystic Shrine, which I prize very highly, and asked if I might be permitted to wear my husband’s Masonic jewels; to which he replied in the affirmative, and then added he would like also to present me with a medal which was ornamented on one side with certain emblems of the thirty-third degree of Masonry, and on the other with a bas-relief likeness of General Pike. To thus receive permission to use the decorations or insignia of Masonry belonging to my husband, and further to be presented with a likeness of the head of the fraternity, and a valued correspondent of Governor Dominis, was certainly a happy welcome from the brotherhood my husband loved.
Secretary Webber also sent me books containing the accounts of the meetings of the council, and of proceedings in many of their branches, thus informing me in regard to the extent of their works of charity and benevolence, On one afternoon, by his invitation, I visited the chambers of the council, attended by my suite; and quite a number of the brethren were presented to me, much to my pleasure, which I sincerely trust was reciprocated, I was shown a photograph of my husband, which, with his correspondence, is preserved there in the archives of the order. In more ways than I can mention, Mr. Webber and his daughter showed themselves to be true friends during my visit.
From several benevolent and literary associations of Washington requests were received to set apart a day to receive their members as a body; but to all such suggestions I instructed my secretary to reply that a committee of the ladies or gentlemen might call upon me at their own convenience, but that I must decline any large public receptions. The only exception I made to this rule was in favor of the National Park School for young ladies at Forest Glen, Md., who sent one of the faculty to ask the favor of a general reception. I have so long been interested in the education of the young, especially of young girls, that I could not refuse myself the pleasure.
The affair took place at the Shoreham; and it was indeed refreshing to look into the pure, good, beautiful faces before me. Including the teachers who came with them, the company numbered over a hundred. Their music interested me very much; they sang with great taste and sweetness. They presented me with their college colors; and I gave them a copy, made with my own hands, of my most popular song, the “Aloha Oe,” or “Farewell to Thee,” with which they seemed to be much pleased. But they were not quite satisfied, I was told, because I had made no address.
I have already spoken of the shrinking from publicity felt by me ever since my imprisonment, and I had prepared nothing; however, I decided to tell them of one thought which impressed me, so, by the published report in the newspapers, this is what I said:—
“I wish to extend to you my thanks for the honor you have shown me by this visit. It shall always be remembered as a bright spot in my memory of this stay in America. I am glad to see you all, and to know that each of you is desirous of attaining intellectual advancement. It shows the progress of the world. The world cannot stand still. We must either advance or recede. Since my arrival in this country I have been impressed with its grandeur, but nothing more favorably impresses me than the advantages you have for learning. Again I desire to thank you, and I wish you all a prosperous and happy future.”
There were many delegations of patriotic or literary societies amongst my visitors at the Cairo, such as Daughters of the Revolution, and Veterans of the Southern Confederacy. At Arlington, on Decoration Day, I was overwhelmed with pleasant attentions by the Grand Army of the Republic. Then the delegates to the International Postal Congress; the Chinese Embassy; a large political delegation from Missouri; Governor Clough, with some twenty members of his staff in full uniform, from Minnesota; many associations of teachers from distant States; frequent calls from the young ladies of colleges,—one after the other seemed to find pleasure in visiting me to pay their respects.
From all denominations of the Christian church I have received representative visitors, and from the Sisters of the Holy Cross and from the Methodist Society of Rev. Lucien G. Clark accepted invitations to be present at their receptions. At the former I twice had the pleasure of meeting Monseigneur Martinelli, the papal delegate to the capital. Rev. J. H. Perry, the rector of St. Andrews, was very kind and attentive; and as I am a communicant in the Episcopal Church, I generally attended the church of his parish in Fourteenth Street.