St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-10
ANSWERED COLBURN.
The Commissioners Reply to the
Pleas for Liliuokalani.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.-There was no
conference today between the secretary
of state and the Hawaiian commission
ers, as Thursday is diplomatic day"
at the department, and the sec
rotary was fully occupied with
the calls of foreign ministers,
1t is understood tonight that the Ha-
waiian commissioners are to see Secre-
tary Foster tomorrow. This evening
Lorrin A. Thurston. with the consent
and approval of his associate commits
sioners, made the following statement
in reply to the letter from j. F.Colburn,
ex-minister of the interior of the Ha-
waian cabinet, published in the papers
today:
at has been claimed by and on be-
half of Queen LiliuOkalant that the late
Hawaiian government yielded to the
force of the United States when 1t
surrendered to the Hawaiian provisional
government. and the claim has been
amplified in some of the papers into
charge that the whole movement was
precOnceived conspiracy in favor of
ANNEXATION. This statement has al
ready been denied by the COM
misSioners, but as it is reiterated this
burn, the late minister of the interior,
| think a more specific email, setting
forth the circumstances, should be
made. In the first place, the undiS-
puted facts show that no action was
taken by anybody until the 18th of
January, after the queen had attempted
with force TO abrogate the existing COLI
sttuton and proclaim new one.
There was every indication of
fight, and bloody one. which might be
precipitated at any time, and in which
many lives and much property would
have inevitably been destroyed. AT the
request of many American citizens the
committee notified the American min
lister Of the situation and asked assist
ance in the protection of life and prop
erty. Under these circumstances the
United States minister landed American
TROOPS in accordance with well estab-
lished precedent. The United States
troops did not menace the queen or sup
port the provisional government.
Again. there was no public acknowl-
edgment of the provisional government
by the American minister until after
the abdication of the queen and sur
reder of the barracks and police station,
together with all the forces and NUM-
tons of war located therein.
LAS to the further action of the pro-
vsional government requesting a pro-
tectorate. and the United States MIN
listers action in compliance Herewith
and establishing such protectorate
pending negotiations in Washington,
news of which has been brought by the
Australia today, would say that hav-
ing every confidence in the men COM
posing the provisional government, l
do not believe that they would
have taken this action upless
they deemed it necessary for the
preservation of life and property.
1t is my belief that the action was taken
with view to staying any tendency to
individual incendiarism and outbreak.
The placing of the islands under the
protectorate of the American flag will
have this direct effect. The protecto-
rate does not in any manner interfere
with the regular progress of the public
business under the provisional govern
ment nor with the negotiations with the
United States government"