ʻAukake 22-26: Māhele 1 – Nā Koi He ʻUmi a Admirala de Tromelin

August 22, 2018 ʻOihana no kō nā ʻĀina ʻĒ

August 22-26, 1849: Part 1 – The Ten Demands of Admiral de Tromelin

Historically, diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi and France had been tenuous at best. For example, the Laplace Affair was concluded just ten years prior–after King Kauikeaouli issued the Edict of Toleration on July 17, 1839, and paid $20,000 as a guarantee of “his future conduct towards France.”

On March 26, 1846, France and Hawaiʻi entered into a Treaty and convention of mutual agreement. The ratification and exchanges were concluded on March 6, 1848. But just one year later, Honolulu was invaded by the French, led by Admiral de Tromelin and his flagship La Poursuivante.

As explained in Jean Charlot’s article, An 1849 Hawaiian Broadside, “throughout the nineteenth century, relations between France and Hawaii hinged on two matters, indeed dissimilar, yet indissolubly linked. Jealous of its traditional title of ʻeldest daughter of the Church’,  France upheld with filial care the spread and preservation of Catholic missions. As a wine-grower and a wine-merchant, France searched for expanding markets. Both aims were at odds with those of the Protestant missionaries, first to evangelize Hawaii, and who dreamt of an archipelago bone-dry.”

Below are snippets from a government document that summarizes de Tromelin’s list of ten demands in the left column and the Kingdom’s response to these demands in the right column. The first two demands are transcribed below.

Demands made by the French Admiral and the French Consul on the 22d of August 1849.

Objections to these Demands on behalf of the Hawaiian Government

1

1
The complete and Loyal adoption of the Treaty of the 26th of March 1846 as it reads in the French Text. The Hawaiian Government completely and loyally adopted and executed the Treaty, as it reads in the French text, taking the English text as the true translation of the French. It was so agreed between the Hawaiian Plenipotentiary, and the Plenipotentiaries of France and Great Britain, when the Treaty was signed, the French language not being understood in the Islands.

2

2
The reduction to fifty percent ad valorum of the duty upon Brandies or spirituous liquors of French origins. That could not be granted, because the complete and loyal adoption of the Treaty forbids it. The VI Article of the Treaty, in the most express terms gives the power to the Hawaiian Government to levy upon Wines and Brandies and other spirituous Liquors, any equitable duty that it may judge to be convenient, without any other condition than that said duty is never to be raised so high as to become an absolute prevention to the importation of said articles. The duty of $5 per gallon imposed by the Hawaiian government, is neither . . . .