The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-12

| not claimed on the 18th day OF january,
or for some time thereafter. by any o,
the designated officers Of the provisional
| government or any annexationist that
the Queen surrendered otherwise IMAM aS
| stated In her protest.
TN his dispatch 10 Mr. Foster OF jan
uary 18th, describing the so-oalled revo-
/ luton. Mr. Stevens says:
." The Committee Of Public Safety torth-
| with took possession Of the government
| building. archives. and treasury, ana IN
/ stalled the provisional govern nent at the
/ head Of the respective departments. This
being an accomplished fact, l promptly
| recognize the provisional government as
the de facto government Of the ha"anab
Islands.
On Secretary Fosters communication
| Of February 18th. to the President, laying
before him the treaty Of annexation, with
! Inc view 10 obtaining the advice ana
/ Ct, sent Of the Scpate thereto. h. SAYS
/ "sAt the time the provisional govern
| p,ent took possession Of the government
building, no troops or officers OF inc
/ United States were present or took part
whatever in the proceedings No pub
/ lie recognition was accorded to the pro-
visional government by the United states
rnirlfter until after the queens abdiea-
ton and when there were in enectiVe
recession Of the provisional government
the archives, the treasury, the barracks,
the police station, az d all the potehnal
machinery Of the government
"Similar language is found IN an ofhclal
letter aadr ,ssed TO Secretary Foster, on
February 3rd. by the special commission
ers cent 10 Washington by the provision
al government 10 negotiate a treaty OF
! annexation.
'orbese statements are utterly at vari-
once with the evidence, documt mary ana
oil contain ed in Mr. Blounts reports
i Ttev are contradlcted by declarations
nd letters of President Dole ana olheF
annexauonists, and by Mr.. Stevens own
4 verbal admissions TO MIR. Biouat.
! .tTbe provisional government was recog-
rizCd when IL had little other than
manor existence. and when the iegitiiiia'S
/ e,otfr, ment was In fun possession anu
| controI Of the palace. the barracks anu
| ,ha rolice station. Mr.. Stevens Wen
Known hostility. and the threatenen pre-
/ sence Of the force landed from tle Do
ton were all that could nave then -
cited serious apprehension IN tne in.'a3
/ of the Queen, her oihceis' anu
supporters. 49,. ,.>ero,arv Eos
49, statements were based uron ihlo' i e.
ion which he had received rom VI
stevens and the special cOhlinlr slo ,i
- I "a, unable 70 say they were deceiFeu'
,rhe trnons we're landed, lot 10 protec'
American life and property, Du' 10 "iu ~
ovortbrowing the existing government
Their very presence implied coeI'lNe i''-"-
sures against H. -. ,uo,,rt
In a statement given to MI DIount
nv Admiral Skerrett the ranking hd'di
officer at Honolulu, he says:
"'If the troops were landed simply 10
nrotect American citizens and interests
thev we're badly stationed In. hriou HAN
but II the intention vas 20 aid the proVls-
ional government, they were wisely SUI
toned 49,.
"rhte han was so situated that the
troons i'm il easily commanded the gov
crDmeut building, and the pIoclamauon
was read under the. protection OF Amerl-
| can guns. At an early stage OF me move
ment if not at the beginning, Mr.. Stevens
promised the annexationlsts that az soon
| as they obtained possession Of the gov
/ eminent building, and there read proc
| lamatlon Of the character above referred
| TO he would recognize them as de
| facto government. and support them by
| landing a force from our war silly then
| I'm the harbor, and he kept that promise.
! This assurance was the Inspiration OF
/ the movement, and, without 1t, the an
| nexationists would not have exposed them
selves 10 the consequences Of failure. Ihey
relied Upon no military force OF their own,
for they had none worthy OF the name.
! The provisional government was estab-
| lished by the action of the American
| minister and the presence Of the troops
landed from the Boston, and its continued
| existence is due 70 the belief Of the Ha-
waiians that if they made an effort to
overthrow it they would encounter the
armed forces Of the United States.
THE earnest appeals to the American
| minister for military protection by the
officers Of the provisional government
after il had been recognized, show the
utter absurdity Of the claim that it was
/ established by a successful revolution OF
the people Of the islands. These appeals
were a confession by the men who made
/ them OF their weakness and timidity.
| Courageous men, conscious Of their
| strength and the justice Of their cause,
| do not thus act
/ ut is not now claimed that a majority
| OF the people having the right TO vote I'M
der the constitution OF 1887 ever favored
| the existing authority or annexation to
! this or any other country. They earnest
| ly desire that the government Of their
! choice shall be restored, and its indie
/ pendence respected.
/ "Mr Blount states that while at Homo
| lulu he did not meet a single annexation
| ist who expressed willingness TO submit
/ the question to vote of the people, nor
| did he talk with one on that subject who
/ did not insist that If the islands were
/ annexed suffrage should be so restricted
/ as to give complete control 10 foreigners
or whites. and representative annexation
lists have repeatedly made similar state
| ments TO the undersigned
| THE government of Hawaii surrendered
| IFS authority under threat Of war until
such time only as the government Of the
| United States, upon the facts being pre-
scented TO IL. should reinstate the cOnsti-
tutional sovereign, ana the provisional gov
ernment was created to exist untn terms
OF union with the United States OF
America have been negotiated and agreed
upon
"A careful consideration of the facts
viii. I think, convince you that the treaty
which was withdrawn from the Senate
for further consideration should not be re-
submitted for its action thereon.
should not the great wrong done to a
feeble. but independent. State by an abuse
Of the authority Of the United States be
undone by restoring the legitimate gov
eminent? Anything short OF that viii not
| / respectfully submit satisfy the demands
OF justice.
can the United States consistently in
| sfst that other nations shall respect the
| independence Of Hawaii while not respect
| ing IL themselves? Our government was
the first TO recognize the independence OF
the islands. and IL should be the last 10
| acquire sovereignty over them by force
| and fraud.
Respectfully submitted.
w. Q. GRESHAM"
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