The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-12-21


actly what action was taken NAV moi
be clearly disclosed, they were Ger.
tanty in communication with the
United States minister. On Monday
morning the queen and cabinet made
puoiic proclamation with notice
winch was specially served upon rep
resentatives of all foreign governments
tnat any change in the constitution
must be sought only in the methods
provided by that instrument. Never.
theless, at the call and under the
auspices of the committee of safety,
a mass nesting of citizens
was. held on that day to protest
against the queens alleged illegal and
unlawful proceedings and purposes.
Even at this meeting the committee oi
safety continued to disguise its real
purpose and contented themselves
with procuring the passage of reso.
luton denouncing the queen and EN-.
powerlng the committee to devise
ways and means to secure the perma.
nent maintenance of law and order
and protection of life, liberty and
property in Hawaii. This meeting ad.
Journed between and 4 o'clock in the
afternoon. On the same day and inn
medlately after such adjournment the
committee, unwilling to take further
steps without the cooperation of the
United States minister, addressed q
note representing that the public
safety was menaced, and prop
erty in danger, and concluded
as follows: "We are unable to protect
ourselves without aid. and therefore
pray for the protection of United
States forces" Whatever may he
thought of the other contents of this
note, the absolute truth of this latter
statement is incontestable. When the
note was written and delivered the
committee, so far as it appears, had
neither man or gun at their com.
mand and after its delivery they be-
came so panic-stricken at their posi-
tion that they sent some of their num-
Der to interview the minister and re-
quest him not to
LAND UNITED STATES FORCES
till next morning, but he replied that
the troops had been ordered and
whether the committee was ready or
not the landing should take place. And
so it happened that on the 10th of Jan.
uary, 1898, between and 5 o'clock
in the afternoon q detachment of
marines from the United States steam.
er Boston, with two pieces of artill-
cry, we're landed at Honolulu. The
men, upward of 100 in all, were sun.
piled with double cartridge belts filed
with ammunition and with haversacks
and canteens, and were accompanied
by a hospital corps with stretchers and
medical supplies. This demonstration
upon the soil of Honolulu was of itself
an act Of war unless made either with
the consent Of the government of Ha.
waii or for the bona fide purpose of
protection of imperiled lives and prop
erty of citizens of the United States,
but there is no pretense of any such
consent on the part of the government
of the queen, which was at that
time undisputed, and both the
de facto and de jure government.
In point of fact the existing govern
ment, instead of requesting the pres
ence of an armed force, protested
against it, There is little basis for the
pretense that such forces were landed
for the security of Americ life and
If so they should have been
stationed ia the vicinity of such prop
erty so as to protect it, instead of at
and so as to command the
Hawaiian government buildings and
palace.
ADMIRAL sKERRITr's OPINION.
Admiral Skerritt, the officer in COM
mand of our naval force on the Pacific
station, has frankly state] that in
his opinion the location of troops was
Inadvisable if they were landed for the
protection of American citizens whose
residences and places of business, as
we'll as the legation and consulate.
were in distant part of the city, but
the location was q wise. one If the
forces were landed for the purpose
Of supporting the provisional govern
nent If any peril to life
and property calling for any
such martial array existed Great Brit |
hin and other foreign powers inter
ssted would not have been behind the |
United States in activity to protect |
heir citizens, but they made no sign |
n that direction. When these armed |
men were landed the city of Honolulu |
vas in its customary orderly and |
peaceful condition. There was no
of riotous disturbance in |
my quarter. Men, women and chill |!
lren were about the streets as usual |
ind nothing varied the ordinary tran
utility except the landing of the Bos-
on's marines and their march through |
he town to quarters assigned to them.
indeed the fact that after having
allied for the landing of United States
orces on a plea of danger to life and
the committee of safety
requested the minister to
postpone his action, which plainly ex-
,osed the untrutbfulness of their rep
esentations of nresent peril to life and
The peril they saw was IN
growing out Of
GUILTY INTENTIONS
On their part and something, which,
hough not then existing they knew
vonld certaioly follow an attempt to
verthrow the government OF the
ueen without the aid of United
tates forces Thus 1t appears Hawaii
yas taken possession of by the United
tates forces without the consent or
,ish of the government of the islands,
r anybody else so far as shown, ex-
ept the United States minister.
The military occupation of Honolulu
y the United States on the day mem
ioned was wholly without justifica-