The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-05-03
WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1898
A MATTER OF HISTORY.

ne rOyallSt EFFORT 10 convince COln-
missioner Blount that the United
States troops rather than the revolution
lists themselves overthrow the Queen,
rests on a postulate which the facts
disprove. 1t cannot be shown that the
American forces raised a single bayonet
against the monarchy until acts of the
Provisional troops had destroyed that
governmental fact which finds some
support in the text Of the Queens
written protest wherein she said that
she "solemnly protested against any
and all acts done against myself
and the constitutional government Of
the Hawaiian Kingdom by certain per-
sous claiming to haze established a
Professional government of and for
this kingdom" These certain persons"
as appears from the address to which
the proclamation was sent, were rs.
B. Dole, Esq, and others composing
the Provisional government Of the Ha-
waiian Islands" There is, as will be
observed, no mention of the United
States forces being responsible for any
of these "acts,' though in the course
of her official deliveranCe the ex.Queen
said that she yielded to the superior
forces of the United States of America,
whose Minister Plenipotentiary, His
Excellency John L. Stevens, has
caused United States troops to be
landed at Honolulu, and declared that
he would support the Provisional gov
eminent"
Now as a matter of fact the Amer
lean sailors were merely landed as they
had been in times past, to protect
American property. They did not
menace the palace, the government
building or the station house, but went
to the consulate and legation, and to
Arion hall-the latter being a central
rendezvous from which they could
readily march to any part of the city
where American interests might be in
peril. At these places they remained,
Minister Stevens having refused to use
them in aid of the revolution at all, or
in support of the Provisional authority
before such time as the latter had as,
sumed control of all the royalist posi-
tons. Had the ex-Queen's forces held
their ground the Yankee tars would
have stayed entirely passive so far as
the actual contest between the revolu-
tionists and royallsts was concerned.
But Liliuokalani's soldiers did not
hold their ground anywhere. In fact
their sand had run out. They were
anxious to surrender and save their
skins, but their pride would not let
them bow down to the men who had
really driven them from power. Then
again the ex.Queen wanted to make a
point in her own behalf by foisting the
onus of the revolt upon America As
a result we had the surrender to the
Superior forces Of the United States
forces which did not demand or re
ceive that surrender, but stood by as
silent witnesses of the whole proceed
ing,
1t was not until the Dole govern
ment had peaceable control of the city
that the United States Minister recog
nized it and not until February Ist, fif
teen days after the overthrow of Liliu,
okalani, that the protectorate was
formed.
To make a case against the United
States out of this is to distort and dis
color the truth, assume the existence
of facts which do not exist and to chal.
lenge the verdict Of history itself