1865: Speech by H.B.M. Acting Commissionar and Consul-General W.L. Green

Speech of W. L. Green, Esq. (1865)

H.B.M. Acting Commissionar and Consul-General. 

July 4, 1865.

Source: Pacific Commercial Advertiser. Honolulu: July 8, 1865.

Mr.  President, Ladies and Gentlemen:-

I think it is hardly fair to call upon me to say anything upon such an important occasion as this, totally unprepared as I am, after you ahem just heard orations from gentlemen fully prepared, and who have proved themselves so capable of doing ample justice to the subject; but, I feel the more confidence, because I am sure that you are all in that humor here to-day that you will be perfectly satisfied with whatever I say. Nay-should I be so foolish or so stupid as to say something even insulting, I believe that you are in such a mood that you would forgive me. And well you may-this is a great day for you. This is the greatest Fourth of July for you since the Fourth of July, 1776. Your country has just passed through a severe ordeal, but there is no question you have come out of it triumphantly. During those four years of trial, fearful as they were, the United States as a nation has taken an immense stride. You have advanced your position in the scale of nations more during those four years than during the larger part of a century preceding. As a military power, to day you rank, if I am not mistaken, first among the nations of the world. 

As your President has remarked, I am English, and I look upon your position from an English point of view-but these are simply the plain facts, as I have stated them. Why need I enlarge? You all see how matters stand-we all see how matters stand. Your power as a nation is vastly increased-your power for good or for evil. Your greatness and your responsibilities are immensely extended at the same moment.

I will not detain you long, but there is one subject I feel as I ought to touch upon. By the last mail or two we have had rumors of war between England and the United States-allusion has been made here to-day of "a little bill" which Brother Jonathan is said to have presented to John Bull. As the news reaches us in this remote corner of the world, it presents itself something in this wise-Jonathan has made out a bill against John Bull and handing it in says, "there's my bill, if you don't pay I'll lick you." Now I hardly can believe that this is the way it has been done-at least if it is, it is because Brother Jonathan never expected to get paid. The answer that John Bull would probably give to a bill presented in this way would be, -"Gentlemen, you can take it out of my hide," or words to that effect-as the lawyers say-and that is a pretty tough old bull's hide yet; and I think you will admit that John Bull would take a good deal more whipping than Jeff Davis and the Dragon that we have heard about today. But Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, I do not believe there will be any war at all- and I will give you my reason for that belief. It appears to me that the United States is in that position this 4th of July, A.D., 1865, that she not care a snuff whether the bill is paid or not. She can afford not to care. It is not for me here to enter into the question of the correctness of this bill-I presume if it is a correct one it will be paid, if it is not a correct one it won't be paid. But Mr. President and Gentlemen, if that bill were ten times the amount it is, and if you were ten times more satisfied than you are the bill was correct, if I do not much mistake the temper and spirit of the people of the United States on this day, you are at heart indifferent about the payment of it. It is not a nation that has just achieved the title to be confident of her position amongst the powers of the earth that is anxious at once to mantonly plunge into war.

But after all, when I look around upon this assembly and see the satisfied faces-after hearing all the speeches of this day, and contemplating the events of the last four years as there portrayed, I begin to think that war between England and the United States may not be such a bad thing-who knows? It may do some of us good-it may do you good-or it may do us good-perchance it may do us both good-we may thrash each other into mutual respect- and we may then be better friends than ever we were; this alone would be a good result. Of one thing, I, and an Englishman, should feel, and do feel proud and happy, and that is that the war between England and the United States (if war there is to be) has been deferred-has been delayed till to-day-because now, with your internal dissensions put down-with a splendid army and navy in the highest state of discipline-be tried leaders, taught by experience, and confident from success-there would be some credit in giving you a good whipping!