The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-11-21
Collision Between the Latter and the
Reyolutionisists.

Revolutionisists.
Washington, Nov. 20.-Secretary
Gresham decided, this afternoon, to
make public all the correspondence and
the report of James H. Blount, special
commissioner sent to Hawaii by Cleve-
land to investigate the revolution which
dethroned Queen Liluokalani and the
establishment of a provisional govern
ment. In the report he calls attention
to the reception by Minister Stevens,
who, accompanied, by a committee
from the Annexation club came on
board the vessel which brought me.
He informed me this club had rented
an elegant house, well furnished and
provided with servants, carriages and
horses for my use; that could pay
for this accommodation just what
choose-from nothing up. He urged
me very earnestly to accept the Of
fer. I declined it, and informed him
l should go to the hotel
He also refused to accept prof
fered favor from the ex-queen. Con-
corning the position of the United
States in the islands he says:
1.-THE troops from the Boston were
doing military duty for the provisional
government. The American flag was
II
ing Within it the provisional govern
ment conducted business under an
American protectorate, to be contin-
ued, according to the avowed purpose
Of the American minister, during ne
gotiations with the United States fol
ANNEXATION. My instructions directed
me to make inquiries which in the in
terest of candor and truth could be
done when the minds of thousands OF
Hawaiian. citizens were full of uncer,
tainty as to what the presence OF
the American troops, the American flag
and the American protectorate, i'm
piled. 1t seemed necessary that al
these influences must be withdrawn
before inquiries could be prosecuted ir
a manner BETTING the dignity and
power Of the United States. Inspired
with such feeling and confident thai
no disorder would ensue, I directed the
removal of the flag of the United States
from the government building and the
return of all American troops to the
vessels. This was accomplished with
out any demonstration of joy or grief
upon the part of the populace. The
afternoon before, in an interview with
President Dole, in response to my in.
quiry, he said the provisional govern
ment was now able to preserve order
/ although it could not have done sc
+
establishing it,
| Blount then tells how Minister Stew.
ems called upon him with w. F. Smith
who represented that the Withdrawal
of the United States marines meant
that the Japanese would land troops
from the man-of-war in the harbor
The American minister expressed a be
lief in the statement. The Japanese
commissioner put a stop to these ru
t177r. 11rr1 71r 17n -dS
away. The provisional government
left to its own preservation, left hin
free to pursue his negotiations.
Commissioner Blount says: 1.-THE
causes of the dethronement of the
queen and the establishment of the
provisional government are both re
mote and proximate.
He then reviews the history of the
Islands, beginning with the constitu
ftion of 1852 and the changes made il
the system of government down to The
revolution of 1887. which resulted L
the constitution of that year and which
! to a great extent is given by Bloun
as the cause of the revolution of 1893
Among those mentioned in forcing
King Kalakaua is Thurston, now Min
lister from Hawaii.
Blount describes at some length thu
restrictions placed upon the king by
the 1857 constitution.
After the revolution was accom-
plished, the history Of Hawaii polite,
is followed by the commissioner.
OF the queens acts just previous tt
the last legislature, Blount says:
Let it be born in mind the time wa:
now near at hand when the legislator,
would probably be prorogued. What
ever cabinet was in power at the time
of the propagation would have contro
of public affairs until the new legis
lature should assemble two years after
wards, and longer, unless expelled b.
a. vote of want of confidence. The anti
reform cabinet was appointed by tn
queen. Some faint struggle was mad
towards organizing to vote out tn
cabinet but it was abandoned. TIL
legislature was prorOgued. Reform
members absented themselves from tn
session of that day in manifestation 0
their disappointment and loss Of pOwe
through the cabinet for the ensuing
two years. The letters of the Ameri
can minister and naval officers sta
toned in Honolulu in 1892 indicate tina
in any failure to appoint a ministry tn
reform party would produce a. politi
cal crisis. The voting out of the viii
cox cabinet produced disconten
amongst the reformers verging yer.
closely towards one. and had more t
do with the revolution than the queen
DETERMINATIONS.
dalton. The latter was the opportunity
In the legislature many petition
were filed asking for a. new constitu
ton. Discomfort with the conStitu
ton of 1887 and the eagerness to es
cape from it controlled the election
against the party which established il
Divisions on the mode Of changing tn
constitution prevented relief. Sue
was the situation at the propagation O
| ! To1 r;cIa IN fol
lowed by the usual ceremonies at tn
palace when the queen informed tn
, cabinet of her purpose to proclaim
new constitution and requested Their
to sign it,
He then tells how the cabinet refuse
to sign the constitution and the dis
pleasure of the queen.
On January 16, a proclamation Wa
issued by the queen and members say
:, ing what she proposed to do. This Wa
sent to Minister Stevens, to whic
: there was no response. On the It'll
she sent another letter, telling him t
present a constitution and it would b
maintained On the back was write
! the word Declined" Blount says tn
cabinet could not be removed for tw
years, and it being against the ne1
constitution, there was no possibilit
! of it being proclaimed. His descriI
: ton of the revolution is as follows:
Nearly all the arms on the islam
? of Oahua, in which Honolulu is sitl
: ated, were in possession of the queen
) government The military force
: organized and drilled, occupied tn
station house, the barracks and til
palace, the only points of strategeti
significance in the event of a cor
fiict The great body of the peop
: moved on it's usual course, and yt
2 there were secret conferences held
: small body of men. some German
; some Americans and some native Dor
: subjects CT foreign origin. On Satu
} day evening, Jan. IA, they took up tt
!. subject of dethroning the queen an