The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-02-09
country

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f iatid a1ni its Pg g6Ru
Colburn then tells OF the deposition of
the former cabinet and the suinmonlng
on Jan. Is of the one headed by Parker
and IN which he (Colburn) served. They
Immediately repaired to the legislature
and announced their appointment.
''Those of the legislature present, says
he, "and the population, to the number
of about one thousand who gathered
there, received us with applause. Next
morning, Saturday, Jan. Ia, the day that
had been previously set apart to prorogue
the legislature, came, and we presented
ourselves again, and after going through
the business of the house, it adjourned to
meet at the prorogation hour, II m.
81 may mention here that on Friday and
Saturday, the days we attended the legi5-
lature, the reform party was so dissatls-
fed and hostile over their defeat that on
both days they refused to attend the legis-
lature and did not have the courtesy to
attend the propagation. While waiting for
the hour of II to approach, l accidentally
heard that the queen proposed to promul-
gate new constitution. | Immediately
sought an interview with my colleagues
and notified them that if the queen in
tended to act in such an arbitrary man
ner would resign. They answered that
they were willing to do the same thing
and we decided that if the queen intended
to carry into effect any such idea we
would all advise her not to do so.
s'I at once repaired to the place of oppo-
sition 1.-THE Reform parity and told them
what had heard and what we had con-
cluded to do. The leaders of the party
advised us strongly not to resign as it
would give the queen an opportunity to
appoint others who would be willing to
sign the new constitution. We followed
their advice and they assured us II any
conflict came between the queen and US
her cabinet and the community would
give US their support to resist anything OF
this measure.
EAT I'm the legislature was prorogued
and we repaired to the place to meet the
queen, She then and there told US to
sign a document purporting to be a new
constitution. We told her plainly we
would not accede to her request and adj
yised her to abandon the idea. She was
very obstinate at first but afterwards
welded, and gave it up. She came out
and declared openly to the Hawaiian peo-
pie that she could not give them new
constitution and told them to endure their
grievances.
sfThe crowd dispersed, and on the next
day the leader of the reform party met US
and made proposition to US, VIZ, that
owing to the queens revolutionary
actions in wanting to promulgate new
constitution, we should depose her and
declare a provisional government. Our
reply was that we should give them an
answer later on. In the meantime we of
the cabinet summoned six of the most re-
sponsible and conservative business men
of the city, as also the diplomatic corps,
and they met US, excepting j S. Stevens,
American envoy extraordinary and min
lister plenipotentiary to this country. We
discussed the question and agreed that
the queen was at first ill-advised, but as
she had abandoned the project we should
not depose her and declare a provisional
government,
ssWe notified the leaders Of this defunct
and malcontented party that we would
not agree to the proposition and at the
same time we issued proclamation and
scattered it all over town and delivered it
to the diplomatic corps that the queen had
abandoned her idea and asking one and
all to accept the assurances given in the
proclamation by the queen and cabinet.
This party was not satisfied with this, but
they with assistance of the American min
lister and troops of the United States
steamer Boston enlisted number of men
to the extent of 200 and aided by American
troops took possession and declared by
proclamation provisional government
contrary to the constitution now in force
and contrary to the rights of hundred
thousand people, the population of this
country.
"The cabinet notified the American min
! lister OF what had happened and asked
him to assist the duly authorized govern
ment to suppress this revolt, or ii he did
not want to do that then to remove the
| United States troops on board the Bos-
ton and we, the government, could
do it ourselves. When we told him
we had 7C0 men under arms and were
equal to the situation, his reply was that
| he had acknowledged the provisional gov
eminent and would support it. We, the
government, came to the conclusion, as
we did not wish to come into conflict with
the United States troops, to yield under
protest, and the queen and her cabinet
are at present removed under protest,
pending a hearing before the United
States.
"This action on the part OF the Ameri-
can minister is degrading. He has up
held the mob, and does so against the
wishes OF the aborigines of this country
who are capable of taking care OF them
selves. The provisional government has
put our country under martial law, and
they are dispatching a steamer now to
carry the news to Washington. They are
sending ambassadors to Washington, and
we have asked the steamer to take our
representatives, so both sides can be
heard, and they refuse. We will send
them later, and we trust it will not be
too late. The Hawaiian people are wall
ing for the loss of their country. Cannot
America, 'The land of the free and the
home of the brave' undo this great
wrong, that she, by her troops and am
bassador, assisted to do? Will you use
your influence for us? Act promptly and
This letter has been forwarded to Presi-
dent Harrison by GAM. who makes an
earnest appeal to the president and Con-
gress not to accede to the demands of the
provisional commissioners, "upheld and
sanctioned by the American minister