The Portland daily press., 1893-11-13
AMERICA'S SHAME.
Hon. John L. Stevens Replies to Sec
retary Gresham.
HAWAIIS NEW GOVERNMENT NOT
ESTABLISHED BY FRAUD.

| OWh OOWuld1l-4H0 1EOtl61Ond4 0Ot
| ernment in Full Control Before the
Boston's Marines Landed-The Ad
/ ministration's Course Likened to the
| Partition of Poland-A Public Crime
of Startling Import.
Augusta, Me-, November 12.-In a
signed leader in the Kennebec journal
tomorrow, Hon. John L. Stevens, late
United States Minister at Hawaii, will
make the following reply to Secretary
Gresham's report:
According to authentic reports from
Washington, public crime Eof startling
import is about to be committed in the
name and under the authority of the
American Government; public crime
Of less proportions but, in it's moral type
similar to the sitting of the national
life and the reform aspirations of Poland
and Hungary few years ago by imperi-
al despots, and to the crushing out of
the newly formed republic of Rome by
the usurped powers of Louis Napolean.
| "All that American piety, American
| benevolence, American schools and
American patriotism have accomplished
in Hawaii in the past seventy years are
now centralized in the Provisional Gov
ernment and stand in it's support. It is
a government honestly and ably admins
| tered. and the best government Hawaii
has ever had. | know not the influences
| which induced Secretary Gresham to be-
come an active agent in attempting such
grave offence against American civili-
| cation, justice and law. His intense hos
tility to eX-President Harrison and to
| the illustrious ex-Secretary of State, who
| passed to his grave in January last, is
| well known. 1t was that which caused
| him to betray and desert the great politi-
cal party whose honors he had shared,
and brought him to his present attitude
| toward his former associates and their
work. So far as his recent manifesto on
Hawaiian affairs casts reflection upon
my official action. I care little except to
the degree that his cruel and untruthful
| words strike at the noble band of men
| and women who have for ten months
stood SO deyotedly and unitedly in the
defence of American civilization. sThe
remarks made by me before the Cham
ber of Commerce in San Francisco on
June 1st, and the citizens of Augusta on
June 29th, and republished in the Ken
nebec Journal of today, are an answer
to most of the shamefully unjust impu-
tations on my official action under cir
cumstances requiring my deepest anxiety
to faithfully serve my country and the
cause of humanity.
Perhaps nothing better shows the
character of the Secretary's assault than
what he says about the hall which the
men of the Boston occupied few days
and until better quarters could be pro-
cured. After I had made my request
to Capt. Wiltse to land his men as pre-
cautionary safeguard to American life
and property, he and his officers in
formed me that their men must have
shelter for the night. Without special
information in that regard, I had sup
posed that the ships marines had tents
of their own for their customary use in
case of emergency on shore. at once
wrote note and sent it by messenger
to secure large hail that was supposd
to be available. The man in charge of
the hall was several miles away. I had
not known of the existence of the Arion
hall until that evening, when messen-
ger with my note was sent to the sup
posed agent of the Arion hall, who was
royalist. He returned me courteous
answer saying that he would be pleased
to let the hall for the specified purpose,
but he had ceased to be the agent, in
forming me who had then charge of the
hall. This required third note,
and third effort of the messenger,
which proved successful. So much time
had been thus consumed that the Bos-
toms marines and sailors were obliged to
stand for weary hours in the street before
they were able to go to their night quar-
ters. All of them would have been
lodged at the legation and consulate but
for want of room, where as many as
possible were received. these localities
being several streets and squares from
the palace and government building.
For the occupation of Arion Hall by the
men of the Boston, the committee of
public safety and the supporters of the
provincial government had no more
responsibility than Secretary Gresh an
himself. Secretary Gresham assumes
that the friends of annexation made the
revolution, and the provisional govern
ment when acknowledged by the United
States minister, only existed on paper.
Queen Liliuokalani inaugurated the
revolution by attempting to DESTROY the
constitution by revolutionary means.
From Saturday afternoon, January ID. to
January Is there was no government in
Honolulu, except in the united and self
possessed attitude of the citizens who
assembled in great mass meeting on
January 16 and consummated their
efforts for law and order by the estab-
lishment of the provisional government
on the 18th, which was promptly
acknowledged by the foreign representa-
tives, who were familiar with the
circumstances of its creation.
.'It was fifty hours after Liliuokalani
and he favorites had DESTROYED her
throne by revolutionary outbreak when
the men of the Boston landed. In the
exciting hours preceding and following
her fall, her representatives, as we'll as
those who formed the Provisional Gov
eminent, had equal access to the lega-
ton. To all proper inquiries, my answer
was that the United States marines could
not take sides, but whatever de facto
government might exist would have to
be recognized. When did recognize it,
late in the afternoon of the I7th, the
Provisional Government was complete
master of the situation and had full con-
troll of the city and of the government
archives, the police station being sur
rounded and at the mercy OF the Provis-
ional Government 1t was a small build
49,: =, which the djsoruauizad and now