The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-12-21

ceeueu TO une government building to
PROCLAIM THE NEW GOVERNMENT.
No sign of opposition was manifest
and thereupon the Americen citizens
began to read the proclamation from
Ine steps OF the government building
almost entirely without an audience.
IL is said that before the reading was
nnlshed quite concourse of
people, variously estimated at
oO TO 100, some armed and
some unarmed, gathered about
the committee to give them aid and
confidence. This statement is not i'm
portant, since the one controlling
factor in the whole affair was unoues-
tionably the United States marines.
VINO were drawn up under arms with
artillery in readiness, only 7B yards
distant, dominated the situation.
Provisional government thus pro.
claimed was by the terms of the
proclamation, ITO exist until terms of
union with the United States had
been negotiated and agreed upon .
The United States minister, pursuant
to prior agreement, recognized the
government within an hour after the
reading of the proclamation and
before O'clock, in answer to
an inquiry On behalf of
tne queen and her cabinet, announced
that he had done so. When our min :
lster recognized the provisional gov
ernment the only basis on which it
rested was the fact that the committee
of public safety had in the manner
above stated declared it to exist. It
was neither government de facto nor
de 1ure. That it was not in such pos :
session of government property and
agencies as entitled it to recognition is
conclusively proven by a note found in
the files of the legation at Honolulu
addressed by the declared head of the
provisional government to Minister
stevens, dated Jan. II, 1893, in which
he acknowledged with expressions OF
appreciation the minister's recognition
CT the provisional government and
makes the statement that it was not
yet in possession of the stationhouse
the place where large number of
the queens troops were uuartered.
though the same had been demandei
of the queens officers in charge. New.
ertheless this
WRONGFUL RECOGNITION
by our minister placed the government
Of the queen in position of most per-
Ilous perplexlty. On the one hand she
had possession of the palace, barracks
and police station and at her command
1T least 800 fully armed men and sew
eral pieces of artillery. Indeed the
whole military force of the kingdom
was on her side and at her disposal.
while the committee, by actual search.
discovered that there were but very
lew arms in Honolulu not in the ser
vice of the government. In this state
)f things the queen could have dealt
with the insurgents alone. Her course
would have been plain and the result
but the United States
lad allied itself with her enemies. rec
)gnized them as the true government
If Hawaii and put her in the position
)f opposition against lawful authority.
She knew she could not withstand the
power OF the United States but hA.
ieved she might safely
TRUST TO ITS JUSTICE.
Accordingly some hours after the rec.
ignition of the provisional govern.
nent by the United States minister
he palace, barracks and police station,
With all the military resources of the
country were delivered by the queen
Upon representation to her that her
.ase would be thereafter reviewed at |
and while protesting. she
to the superior force of the
United States whose minister ordered |
United States troops landed at Homo
ulu and declared he would support
he provisional government and that
he yield her authority to prevent a
ollision of armed forces and loss of life
md only until such time as the United
states, upon the facts being presented
o it, should undo the action OF its rep
sentative and reinstate her on the au-
hority she claimed as the constitution.
i sovereign OF the Hawaiian islands.
This protest was delivered to the chief
4 the provisional government, who
ndorsed thereon his acknowledgment
4 its receipt, and the terms OF the pro-
est were read with dissent by those
.ssuming to constitute the provisional
government, who were certainly
harged with knowledge that the
ueen, instead of finally abandoning
ower, had applied to the justice OF
he United States for reinstatement in
er authority, and the provisional
overnment with her unanswered pro-
est on her hands hastened to negoti.
te with the United States for per.
lanent banishment OF the queen from
ower and for the sale of her kingdom
Our country was In danger OF occu.
ying the position of having actually
ct up temporary government on for
ign soil for the purpose of acquiring
hrough that agency territory we had
put in our possession. Con-
rol of both sides of bargain ac.
uired In such manner Is called by a
lmiliar and unpleasant name when
)und in private transactions. We
re not
WITHOUT PRECEDENT
howing how scrupuIously we avoid
d such accusation in former days.
-fter the people OF Texas declared
leir independence of Mexico they re-
)lved that on acknowledgement OF
leir independence by the United
tates they would seek admission into
le United States. Several months
fter the battle OF San Jacinto, In ,
hich Texas independence was
ractically assured and established,