New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-19
HAWAIIAN RESTOR1IION.
4 NATIVE TELLS WHAT MR. CLEVEIAND'S
Policy MANS


Policy MEANS
4, STEP TOWARD PAnBARIsM--THE TRUTH ABOUT
TIE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. sTEvESs's
NECTEALiTy- QUEEN
RECOGNIZED IT
TO tho Editor Of the Tribune.
Sir: Secretary Grcshams letter to President
Cleveland apparently is intended to convey the
impression that last January's revolution at
the Hawaiian Islands was largely the result OF
a plot on the part of Mr. Stevens. the Amer-
can Minister. and that the revolution owed It's
success chiefly to unwarrantabe use made ~
United states armed forces. We who were born
at the islands and were living there at the time
of the revolution know how false this I'M
precision is and are indignant at the injustice
done the wsest Christian statesman, the
most unprc JUDGED lover of justice and the tru-
est friend Of Hawaii that America has ever
sent to represent her in that land.
That the revolution was not the result OF
plot on the part Of any one except the Queen
and her INSCRIPTIONS advisers and. above ALL
that II was not through plot on the part OF
the American Minister. is plainly shown by the
fact that political matters were so quiet al the
capital that the American Minister took the
hundreds of miles away from Honolulu to the
Islands of HAWAII. Tho Queen took this occa-
sion to carry out her startling revolutionary
measures She turned out her good Cabinet
which was trusted by the whole country put
I'm tools Of her own men OF no character;
pressed the infamous lottery bill through the
Legislature by wholesale bribery. and made
haste 10 sign It against the protest of the
Chamber OF Commerce, the churches and all
her best citizens: then prorOgued Parliament
and Immediately announced that she should
abolish the constitution. which she had taken
solemn oath To maintain. and that she would
replace IT by to suit herself The constitu-
ton which she proposed To establish by her own
fiat would have made her "A despo'. with com
plete control over the Legislature. the judi
ciary the taxation and over her Ministers. Ii
proposed by one stroke OF the pen. to disfran-
chse the owners 81 from one-half TO three
fourths Of the private property on the Islands,
from which came her own revenues and those
Of the Government.
Immediately Honolulu and all rhe Island OF
oahu were In intense excitement and forming
plans To- revolt against this royal revolution
ist who By the way. had come to the throne.
not because she belonged 10 the royal line OF
the Kamchamchas. bat because her brother
pointed by him az his successor. The only
valid foundation 10 her throne the con-
siitution when she had sworn To- defend and
obey and which she now tramplng under
foot Her subservient but frightened Minister'S
the storm that she was raising. and begged
her TO desist though they had done everything
to help her scheme up to this very point. She
very angry and openly announced from the
balcony Of the palace that though she was
prevented from proclaimlng the new consttu-
ton that day she would do very All
this took place the day she prorosued Parlia-
ment. and that same day Minister Stevens
provdentially returned to Honolulu. The city
full Of threats OF violence. The partisans
~ the Queen were determined 10 help her to
carry out her schemes OF revolutionary despotism.
The citizens and property holders were de-
tcrmincd that she should not succeed III ner
plot
The property and lives Of Americans In Homo
lulu were evidently in danger. everybody was
anticipating blOodshed and incendiarism. Mr..
stevens had received the most explicit instruc-
tons from Secretary Foster to protect Amcri-
can lives. property and commerce at the Islands.
previous Minister had received just AS cx-
picit instructions to the same effect from Sec
Rotary Iayard under the previous Admnstra-
ton Of President Cleveland. These interests
were now manilrstly In imminent peril and the
Committee OF Safety having requested him To
protect Americans and their property in Homo
lulu. the United states Minister did his unavoid-
able duty in bringing ashore troops for that
purpose That the troops and the Minister re-
manned neutral in the contest between the
revolutionary Queen and those who had de-
tcrmincd to dcposc her Is plainly proven By the
fact that than twelve hours after the
troops came ashore. and after the Provisional
Government had set LilIuokalani aside. the
emisSarics of the cX-tluecn came by her au-
thority to Minister stevens. begging him to
use the United States forces TO rclnstate her.
What better evidence can ask that MIR.
Stevens had done his duty fairly? 1t was
American influence American character Amer
lean brains and money that had sustained the
lettering throne Of Hawaii for forty years
i'm the Pacific. The revolutionary despotsm OF
iiliuokaiani having destroyed II. Minister
stevens certainly was not called upon and had
no right to restore il.
No one will deny that the fulhlment of his
instructions to protect American life and prop
crty made II easier than 1t otherwise would
have been for the lovers Of liberty to over
throw the trencherous Queen. This was IN
evitablc In the very nature of the case. ana WIN
any true American regret that Americas de-
Tense Of her own incidentally helped liberty
and not despotism? What reason. what right
what motive has the President of the United
States to-day. without the consent Of Con-
gress to make upon or plW for inc
destruction OF friendly Government, estab-
shed under these circumstances recognized by
the United States OF America and the nations or
Europe for nearly year?
What does the restoration of Liliuokalani 10
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