Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-24
Mr.. STEVENS STORY.
His Official Account of the Revolu-
ton of January.
WHAT LED TO A SUDDEN CHANGE.
High-Handed Proceedings on the
Part Of the Queen.
THE MINISTER'S ACTION

In view of the present controversy as to
how the overthrow of Queen Liluokalani
| in January last was accomplished the fol-
lowing official reports of Minister Stevens
on that subject, on file at the State Depart
ment. may be of interest
| LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
HONOLULU, H. l., January Is, 1893
Via San Francisco, January 2s. Received
| January 2S).
Events in Hawaii in the past few days
| have moved rapidly. An entire overthrow
| of the Hawaiian monarchy and the estab-
| lishment of a provisional government in
| the interest of the whole people Of the is
| lands without the sacrifice of a single life
The new government is in full possession
| of the islands and was promptly recognized
| by all the diplomatic representatives. The
| four men of whom it is composed are of
| high character, one of whom resigned his
position one of the supreme judges to
assume the place. Full dispatches by the
mail leaving Honolulu today by special
| steamer. STEVENS,
United States Minister.
| UNITED STATES LEGATION,
Honolulu. January is, 1883. Received
February 3.
Sir: In my 20 of November 1 gave full
| Information of the surrender of the queen
| to the wishes of the legislature by the for
nation of ministry composed of men of
intelligence and wealth, possessing the en-
| tire confidence of the business men and the
more responsible citizens of the country.
But this surrender of the queen and of those
surrounding her was only seeming. AS soon
| as the principal appropriations had been
voted and the legislative work was nearly
concluded, several of the best members
having already left for their homes, a re-
marhabe conspiracy was revealed.
The undersigned for the first time since
he has been at the head of this legation,
January took passage for Hilo and the
volcano on the L. S. 5. Boston for the bene-
fit of the health of himself and of his
| ia hhinp a hot ha
| town of the second importance in the is
lands should have this attention at the
time the Boston was making visit to Ha
wall, the chief island in the group. Beyond
all doubt, Immediately after the Boston and
myself had left Honolulu the INSCRIPTIONS
adventures around the queen improved the
opportunity to push through the legislature
an astounding lottery franchise with the
obvious intent to sell it out TO the Louisiana
lottery men. This was worked by some of
the same parties supposed to be of the
! powerful opium ring whose four points of
operation are Vancouver, San Francisco,
| Honolulu and Hongkong. They distributed
the lottery stock among the native members
of the legislature in large figures.
| Notwithstanding the strong opposition of
4 all the best people of the islands. including
whites and natives, and the emphatic oppo-
sition of the chamber of commerce, the
queen and her palace favorite gave their
warmest support to the lottery bill and
signed 1t at once. She was to be immedi-
ately compensated by being allowed to pro-
claim a new constitution, restoring to the
crown the old despotfc prerogatives in di-
rect violation of the existing constitution,
which provides for the only mode of change,
which is by the action of successive legis-
| latures.
! Returning on the Boston from our Hilo
! trip on the 18th instant, We found the legis-
| lature was to be prorogued at II a. m,
one-half hour after my arrival at the lega-
| ton. The propagation completed, members
! of the legislature. diplomatic corps, judges
| of the supreme court and other officials,
| went to the palace by invitation. In the
| meantime ii began to be known in public
| circles the queens intention to pro-
| claim the revolutionary constitution. This
| resulted in raising an excitement which
! alarmed her confdants and caused some of
| them to draw back. This consumed time,
SO that she could not secure the signatures
of her new cabinet she had expected.
| In the meantime the diplomatic corps grew
weary and left the palace, realizing that
| the invitation to be present was a trick.
| The Queens Determination.
AS l had just returned, weary from my
voyage, 1 had not received the invitation
| the chamberlain knowing l was absent when
he invited the English, Portuguese. French
and Japanese diplomatic representatives
the day before. In the short meanwhile
| had suspicioned the trick. Finally, the
queen appeared in the throne room, before
| the supreme judges and other officials, in
an extreme passion of anger, and avowed
her purpose to postpone her revolutionary
! constitution for brief period, and then
went upon the balcony and spoke with
great passion in the same strain to those
around the palace, principally her retainers
and the royal guard, her determination TO
proclaim her constitution at another time.
| What | have described as to the lottery
| legslat the forcing out of the RESPONSE
| BILE cabinet of November :, and appointing
| the lottery cabinet two of whom had been
| voted out of the ministry during the legis-
! lative session by a two-thirds vote for the
best OF reasons 1t the lottery bride
and the autocratic design of the queen that
| quickly precipitated events.
| A mass meeting of the citizens was called
| to meet on Monday, the 10th, at d. m.
! which assembled in the largest hall in the
| city. Short as was the notice, over 1900
| of the principal citizens of Honolulu and
| from other islands, who happened to be in
| the city, were in attendance. This meet
ing included merchants, bankers profess
| SiOnal men, the principal business men,
and the mechanics, the chief German and
some of the leading English merchants and
other nationalties. as well American
| residents. 1t is said such an assemblage
| was never before equaled in Honolulu In
| telligent American visitors here say that
| such a public meeting would do credit to a
| meeting of a similar class of citizens in our
| best American cities.
| The assemblage was a unit in feeling and
| purpose. The speeches and resolutions are
on the printed slips l herewith inclose
| This remarkable uprising of the best citi-
| Zens, including nearly all of the chief prop
| erty holders, the Tahitian marshal and
| palace favorite did not dare attempt to
suppress. \ committee of public safety
| was at once created to meet the emergency
and to prevent anarchy and riot. 1t was
| fortunate that the Boston was in the har-
! Dor. The committee on public safety called
| on me for aid. / promptly addressed to
| the commander of the Boston, Capt G. S
WiltSe, the following note:
| UNITED STATES LEGATION
! HONOLULU, January fG. IS33
| Sir-In view of the existing critical cir
| cumstances in Honolulu. including an in
| adequate legal force / request You to land
| marines and sailors from the ship under
| your command for the protection OF the
| United States legation and United States
| consulate, and to secure the safety of
| American life and property.
| Very truly yours.
| JOHN L. STEVENS
| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Pleni-
| pOtentiary of the United States.
A copy of the call of the committee of
| public safety for aid is inclosed.
| Promptly the men from the Boston were
| landed. Detachments We're placed around
the legation and the consulate, the princi-
| pal members having marched to a central
| hall for shelter and headquarters; the night
| being at hand, the public anxiety being es-
pecially strong as to what might be
| done by irresponsible persons in the night
| the landing OF the men of the Boston so
| a., lf,tA