The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-11-28

prncaimDg "a new governmeut, with a
view OF annexation to he United States.
Thu firs and most mumcntOus question
was to devise some plan to have the
United STATES troops landed.
Thnrston, who appears to have been
ttc leading spirit. sunday sought two
members of the Qnccus Cabinet and
urged them to head the movement
against the Queen and to ask Stevens to
land the troops. assuring them that III
such an event Stevens would do ~.
Failing to eulist any of the Queens
Cabinet in the cause, II became
necessary to devise some other mode
to accomplish the set purpose. A
committee of safety consisting of thir-
teen members formed from the little
body of men assembled in w o. Smiths
office. A deputation of these informed
Stevens of their plans and arranged
for him to land troops if they would
ask il for the pu pose of protecting life
and property. 1t was agreed that in
the event that the revolutionists should
occupy the Government building and
proclaim new Government, he would
| recognize IT,
| Two of the leading men of the com
mittee, Tlmrston and Smith, growing
uneasy forlthe safety of their persons,
went to Stevens to know il he would
protect them in the event OF their ar
rest 10y the authorities, to- which he gave
assent.
AT mass meeting called by the
committee of safety, on January 10Th,
no communication was made to the
crowd of any purpose to dethrone the
Que or change the form of govern
ment, hut only that the committee
wished to be publicly authorized to take
steps to prevent the consummation of the
Queens purpose and to have guarantees
of public safety.
"The Committee of Public Safety
| kept their purpose from the public view
at the mass meeting and at the small
gatherings for fear of proceedings
against them by the Government of the
Queen After the mass meeting had
closed a call on the American Minister
| for troops was made and signed indis-
criminately by Germans, by Americans
and by Hawaiian subjects of foreign ex-
traction"
The Commissioner says that the re-
Spouse to that call does not appear on
the files of the Legation. That very
night the Committee of Public Safety
assembled in the house next Minister
Stevens residence. j. II. Soper, an
American, was elected to command the
military forces.
! The report continues: at was on
| Monday evening, January 10th, at D
| O'Clock, that the United States troops
were landed Not much time elapsed
before it was given out by members of
the Committee of Safety that they Were
! designed to support them. AT the palace,
with the Cabinet. among the lead rs OF
the Queens military forces, and through
the great body of the people who we're
loyal to the Queen, the apprehension
anne Mat it was movement hostile to
the existing Government Protests were
| fled by the Minister of Foreign Affairs
and by the Governor of the Island,
against the landing of the troops. Parker
and Peterson testify that on Tuesday at
| | o'clock they called on Stevens, and
were by him informed that in the event
of the Queens forces being assailed by
an instruction ary force he would in
| tervene At 2:30 o'clock of the same
| day the members of the Provisional
Government proceeded to the Govern
ment building in squads and read their
| proclamation. They separated in their
| mach 10 the Government building Tor
| fear Of observation and arrest
Blount then describes the location of
the United States troops, showing that
| the American forces controlled the
position of the Queens forces ami con.
tinues:
'.They doubtless were ST. located TO
suggest to the Queen and her couhselors
that they were in cooperation with the
insurrectionary movement and would,
when the emergency arose. manifest 1t
by active support. 1t did doubtless sug-
gest to the men who read the proclama-
ton that they having the support of the
American Minister and naval com
mander. were safe from personal harm.
Why had the American Minister located
the troops in such a situation and then
assured the members of the Committee
of Safety that on the occupation of
the Government building he would
recognize them as constituting Gov
ernment de facto and would give
such Government his upport? Why
was the Governmf building des-
ignated to them as 'rA place w'''"'l
when the proclamation was annoi,'' 81
therefrvm would be followed l.. 49,
recognition. 1t was not point OF
strategic consequence. 1t did not IN
volve the employment of single
soldier. A building was chosen where
there were no troops stationed, where
no struggle could be made to obtain
access, With the American force i'm
mediately contiguous. with the mass OF
the population impressed with It's I'M
friendly attitude-aye, more than this,
before any demand for surrender had
even been made on the Queen or on the
commander or any officer of any of her
military forces at any of the points
where her troops were located. the
American Minister recognized the Pro-
visional Government and was ready to
give the support of the United States
troops
Blount shows the position which the
Queen occupied, gives her protest
and Describes the race and citi-
zenship of the men concerned in
the revolution. The various com
missioners of the Provisional Gov
rnment and Minister Stevens ARE
quoted and commented upon. Biount
shows that there was COLLISION on the
part of the Minister and the revolution
lists. He goes into details OF the matter
AMI points out by time and place the
haste with which Stevens acted and by
quoting from stevens report and from
papers on file at the Legation, declares
that the Minister hisrepresenled the
revolution tn the United States Govern.
ment. He points out the lack Of har-
mony in his statements and criticizes
Stevens. saying:
''Stevens consulted freely with the
leader of the revolutionary movement
from the evening of the 14th. These
disclosed to him all their plans. They
feared arrest and punishment and he