The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-06-17
(From The Forum for June.)

snort time ago the country was eX-
cited by the announcement that the royal
government in the Hawaiian Islands had
been overthrow by revolution; that
provisional government had been set
up; that that government had at once
been acknowledged by the American
Minister, who would appear to have given
it important moral support by causing
marines to be landed from an American
warship on an assumption that they were
needed for protecting the lives and pro-
perty of American citizens. and that the
provisional government had appointed
commission to proceed at once to Wash
ington and tender the annexation of the
islands to the United States The in
formation was startling for several rea-,
sons
A peaceful state of things had existed
for long time in the Hawaiian Islands.
The people there indeed were peaceful in
their characteristics They were people
that in measure had been trained by
ourselves. Some of our citizens had
taken satisfaction in calling the attention
of the world to the condition of these isl
ands as gratifying illustration of the
great success and usefulness of the mis-
sionary efforts put forth from the United
States for the conversion of the world.
American missionaries had been pioneers
in the work that had in very short time
converted the whole of the barbarous
race of cannibals who were found native
on these islands to the Christian faith,
and brought them from savagery to the
taking up of peaceful occupations and
the cultivation of the arts and, to a
large extent, the adoption of the customs
of civilized life. 1t was the most striking
illustration perhaps in the history of the
world, of people being brought almost
immediately out of savagery by the
teaching of the doctrines of Christ and
elevated to.a condition in which it would
be proper to recognize them as member
of the family of civilized nations.
Friendly relations were shortly estab-
lished with them by leading commercial
countries; they welcomed immigration
especially from the United States and
many enterprising people settled among
them and found opportunities in the cul-
tivation of their lands, in the raising of
tropical fruits, and especially in the pro-
.duction of sugar, for the acquisition of
great wealth. People came from other
countries also,from China and Japan
large numbers who have settled there
with the expectation of making it their
permanent home. The government of
the country has been monarchical but
seems to have been satisfactory to the
natives, who had been given some par
ticipation in it, and it was the proposed
withdrawal by the reigning monarch of
popular participation in the government
that was supposed to have furnished
ground for the revolution which the pro-
visional government professed to have
completely effected.
The first thing specially noticeable in
this offer of the islands to our country is
the fact that no attempt whatever seems
to have been made to ascertain the
wishes OF the native population upon the
subject, or any one else, except those who
participated in the revolution. 1t is
what those composing it designate pro-
visional government that comes to make
lis the offer.
provisional government is supposed
to be government de factO for the time
being; a government that in some emer-
gency is set up to preserve order; to con-
tinue the relations of the people it acts
for with foreign nations until there shall
be time and opportunity for the creation
of permanent government. 1t is not in
general supposed to have authority be-
You'd that of a mere temporary nature re-
sulting from some great necessity, and its
authority is limited to the necessity
When therefore a commission starts
out Immediately upon the creation of
a Provisional Government, to offer
its country as gift to foreign ma
ton, the very title of the govern
ment seems to negative its authority.
1t is offering to give away what it merely
for the time being is authorized to pre-
serve and protect, and the first feeling is
that there must be something here to put
the nation to which the offer is made
upon its guard against having such deal
inps with tha commission cbon ba nf N
nature to imply recognition of its legiti-
macy.
But in this case it is said the Provis-
ional Government was formed only for
the purpose of bringing about the annex
alton: that annexation is its mission; so
that its power we are to understand is
limited. How it got authority for this
purpose and how the limitation was fixed
to that authority are not explained. The
desire of the people in the premises was
not expressed, nor was it called for. The
facts as they are presented to us appear
to be, that persons of foreign birth resi-
dent in the islands took possession of the
government, and Immediately started to
make tender of the islands to foreign
nation Their acts in organizing them
selves into a Provisional Government
would indicate to the natives. until they
were explained by further acts or by pub
lie announcements, nothing more than
that they were resisting and overturning
the native government because of its re-
Progressive course, and the Legitimate and
natural inference would be that their
powers would be laid aside when a per-
manent government on the proper basis
should be organized by general action of
the people.
The Provisional Government AYERS
with some positiveness that its action in
offering to transfer the islands to the
United States is in conformity to the
will of the majority of the people; but if
such is the fact il seems IA great error in
policy that it took no steps to ascertain
that will so that the grounds for its con-
fidence might be made known to the
American people, The great hasDe in
making the offer suggests doubt
whether the confidence in the claim is as
complete "a is professed. The United
States Minister either voluntarily or at
the suggestion of the Provisional Govern
ment, but without the slightest authority,
declared protectorate of the islands by
the United States, but what il was in
tended to protect them against unless it
was the people themselves whom the
Provisional Government ASSUMED to re-
present, is not apparent No foreign