The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-12-19

lselected was a wise one if the forces
were landed for the purpose of sup
porting the provisional government. If
any peril to life and property, calling
for any such martial array, had ex-
listed, Great Britain and other foreign
powers interested would not have been
lbehind the United States in their activ-
lily to protect their citizens; but they
made no sign IN that direction.
| When these armed men were landed,
1.-THE city of Honolulu was in its Gus
tomary orderly and peaceful condition.
There was no symptom of riot or dis
turbance in any quarter. Men and
! children We're about the streets as
usual, and nothing varied the ordinary
lroutine, to disturb the ordinary tran
guilty, except the landing Of the BoS-
toms marines and their march through
the town to the quarters assigned
them Indeed, the fact is that after
having called for the landing of the
United States forces on the plea of
danger of life and property, the COM
mittee of safety, themselves, requested
the minister to postpone action. This
exposed the untruthfulness of their
representations of present peril to life
and property. The peril they saw was
in anticipation, growing out OF their
guilty intentions on their part and
something which, though not then ex-
listing. they knew would certainly fol-
| low their attempt to overthrow the
government Of the queen without the
aid of the United States forces.
Thus it appears that Hawaii was
taken possession of by the United
States forces without the consent or
wishes of the government of the ISL
ands, of anybody else, as far as shown,
Except the United States minister
Therefore, the military occupation of
Honolulu by the United States on the
day mentioned, was wholly without
Justification. either as an occupation
by consent or an occupation necesst-
ltated by dangers threatening American
life and property. It must be account
ed for in some other way, and on some
other ground, and its real motive and
purpose are neither obscure nor far to
seek.
The United States forces being now
on the scene and favorably stationed,
the committee proceeded to carry out
the original scheme. They met next
morning, Tuesday, the 18th, perfected
a plan of temporary government, fixed
upon it's principal officers, ten of whom
! were drawn from 80 members OF the
committee of safety; between one or
two o'clock, by squads and by differ
ent routes to avoid NOTICE. and having
first taken the precaution of ascertain
ing whether thlare was anyone to OPP
pose them, they proceeded to the gov
eminent building to proclaim the new
government. No sign of opposition was
manifest and thereupon an American
citizen began to read proclamation
from the steps of the government
building, almost entirely without au-
ditors It is said, before the reading
was finished, quite a, concourse of per-
sons, variously estimated at fifty to
one hundred, some armed, some I'M
armed, gathered about the committee
to give them aid and confidence. This
statement is not important, since the
lone controlling factor In the whole af-
fair. unouestionably, Is the Unitlad
States marines who, drawn up under
arms and with artillery in readiness,
only seventy-six yards distant, domi-
mated the situation. The provisional
government thus proclaimed, was by
the terms of the proclamation, to ex-
ist until the terms of union with the
United States had been negotiated and
agreed upon
The United States minister, pursu-
ant to a prior agreement, recognized
this government withN2 an hour after
the reading of the proclamation. and
before five O'clock, in answer to an
inquiry on behalf of the queen and
the cabinet, announced that he had
done so. When our minister recog-
nized the prvisional government, the
only basis upon which it rested was
the fact that the committee on pub
lie safety had In the manner above
stated declared it to exist
It was neither a government de facto
nor de jure. That it was not in such
possession of government property and
agencies as entitled it to recognition,
is clearly proved by note found in
the files of the legation at Honolulu
addressed by the declared head of the
provisional government to Stevens
dated January 18th, 1893, in which he
1 acknowledges, with expressions of ap-
probation, the minister's recognition
of the provisional government, and
states it is not yet in possession of the
station house (the place where a large
number of the queens troops quar-
tered though the same had been de-
manded of the queens officers in
charge"
why the Queen Stepped Down.
Nevertheless, this wrongful recogni-
ton by the minister placed the gov
eminent of the queen in a position
of the most perilous perplexity. Or
the enc hand, she had possession Of
the palace, of the barracks and OF
the police station, and at her com
mand. at least, five hundred fully
armed men and several pieces of ar
tillery, indeed the whole military force
of her kingdom, on her side, and al
her disposal, while the committee Of
safety by actual search had discovered
there were but very few arms ir
Honolulu not in the service of the
government. In this state of things
If the queen could have dealt with
the insurgents alone, her course would
have been plain and the result unnlis.
takeable. But the United States had
allied itself with her enemies, had
recognized them as the true govern.
ment of Hawaii. and had put her il
the position of opposition against the
lawful authority. She knew she coulG
not withstand the power of the Unite6
States, but she believed she might
safely trust to it's justice. Accordingly
the provisional government by the
United States minister, the palace
barracks and police station with al
the military resources of the country
were delivered up by the queen upor
the representation made to her thal
her cause thereafter would be re
viewed at Washington, and, while pro
testing, she surrendered to the superior
force of the United States whose min
lister ordered the United States troop.
to be landed at Honolulu, and de
clared he would support the pro
visional government and that shs
yielded her authority to prevent &
collision of armed forces and the los,
of life, and only till such time a:
the United States, upon the fact beins
presented to it, should undo the actor
of its representative and reinstate hel
in the authority she claimed-as tn,
constitutional sovereign of the Ha
Waiian islands.
This protest was delivered to tht
} chief of the provisional government
who endorsed thereon his acknowl-
edgement of it's receipt
The terms of the protest were reat
without dissent by those assuming t.