The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-11-25

the history of the Hawaiian revo-
luton, declared that the treaty
should not again be sent to the
Senate. He says in his dispatch
TO Mr.. Foster, of January IS, de-
scribing the revolution, that "Mr.
Stevens,-the committee of public
safety having taken possession of
the government buildings, archives
and treasury, and installed the
Provisional government at the head
of the respective departments
promptly recognised the Provision
al government as the de facto gov
eminent of the Hawaiian Islands"
In Secretary Fosters communica-
ton of February 18th, to the Pre-
sident, laying before him the treaty
of annexation, with a view to OBJ
tanning the advice and consent of
the Senate, he says: cat the time
the Provisional government took
possession of the government build
ings, no troops or officers of the
United States were present or took
any part whatever in the proceed
ings. No public recognition was
accorded to the Provisional govern
ment by the United States minis
ter until after the Queens abdica-
ton, and when they were in effec-
tive possession of the government
buildings, the archives, the trea-
sury, the barracks, the police
station and all the political ma
chinery of the government" SINH
lar language is found in an official
letter addressed to Secretary Eos
ter on February 3, by the special
commissioner sent to Washington
by the Provisional government to
negotiate a treaty of annexation.
These statements are at variance
with the evidence, documentary
and oral, contained in the report.
They are contradicted by letters by
President Dole and other annexa-
tionists, and by Mr.. Stevens own
verbal admissions to Mr.. Blount.
The Provisional government was
recognized when it had little other
than a paper existence, and when
the legitimate government was In
full possession and control of the
palace and barracks and the police
station. Mr.. Stevens well known
hostility and the threatening pres
ence of the force landed from the
Boston were all that could have
then excited serious apprehension
in the minds of the queen, her Off
GERS and loyal supporters. 1t is
fair to say that Secretary Fosters
statements were based upon infor-
nation which he had received from
Mr.. Stevens and the special COM
missioners but 1 am unable to see
that they were deceived. The
troops were landed, not to protect
American life and property, but to
aid in overthrowing the existing
government. Their very presence
implied coercive measures against
it. In a statement given to MIR.
Blount by Admiral Skerrett, the
ranking naval officer at Honolulu,
he says: off the troops were landed
simply to protect American citizens
and interests they were badly sta
toned, in 'Arion Hall , but If the
intention was to aid the Provisional
government, they were wisely sta
toned"
This hall was so situated that
the troops in it easily commanded
the Government building, and the
proclamation was read under the
protection of American guns at an
early stage of the movement, if not
at the beginning. Mr.. Stevens pro-
posed to the annexationists that as
soon as they obtained possession of
the Government building and they
read a proclamation of the character
above referred to, ne would recog-
nize them as de facto government
and support them by landing a
force from our warship, then in the
harbor, and he kept that promise.
This assurance was the inspiration