A
TRIBUTE
TO THE MEMORY O 
HON. WILLIAM L. LEE,
LATE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE HAWAIIAN KINGDOM,
BY
REV. S. C. DAMON.
PULISHED BY BEQUAST.
HONOLULU:
H. M. WHITNEY'S PRESS.
1857.




THE following discourse was delivered at the Seamen's Chapel in Honolulu,
Sabbath evening, May 31, 1857. The funeral exercises were held on the afternoon of the same day, at 4 o'clock, at the large Stone Church, and were numerously attended by both foreigners and natives, including His Majesty, the
principal officers of government and members of the Bar. In accordance with
the express wishes of the deceased there was no display. The services were
conducted in both English and Hawaiian. At the conclusion of the exercises,
the procession quietly marched to the Royal Tomb, where the coffin was
deposited to await its removal to the United States.




DISCOURSE.
PERHAPS I owe an apology to this audience for permitting the ani
nouncement to be made that I would deliver a discourse this evening
upon the death of the Chief Justice of this kingdom. Some may have
thought it would have been more becoming to have retired from the
scenes which we have witnessed, and have spent the closing hours of
th: Sabbath in silent meditation upon this sad event. To others it may
have appeared highly proper and becoming that a voice should be heard
from the pulpit, admonishing the people to heed the solemn warning.
To have offered protracted remarks, in English, at the church where the
funeral exercises were held, when those remarks would have been un.
intelligible to the majority present, would have seemed quite improper;
hence you have been invited to assemble this evening in this chapel,
where the deceased was accustomed to worship during the period of his
residence upon the islands. As we shall no more meet with him
here to worship God, how becoming that we devoutly contemplate the
event of his removal from our midst to the scenes of another world, and
profit by briefly reviewing his public and private life, which for the last.
ten years has been passing before us.
I have selected a passage from the prophecy of Amos, thinking it not
altogether inappropriate on this occasion, as the theme of discourse:
is THUS SAITH THE LORD: FOR THREE TRANSGRESSIONS OF MOAB, AND)
FOR FOUR         *     I WILL CUT OFF THE JUDGE FROM THE    IIDST
THEREOF."-2: 1, 3.
It should be carefully borne in mind that God would not cut off the
judge and inflict other calamities upon the Moabites, (for it was to the
nation of Moab that this language refers) because he had failed to perform
his duty, but because the people had failed in their duty. "Thus saith
the Lord; for three transgressions of Moab, and for four  *  *  I will
cut off the judge from the midst thereof." I would not assert that God
has removed the Chief Justice of this kingdom because of the people's
transgressions-but 1 am prepared to declare that his life has been shortened, and death hastened through his intense desire and unwearied




4
efforts to administer justice among this transgressing people. We are
all able to bear'witness to his anxious solicitude, lest this people should
be cut off in their transgressions.
1. I would remark, in the first place, that the bestowaZ of an upright,
able and honorable Judge is one of the greatest blessings which God grants
to any people. An inspired writer has recorded, " For there is no power
but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God."  These "powers
that be" refer to human governments, and among nations most advanced in
civilization, these powers have come to be distributed under the general
terms, Legislative, Judicial and Executive. I will not linger to make
remarks defining the nature, or showing the importance of maintaining
harmony among these separate powers, or efficiency in their operation,
but proceed to state that words would fail to express, in too strong language, the value and importance of securing honesty, integrity, dignity
and efficiency in the judiciary department. If there be weakness or
corruption in this department, the whole fabric of human government
would fail of accomplishing its full intent; hence the truth of the proposition which I have just uttered; viz., "that the bestowal of an upright,
able and honorable judge is one of the greatest blessings which God
grants to any people." You will, of course, understand me as referring
to blessings of a temporal nature.
I now feel prepared to show, that considering the peculiar"circumstan
ces of this nation when Mr. Lee was invited to preside over its judiciary
department, and the eminent abilities which he has evinced as a Judge,
his life and services have been an invaluable blessing to the Hawaiian
nation. But what were some of the peculiar circumstances of this
nation at the period of his appointment? Ten years ago, scarcely were
the first principles of order and regularity in the courts of this kingdom
defined and established. This will appear, when I refer to a Reference,
or tourt of Appeal, which was holding its sessions in this very building,
on the very day, the 12th of October, 1846, when Mr. Lee landed in
Honolulu. On the morning of that day I visited the brig Henry, just
arrived after a long and tempestuous passage of eight months from the
United States. I was then introduced to Mr. Lee, as a young lawyer
on his way to Oregon, there to cormmence the practice of his profession.
After calling at my house, I invited hint to visit the Bethel Vestry,
where was then in progress a trial of marked character in the history of
this nation. By persons acquainted with that event, it may readily be
imagined what must have been some of the reflections of his mind upon
that occasion, trained in the severe school, and under the eminent teachings of Judge Story and Professor Greenleaf, of Harvard University Law
School. Verily he must have seen and felt the need of some able jurist
and legal adviser to give shape and order to the Courts of the Hawaiian




Kingdom. Such was the unsettled state of affairs in those days in this
nation, that the language of Isaiah might not inappropriately have been
applied:  And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth
afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea,
truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey,
and the Lord saw it, that there was no judgment." 59: 14, 15. Some,
if not all the departments of government, were then in an unsettled state.
It was a crit!cal period. The old order of public affairs was passing
away. A transition-state was existing, and the result was quite uncertain. It is not intended by these remarks to cast the least reflection
upon those who had been laboring to build up a temple of justice upon
the ruins of the old feudal laws, arbitrary rule and system  of tabus,
which had existed, and the influence of which was still felt. Messrs.
Richards, Judd, Wyllie, Ricord and others had labored long and arduously
at the work. They were called to overcome prejudices, and alter
usages cemented by antiquity, strengthened by selfishness, and consolidated by the inherent love of power, which reigns in the human
breast. At a glance, it will appear that some master-mind was imperatively required to bring order out of confusion. That mind needed
to be eminently well-tiained and well-balanced. The materials to be
moulded and fashioned into order required no wild theorist of the
French School of'93 or'48; no political aspirant or. ambitious
demagogue-but a cool, careful, thoughtful, practical, conservative,
well-trained, self-reliant and  Christian mind.  Already had Mr.
Richards made a pilgrimage to the United States in the year 1837,
partly for the purpose of securing a person possessing such a mind. He
failed in that object, and on returning, by invitation of the King and
Chiefs, undertook the arduous work himself. The results of his laborious efforts, amid difficulties great and embarrassing were the Constitution and Code of 18 10. Men of eminent legal abilities have pronounced
these as worthy of great praise, considering the circumstances of their
production-but they were not adapted to the advancing state of affairs
in the Hawaiian kingdom. The time had come for an entire remodeling.'Ihis was comhmenced by Mr. Ricord, but more fully carried out
by him. whose earthly remains we have this day committed to the
Royal Tomb of the Hawaiian kings.
I am now prepared to declare, that such have been the traits and qualities manifested in the life and conduct of Judge Lee, that he was just
the man required for the station which he has filled with so much honor
and credit to himself, and with so much usefulness and benefit to this
nation. His excellent natural abilities, the peculiar constitution of his
mind, so clear, searching and discriminative-the inherent truthfulness
and uprightness of his character, joined to an education, thorough and




prtical, all combiped, rendered him eminently fitted for the work he had; do —and he performed it as no other man in this part of the world
ould have done.
By his early associate, fellow-voyager, and bosom friend, Mr. C. R.
Bishop, I have been kindly furnished with the following sketch of Mr.
Lee's early life:
"Mr. Lee was born in Sandy Hill, Washington County, New York,
February 25th, 1821. At the age of thirteen he entered the Norwich
University in the State of Vermont, where he remained two years, at
the end of which time he left the institution and engaged in the business
of Civil Engineering in the service of his native State. In this profession he rose so rapidly, that at the end of three years he left it, filling
the post of Resident Engineer. He then returned to Norwich University, where be graduated at the age of twenty, taking the first honors.
"After leaving the University he received the appointment of Superintendant at the Military Academy at Portsmouth, Virginia, in which
situation he remained a year. Having decided upon adopting the law as
his profession, he now entered Harvard University where he finished
the course of law studies, under those eminent jurists, Judge Story and
Professor Greenleaf. Just as he was about establishing himself in the
practice of his profession he was attacked with a violent hemorrhage of
the lungs, and his case was considered for some months a hopeless one,
but a naturally strong constitution triumphed over the disease, and in
the year 1844 he was able to commence the practice of the law in the
City of Troy, New York. Here he remained till the recurrence of pulmonary symptoms warned him that he must seek a warmer climate.
At that time public attention was strongly directed towards the new
territory of Oregon, and it was supposed to offer unusual inducements
to settlers on account of the salubrity of its climate, the fertility of its
soil, and the prospect of its speedr growth. Deciding to cast his fortunes in that new country, he embarked, with a company of fourteen
others, on the brig Henry, bound for Columbia River via the Sandwich
Islands."
Thus it would appear that, for a quarter of a century, God was in His
kind providence gradually educating a young man for the responsible
station of Chief Justice of this kingdom. I would remark, however,
that Mr. Lee had no intention of remaining here on his arrival. The
most distant thought probably had not entered his-mind that he would
spend his days at the Sandwich Island. But God had led him by a way
that he knew not.
2. I would remark in the second place, that the death of an upright,
a4le and honorable Judge is a great calamity; but the calamity is partially
mitigated by the consideration that his wise decisions and important services will exert an important influence long after their author may have
passed away. When Sir Mathew Hale, Marshall, Story and other
eminent men, who have adorned the Judicial Bench by their great abili



ties and distinguished talents died, their influence did not cease to be
felt. As has been aptly and eloquently remarked by Daniel Webster,
" A truly great man, when Heaven vochsafes so rare a gift, is not a tenm
porary flame burning bigOhtly for a while, and then giving place to returning darkness. It is rather a spark of fervent heat, as well as radiant
light, with power to enkindle the common mind, so that when it glimmers in its own decay, and finally goes out in death, no night follows,
but it leaves the world all light, all on fire from the potent contact of its
own spirit."
I do not clairm for the deceased, tha the was to be ranked among the
greatest lawgivers and judges, whose names adorn ancient or modern history, but I do claim that he wasa man of no ordinary ability and judicial
knowledge, cormbined with stern integrity and unflinching rectitude. In
the latter qualities especially, he was great, and as such we shall ever
love to think of him. In old Testament times no higher qualifications
were sought in a judge than that he should fear God, and be no respecter
of persons, dispensing justice alike, to the rich and the poor, the powerful and weak. In this respect Judge Lee gained an enviable reputation. He had the fear of God before his mind, and the poor man's
appeal was not in vain. While he befriended the poor and weak, he
was, by no means, unmindful of the prerogatives of the King and Chiefs.
Though not a subject of the Realm, they never found a warmer and more
loyal friend, or a safer and more unselfish adviser.- Their rights were
sacred in his estimation. Knowing that the tendency of his mind was
truly democratic or republican, I have watched, with no little interest,
the important services which he was enabled to render to His Majesty, now
upon the throne, and to his predecessor. Many of the most important
questions which have come before the rulers of this nation, and called
from them prompt and ready action, have been decided upon his opinion,
for when that was known nothing more was said. Judge Lee's opinion
having been ascertained, the difficult point was considered as decided.
Such confidence is a plant of slow growth, but its blossoms are beautiful
and its fruit excellent. Long will he be remembered as a member of
the King's Privy Council, and Chief Justice of the Hawaiian kingdom.
As has been truthfully remarked: (" Wherever the Sandwich Islands are
known, Mr. Lee has been heard of as a pillar of the State, and through
his efforts rather than those of any other individual, and the honest tendency of his public acts, the Government has acquired a reputation and
prestige which give it strength beyond its proportions. In undertaking
to reduce the Judiciary Department to order, and put our courts of law
* By Leters Patent of -enization conferred upon him, when he accepted office, he
was not required to take the oath of allegiance.




8
into a position to command respect, he succeeded well indeed; and the
principal tribunal, over which he presided, acquired such a name for
wisdom, combined with probity, not to be questioned, that parties often
left their cases with the Court as an umpire of their own choice. In
one word, on whatever there is of progress, and whatever there is of
order observable throughout the length and breadth of this archipelago,
it may be said that more or less conspicuously the mark of Mr. Lee's
hand is seen. His associates in the public services-and he was, during
his career, brought into relations with almost every officer of the Government, from the highest to the lowest-will acknowledge the value they
attached to his judgment, the soundness of his reasoning, and the facility
he possessed of rapidly unrobing a subject of its difficulties and laying
bare its very heart."*
But I should be doing great inujstice to the character of the
deceased did I go no farther than invite you to view him as Judge
upon the Bench, although occupying that position with dignity and
usefulness for so many years. He was a true, friend of the people,
and his influence extended to the humblest habitation from Hawaii to
Kauai.   Early upon his arrival, having become most intimately acquainted with the condition of the nation, and understanding the mcde of
conducting other departments of public service he was always ready to
lend a helping hand, and impart the aid of his ever active and vigorous
mind. Upon the death of Mr. Richards, he was appointed President of
the Land Commission, and in this capacity he performed an immense
amount of public service.t Some of the results of those labors are set
forth in the following paragraphs, copied from his first address, in 1852,
before the Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society. I shall never forget
with what animation and fervency he uttered them standing in this
desk. In referring to the inestimable boon conferred upon the nation, in
allowing the common people to become proprietors of the soil, he remarked 
"I thank God, that these things are at an end, and that the poor
kanaka may now stand upon the border of his kalo patch, and holding
his fee simple patent in his hand, bid defiance to the world! Yes, I
thank God that he has moved the hearts of the King and Chiefs of these
Islands to let the oppressed go free! The granting of Royal Patents in
fee simple to the common people for their lands, is the brightest jewel
that adorns the crown of Kamehameha III., and will shine with increasing lustre long after his body shall have mouldered to its mother earth!"
And in the closing paragraphs of the same address he adds: "Must they
" Polynesian," May 30.
t In justice to the character of Judge Lee, it should be stated that, although he
performed a great amount of labor in the Land Commission, and other departmenta
of the public service, yet he never received extra compensation.




9
die! Will we let them die without making one struggle to save them
from the grave to which they are hastening! No, my friends, justice
and humanity forbid! Let us not forget that the soil, whose treasures
we would unlock, was once the undisputed heritage of the poor Hawaiian; and let us remember too, that though the white man bore the glad
tidings of salvation to his wondering ear, he planted in his veins the
disease from which the great reaper Death has gathered full many a harvest. Though but a lone remnant remains, let us strive to gird it with
strength to wrestle with its approaching destiny-to arm it with the
healthy body and vigorous frame, the only weapons that can stay the
hand of the Destroyer. Then if our efforts to send a quickening life
pulse through the heart of this wasting nation avail not, we can but
commend it to Him in whose hands are the issues of life and death-to
Him who counteth the nations as the small dust of the balance, and who
taketh up the isles as a very little thing."
It was in this capacity, as President of the Land Commission, more
than in any other that the physical and mental powers of his naturally
strong constitution were overtasked. These efforts, in addition to what
he was already performing, made the weight of his public service well
nigh crushing, and yet so long as there was a claim unsettled, he was
at his post of duty. It never can be told how anxiously he toiled in this
business, and if it were told, the world could not appreciate the statement. There were others too who labored with him in this arduous undertaking.
While engaged as a Judge and President of the Land Commission,
there came in 1853, that terrible malady, the small pox. By many it
will be remembered how diligently, arduously and tenderly he labored
for this afflicted people. Daily did he visit the habitations where more
than seventy persons were lying sick with this terrible disease. It was
at this critical period that his old pulmonary difficulties re-appeared, and
their ravages ceased not until death closed his earthly career.
A paragraph from the Polynesian of May 30, 1857, will still further
unfold the amount of public service which he performed for the nation:
" From the time of Mr. Lee's arrival here until he became too ill to
take an active part in the transactions of public business, he was a laborious member of the Privy Council, where his honesty'of purpose, independence of character and sound judgment, justly gained him great
weight and influence. When, in 1855, he resolved to visit the United
States for the benefit of his health, his Majesty appointed him Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary toT Washington, in which
capacity he negotiated with the Cabinet of President Pierce a treaty of
commercial reciprocity, which was calculated to have given a great impulse to our agriculture and commerce had it been sanctioned by the
Senate of the United States.
2




10
u Mr. Lee was Speaker in tie -louse of Representatives during the
session of 1851, at the close of which he was appointed as one of three
Commissioners charged with the duty of framing a new Constitution,
the original draft of which was prepared by him for submission to the
King and the Legislative Body. The Penal Code, and many of the
most important laws to be found upon our statute books subsequent to
the year 1847T, were drawn up by him; and he was one of three Commissioners appointed in 1S56 to revise the existing laws, and prepare an
entire Civil Code. Durings last summer, while the guest of the Hon. R.
Moffit, at Kahuku, Judge Lee, with the assistance of Judge Robertson,
was engaged upon the last named wyork, which, on account of his subsequent severe illness, still remains unfinished.
Upto t he time of his visit to the United States he had, in addition to
his other duties, to maintain an extensive correspondence with persons,
both foreigners and natives, resident in other parts of the kingdom; with
the latter he corresponded in their own language, in which, amidst all
his cares, he succeeded in acquiring a fair degree of proficiency."
Mr. Lee took a lively interest in all the benevolent societies and
associations of the day. In July, 1847, he was elected President of the
" Oahu Temperance Society," and on the opening of the following year
delivered an address before the Society, (now nearly out of print) replete
with sound sentiment, eloquent paragraphs, and breathing a purity of
moral feelinr and fervency of benevolent emotion, which indicated a
heart glowing with the liveliest sympathy towards his fellow men. The
following are the closing sentences of that address:
6 The New Year, my friends, has come to remind us that our time for
doing good, and days for usefulness are shortening. Time rolls us onward, and onward, and as we must go onward, let our motto be "ONWARD AND UPWARD."' Let us ponder on the past, and improve on the
present! To-morrow may not be ours to improve! Death is all around
us, and how soon he may rap at our door, God only knows! Not a
word do I utter, not a breath do I breathe, but some spirit takes its flight
to the boundless, regions of eternity. The earth is still fresh upon the
grave of one of our number, and how many cheeks, now blooming with
the rosy hue of life and health, will be blanched by the cold hand of
death before another year rolls round, is not for us to know. How many,
or who will fall beneath the dreadful stroke, is not for us to know; but
it is for us to know, that we are liable to death at any moment. I repeat
it then, let us improve the present-let us make the most of it-let us
daily improve in temperance, knowledge, industry and virtue. Let us
so live that death, come when it may, we can meet it with a smile, and look
calmly back upon life with the satisfaction that we have not lived to curse,
but bless mankind. Go on my brethren, in the good work you have
commenced! Go on in constant and ardent labor! and however small
the perceptible results of that labor, you will at least have the joy of an
approving conscience, and the smiles of heaven upon your well meant
endeavors! Go on, go on! and may the new year to come be a happy
new year, bringing us the glad tidings of mental, moral, and physical
improvement!"




He was successively elected President of the Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Societyr, from 1852 to 1856, when his absence from the Islands
and state of health rendered it absolutely impossible for him to serve
longer in that capacity.
In 1854 he was elected President of the Hawaiian Bible Society, and
in 1856, a member of the Board of the Trustees of Oahu College. In
no sphere of active benevolent effort, was he more interested than in the
establishment of the Honolulu Sailors' Home. At the time of his death
he was Vice President of the Society, the office of President being
held by His Majesty. He presided at the meetings of the Board, and
often acted upon committees, but in whatever. capacity called to act, he
manifested a willingness to discharge his duty, and an aptitude for business, rendering it exceedingly pleasant to labor with him. Long will
he be remembered by his fellow trustees in this capacity.
I have hitherto spoken of Judge Lee as a public man, and as called
upon to discharge duties and fill offices of trust connected with this kingdom, and the foreign community. It remains for me that I briefly refer
to him as a private individual. It has been truthfully and aptly remarked
that every public man has two sides to his character, viz.: that-which is
public, and that which is private.. Between the. two there is not unfre.
quently a sad discrepancy. The one may appear comparatively bright,
while the other is very dark. Not so, however, with the subject of our
present remarks. There was a beautiful harmony and correspondence
between his public and private character. For a public man he was the
most accessible man I ever knew. Not only was his advice ready and
prompt upon matters of weighty import, but he was ready on all suitable
occasions to sit down, consult with and advise tie humblest of His
Majesty's subjects in regard to their most trivial pilikias.  I do not
believe the person is to be found among either foreigners or natives who
was denied a hearing, or was rudely thrust away. Never did the sentiment of Terence, the old Roman poet, apply to any public man more
aptly than it did to him: " I am a man, and think nothing concerning
mankind foreign from my own concern." As a kind neighbor and
friend, few persons possessed as many amiable qualities or desirable traits
of character. He was'beloved by all, but, by some, most enthusiastically,
and the bonds of friendship drew firmer and closer as the period approached when he must be separated from them.
The present is not the time or place to draw aside the veil and expose
to view the feelings of the heart now widowed and desolate, or expatiate
upon the sundering of the dearest and holiest of all earthly ties of
relationship; but our fervent prayer is, that the Gracious Being in
whom he trusted, may comfort the bereaved and afflicted one in this day
and hour of her anguish and sorrow.




It remains, however, before closing my remarks, to make an allusion
to one other view of his character. When a man departs who has occupied
a large share of public attention, moved in spheres of influence, and occupied stations of great official trust and responsibility, there is a deep solicitude, in many minds, to learn what were his views upon religious subjects, or did he believe in the principles of Christianity as revealed in the
Bible. Upon this topic, I feel prepared to speak with freedom, and in language which will admit of no doubtful interpretation. Judge Lee died, as
he lived, not only a theoretical, but a practical believer in the Christian
religion. He was a doer, as well as hearer, of the word. During the
last few months of his life he expressed himself with a freedom
which leaves no possible doubt upon the minds of his friends, that he
embraced the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and relied
solely upon the merits of the Redeemer as the ground of his acceptance,
when he should be called to appear before his final Judge. He was no
sectarian. He did not trouble his mind about what he styled"' the dry
bones of creeds and theological systems," but looked directly to Christ
and Him crucified as his only hope of salvation. He remarked to me,
not long since, that perhaps his views approached nearer those of the
Methodist Episcopal Church than those of any other denomination,
although he could not hold to all their doctrines. That was the belief
of his father. In that he was educated.
Two weeks ago to-day, it was my privilege to officiate, as a minister
of the Gospel, in a capacity, the remembrance of which is most comfort.
ing and refreshing. At his request I administered to him the rite of
Baptism, after which, in company with a few Christian friends, he par.
took of, for the first and last time, the precious memorials of our Saviour's
body and blood. That was a season which will long be remembered
by those assembled in that ":upper chamber."
" The chamber where the good man meets his fate,
Is privileged beyond the common walk
Of virtuous life, quite on the verge of Heaven."
During his long sickness, his mind, naturally cheerful and buoyant,
has- been preserved in a peculiarly happy frame. I would state in
this connection, that, although he had not made previously a public profession of religion by uniting with a Christian church, yet for many
years he had indulged the hope of a Christian, and led a life of prayer.
Here was the grand secret of his undeviating perseverance in so many
laudable undertakings. He often expressed regrets in his last days that
he had not more publicly made known his religious views; and, on one
occasion, remarked that his greatest desire to live was, that he might set
a better Christian example, and do more for Christ. He was eminently




charitable in his feelings towards all, to whatever denomination they
might belong. Among the last words which I ever heard fall from his
lips were, "Be charitable.  There are Christians in all denominations!
Be charitable " I hope that I may profit by this injunction, for I doubt
not if he could address us from the eternal world, his language would
still be, "Be charitable."
Having thus recapitulated the leading events in his life, and reviewed
his public and private career, surely we have abundant occasion to
mourn the loss of so valuable a man, cut off in the midst of his days
and in the vigor of manhood.
" It matters little at what hour of the day
The righteous falls asleep. Death cannot come
To him untimely who is fit to die;
The less of this cold world, the more of HeavenThe briefer life, the earlier immortality."
Never has one been called from this community, in view of whose
death all classes have so much occasion to drop a tear of sorrow at his.
tomb. But our loss, we hope, is his infinite and eternal gain.




14
APPENDIX.
[FROM THE PACIFIC CCMMERCIAL ADVERTISER OF JUNE 11.]
THE death of the Hon. William L. Lee, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,
and Chancellor of the Kingdom, though not unexpected, has spread an unusual
gloom over our community. His many admirable qualities of mind and heart,
so rarely combined in one individual, had won for him the esteem and confidence of all classes, both among natives and foreigners, while his eminent public services have rendered his death a heavy national calamity.
The universal sorrow everywhere manifested for his loss, the thousands who
gathered to pay the last sad tribute to his memory, the crowded churches where
his life, his services and his virtues were made the theme of discourse, are evidences of the deep affection with which he had inspired the people among
whom the best years of his life have been spent. In him the King has lost a
faithful and judicious Counsellor, the Bench a wise and upright Judge, the
foreign community a warm and liberal friend, and the nation a benefactor,
whose best energies were devoted to its welfare, and whose life was worn out
by his unremitting labors in its service. In the appropriate language of our
cotemporary of the Polynesian, " wherever the Sandwich Islands are known,
Mr. Lee has been heard of as a pillar of the State, and through his efforts,
rather than those of any other individual, and the honest tendency of his public
acts, the government has acquired a reputation and prestige which give it a
strength beyond its proportions. In one word, on whatever there is of progress
and whatever there is observable throughout the length and breadth of this
archipelago, it may be said that more or less conspicuously the mark of Mr.
Lee's hand is seen."
Mr. Lee was born at Sandy Hill, Washington County, in the State of New
York, on the 25th of February, 1821. At the age.of thirteen he entered the
Norwich University in the State of Vermont, where he remained two years, at
the end of which time he left the institution and engaged in the business of a
Civil Engineer in the service of his native State. In this profession he rose so
rapidly that at the end of only three years he left it, having already filled the
post of Resident Engineer. He next returned to Norwich University, where he
graduated at the age of twenty, taking the first honors. On leaving the University he received the appointment of Superintendent of the Military Academy
at Portmouth, Virginia, in which position he remained one year. Having at




15
this time of his maturity decided upon adopting the law as his profession, he entered the Law School at Harvard University, where he remained till he had completed the course of study under those eminent jurists, Judge Stary and Professor Greenleaf. It is no small praise to say that he was honored with the
confidence and friendship of both these distinguished men. Judge Story furnished him with letters of reference when he left the Law School, and with
Professor Greenleaf he was in constant correspondence until his death.
When Mr. Lee was about to establish himself as a practitioner, he was
attacked with a violent hemorrhage of the lungs, and his case was, for some
months, considered to be a hopeless one-but a naturally strong constitution
triumphed over the disease, and in the year 1844 he was able to commence the
practice of law in the city of Troy, New York. Here he applied himself to his
profession with the unremitting industry which characterised him, until his
labors brought" on a recurrence of pulmonary symptoms, which warned him to
seek a more genial climate. At this time public attention was strongly directed towards the new Territory of Oregon, which was supposed to offer unusual
advantages to settlers, as well in the salubrity of its climate as the fertility
of its soil, and its prospect of a speedy growth. Deciding then to cast his fortunes in that young country, Mr. Lee embarked, with a company of fourteen
others on board the brig Henry, bound for Columbia River by way of the Sandwich Islands, and, after a tempestuous voyage of about eight months, the
vessel arrived at Honolulu on the 12th of October, 1846, to the surprise of
many who had given her up as lost.
Mr. Lee had not entertained the most distant idea of remaining at these
Islands. The time of his arrival, however, and the long delay of the vessel
here, caused by the extensive repairs which were found necessary, seemed providential. It was a critical period in the affairs of this young nation. The
Government was engaged in a controversy with some of the foreign residents,
which had embroiled nearly the whole of the community, and which menaced
its very existence. The bitter and angry feelings which had grown up among
the partisans on either side, had almost caused open rupture. General uneasiL
ness and distrust prevailed. The course of Attorney-General Ricord, the only
officer of the Government of legal education and profession, was ill-calculated
to conciliate the contending parties, or to inspire that confidence in the Government which was so necessary to its peace and prosperity. The laws drawn up
by him were ambiguous and complicated, and the tribunals of the realm were
looked upon by a large and intelligent class of the community, rather as instru —
ments of oppression than sources of redress froha injustice.
At this epoch, the advent of an upright, able and impartial Judge, to whom
all parties could look with confidence, seemed the only event that could restore
order out of chaos, and save the country and the Government from utter confusion. But in those days of isolation, and almost non-intercourse with civilised countries, this seemed too great a boon to expect. It was at this period
that Mr. Lee accidently arrived here, and subsequent events soon showed him
to be the very man for the emergency. It was fortunate for the nation when
he accepted the post of Presiding Judge offered him by the late King. Mr.
Lee was not easily induced to change his design, and though the King, think



16
ing that the oath of allegiance, which had been required of other government
officers, might be objectionable, offered to confer on him Letters Patent of denization, by *hich he acquired all the rights of an Hawaiian subject, without
forfeiting those of an American citizen, yet it was with reluctance that he consented to remain, in what then seemed doubtless a narrow sphere of action,
compared with the mighty West. But, from the day of his accepting office
under this Government until that of his death, he served it with a zeal, industry,
ability and success, of which history affords but few examples.
It is impossible, within the limits of a newspaper article, to do more than
allude to some of the eminent services of this extraordinary man; but however
arduous were the duties of his own particular department, and they were never
neglected or slighted, yet, whenever any of the wheels of government were
stopped or impeded, his shoulder was ever ready for the emergency, and never
was it applied in vain, To quote again from our cotemporary, "' In undertaking to reduce the Judiciary Department to order, and put our Courts of Law
into a position to command respect, he succeeded well indeed; and the principal tribunal, over which he presided, acquired such a name for wisdom, combined with probity not to be questioned, that parties often left their cases with
the Court as an umpire of their own choice."
As President of the Board of Commissioners, he performed a responsible and
arduous labor. As one of the Commissioners charged with the duty of framing
a new Constitution, he prepared the original draft-a task of no little magnitude, when we consider the incongruous elements to be united and reconciled
in its formation. The Penal Code and many of the most impontant laws were
drawn up by him. As one of the Commissioners to prepare a new Civil Code,
he taxed his waningstrength in his labors with Judge Robertson on this work,
which his death has left unfinished. As Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary to Washington, he negotiated a Treaty of Reciprocity, which,
if ever confirmed by the United States Senate, will confer great benefits on this
kingdom. For all these extra labors, arduous as they were, to which he devoted the hours of day and night which most men consider necessary for relaxation and repose, and under which his own health gave way, he steadily dnd
repeatedly refused any additional compensation. The Privy Council and the
Legislature have in vain endeavored to force on him some remuneration for his
many voluntary and severe labors; but his reply was that his salary as Judge
was sufficiently liberal, and that he considered the Government which employed
him, entitled to his services in whatever capacity they could be made useful.
Mr. Lee possessed the entire confidence of both the late and the present King;
and on more than one occasion has His Majesty, Kamehameha IV., evinced his
appreciation of his services and his virtues, his ardent attachment to his person,
and his deep solicitude for his recovery.
We have spoken thus far of Mr. Lee as a public man, but a sketch of his
character would be incomplete without an allusion to his private and social
virtues. As is rarely the case, his public and private characters were in singular and beautiful harmony. No man has ever possessed the entire confidence
of so many of all ranks and conditions, both among natives and foreigners, as
he did. He was looked up to as the counsellor and guide of many who were




17
very much his seniors in years, and among whom his oss will be deeply felt
throughout the group. United to his glowing benevolence and love for his
fellow men, he had the happy faculty of appreciating at once the good qualities
of those with whom he was brought in contact, and of stimulating their exercisss and development. To his more intimate friends he was ardent, warmhearted and generous. Always ready and anxious to serve them, his eminently
unselfish disposition rendered him unwilling to receive any return. To such
an extent did he carry this feeling, that though towards the close of his illness,
his failing strength and frequently recurring ill-turns rendered it necessary for
him to have constant attention, yet he refused to allow any of his friends to
watch with him, though they earnestly pleaded for this privilege. And it was
not till the very night of his departure that he consented to have any other
attendance than that of the faithful and cherished partner of his lot. In 1849
he married Miss Catherine E. Newton, of Albany, New York. In her heavy
bereavement words of comfort are of little avail. But it may be some consolation
to her to know that she has the heart-felt sympathy of many warm friends,
and that her sorrow is in some measure shared by those who found in the departed a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Mr. Lee was the founder, and for several years the President of the Royal
Hawaiian Agricultural Society, and was indefatigable in his efforts to promote
the cause of agriculture. He was one of the most efficient members of the
Board of Trustees of the Sailors' Home, the success of which was an object very
dear to his heart. He was President of the Hawaiian Bible Society, a strong
friend of the temperance cause, and an active and liberal promoter of benevolent or religious objects, to'the aid of which he brought the same untiring zeal
and energy that he exhibited in his daily avocations. Most implicitly did he
follow in everything which he undertook the Scripture injunction, "whatsoever thy hands find to do, do it with all thy might."  He was a sincere and
humble Christian, and though making no display of his piety, yet the tree was
known by its fruit, and his daily walk and conversation bore witness that he
had made the Divine Master his pattern. He had not united with any church,
not that he hesitated to confess his Saviour before men, but because he had an
insuperable objection to the adoption of any creeds, which he looked upon as
barriers of human invention, dividing Christians from each other. He bore
his severe and protracted sufferings without a murmur, maintaining his characteristic cheerfulness to the last, his only dread being that he should outlive his
usefulness, and become a burden to his friends. To one of them who remarked
to him that he seemed very happy, he replied, " yes, I am very happy; I am
gliding peacefully down the stream of life, gathering flowers from either
bank as I pass."  In such a resigned and happy frame of mind did this eminent
man, having " set his house in order," await the expected summons. And
though he had reached but half the alloted " three score and ten," yet in that
short period he had accomplished a lifetime of usefulness. He has early gone
to his reward, but his bright example remains to us. Well will it be for us
both as a nation, and as individuals, if we strive to follow it, and to heed the
lessons which it teaches.
3




18
RESOLUTIONS PASSED BY THE PRIVY COUNCIL, JUNE 1, 1857.
WHEREAS, by the death of the Honorable William L. Lee, late Chief Justice
aid Ciancellor of the Kingdom, this Council has, in obedience to) the Divine
will, been d:prived of the c,-o)peration and couns-l of one of its most valuable
m xnu':rs, a.nd sstin.d a l)ss that must be permanently felt,
T lceref),re, BE IT RESJLVED, that this Council, having heard of the death of
t'l lat3 Chii-f Justice LeJ witi mire than ordinary feelings of regret, and consid:rin: the lss as n11  t at n.ithler the King nor lis Council can -hope to
r- p.ir, when the sundnemss of his judgment, the persve rance of his blusine;s
habits and his urbanity of manner are called t) mind, hereby expre.rss, with a
viw to. its'.)ing put upon record, the deep sorrow with which this blow has
filled them; and
Further BE IT RESOLVED, That this Council offer to the King their respectful
expre.ssi n of the r gret with which they rememh):r the loss wl ich he las person Mlly in t hy the removal of a Counsellor in whom lhe has so long reposed
confdEndce, and that with so much cause; and
Fart'ler BE IT RESOLVED, That the sincere condolences of this Council be
offered to the bereaved widow of the late Chief Justice, whose affliction they
can understand upon the removal of a kind and tender husband, whose domestic
qualities added not a little to the value of his public services, and
Further BE IT RESOLVED, That the members of this Council wear the usual
badge of mourning for thirty days; and
Lastly BE IT RESOLVED, That the Secretary be directed to make these Resolutions of record and forward a copy of the same to the widow of our lamentsd
asociate.
By order of the Privy Council, June 1, 1857.
-L. ANDREWS, Secretag.




19
AT a meeting of the Bar and Officers of the Court held at the office of A. B.
Bates, Esq., upon request of the District Attorney of Oahu, on the occasion of
the decease of IHon. W. L. L-e, Mr. Bates was called to the Chair, and Mr. J.
E. Ba-rnard reqLtuested to act as Scr e tary, the following members of the Bar
and officers of the Court being pros nt 
A. B. Bates, J. Montgomlry, J. Marsrh, J. P. Griswold,. C. Ducorron,
R. G. Davis, J. W. E. Maikai, MakalenLa, KaniMina, D. P. Mahoe, Mahelona,
I. Kuwa, Kalauhala, V. C. Parke, H. S. Swinton, Jno. E. Barnard.
Mr. Montgomery then mioved that a committee of three be appointed to
prepare and submit resolutions to the meeting.  The following persons were
appointed by the Chair for that purpose:-Mr. Montgomery, Mir. J. P. Griswold and Mr. R. G. Davis.
Mr. lMontgollery, upon the return of the Committee to the room, read the
following resolutions, which were moved and seconded, and unanimously
adopted:
WHEREAS, It has pleased Almighty God, by an inscrutable decree of His providence, to remove from our midst the Honorable William L. Lee, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of this Kingdom, who, during a period of eleven years,
by his urbanity of manner, kindness of heart, and integrity of character, had
endeared himself to us all; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That we, as members of the Bar and officers of the Court over which
he so long presided, deeply deplore the blow which has fallen upon us; and
while we bow with submission and reverence before the will of Omniscient Power,
experience a heartfelt sorrow that one so long our chief, and so eminently fitted
for the position he occupied, should be taken away in the prime of his
manhood.
Resolved, That as a mark of respect for his memory, and an expression of
our feelings, the usual badge of mourning be worn by the members of the Bar
and officers of the Supreme Court for the period of sixty days, and that in a
body we attend his funeral.
Rssolved, That the District Attorney of Oahu be requested to present to the
Sapprmin Court, at the next term thereof, the proceedings' of this meeting, and
request on behalf of the Bar that they be entered of record.
Resolved, That we deeply and sincerely sympathize with the relatives and
friends of the departed, and above all with his bereaved wife; and that the
Secretary of this meeting be requested to forward to Mrs. Lee a copy of these
resoilutions, as a tstinmonial of our feelings towards her, and to cause the same
to be published.                        ASHER B. BATES, Chairman.
J. E. BARNARD, Secretary.
Honolluu 20th May, 1857.




AT a meeting of the Officers and Directors of the American Club of Honolulu,
called at the rooms of the Club, on Friday, May 29th, on occasion of the decease
of the Honorable Win. L. Lee, the following resolutions were unanimously
adopted:
Resolved, That we-have heard with deep regret of the death of our fellow
countryman, Wm. L. Lee, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Hawaiian
Islands, and that in his death the nation has lost one of its most useful and
valuable officers, whose character and integrity had gained for him the highest
respect both at home and abroad; this Club has lost one of its founders,
a most efficient member, and one whom we all were proud to claim as countryman and friend.
Resolved, That we tender to the bereaved widow of our deceased friend our
our heartfelt sympathies in the affliction which she has been called by an allwise Providence to endure:
That an invitation be extended to the American residents of Honolulu to
assemble at the Rooms of the Club at three o'clock P. M. on Sunday next, for
the purpose of attending the funeral and paying the last sad tribute to the remains of the deceased:
That the members of this Club wear the usual badge of mourning for thirty
days:
That a copy of these Resolutions be presented by the Secretary to the
widow:
That the Secretary be instructed to publish the foregoing Resolutions in
the journals of this city, and to enter them on the Records of the Club.
Per order.                   ALEX. J. CARTWRIGHT, Secretary.
LAHAINA, MAUI, June 1st, 1857.
Early on Saturday morning last, the Favorite brought to this place intelligence of the decease of the Hon. William L. Lee. Although of late little or
no hopes were entertained of his recovery, yet the announcement of his death
was received in this community with feelings of unmingled sorrow. Allclasses
of men seemed to feel that a good, a tried and trusty public servant, had passed
away, never to return. At three o'clock in the afternoon of the same day, a
meeting of the government officers, members of the Bar, and residents generally
was convened at the Court House, when on motion of P. H. Treadway, Esq.,
the Hon. Edward P. Bond was chosen chairman, and Mr. J. C. Farwell, Secretary. Upon taking the Chair Mr. Bond alluded briefly, but with much feeling, to the public and private virtues which adorned the character of the deceased. There was, he said, a purity, beauty and simplicity in his life, that
endeared him to all who were honored with his friendship; and that to his
learning and labors we owe, in a great measure, the simplicity, system and
comparative completeness of our judiciary.




21
The meeting was also addressed by Rev. S. E. Bishop, and G. D. Gilman,
Esq., both of whom, in language simple and expressive, testified their high appreciation of the exalted character of the deceased, and the loss the nation is
called upon to mourn in his death.
A Committee of three, consisting of Messrs. Farwell, Treadway and Gilman,
was then appointed to draw up resolutions to be submitted at an adjourned
meeting to be held on Monday next, at nine o'clock. Accordingly at the
appointed houi'this morning, there was a large attendance, embracing nearly
all the foreign residents of Lahaina, when Mr. Farwell, on behalf of the committee, read the following resolutions which were adopted:
Resolved, That the intelligence of the death of the HIon. William L. Lee,
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of this kingdom, has created in this community feelings of deep and unaffected regret, that one so pure in life, so gifted
and so generally esteemed for his public and private virtues, should be called
away in the prime of manhood, and at a time when the nation can so ill afford
the loss of his sound judgment, legal erudition, and temperate counsels.
Resolved, That for the character of the deceased as a jurist and a Christian
gentleman, this community has ever entertained feelings of mingled admiration
and respect.
Resolved, That this community would respectfully tender to His Majesty
their sincere condolence at the loss he has sustained in the death of him who
in life labored so earnestly to elevate the dignity of the kingdom, and promote
the welfare of its people.
Resolved, That this community tender to the heads of His Majesty's Government their sympathy in the loss of a colleague whose reputation, as head of the
Judiciary Department, was not confined to the kingdom alone, but was acknowledged with confidence and approbation by the representatives of every civilized
country in comity with this.
Resolved, That, recognising as this community does, the sacred character of
the grief of her who mourns a bereavement so far greater even than our own,
it is with reluctant diffidence that we approach to offer to her our heartfelt
sympathy and testimony to the virtues and amenities that have rendered her
departed husband go generally respected and beloved while among us.
Resolved, That the Secretary of this meeting be instructed to forward a copy
of these Resolutions to His Majesty, and to the widow of the deceased, and that
he also furnish copies to the Polynesian and Commercial Advertiser newspapers
for publication.                        J. C. FARWELL, Secretary.