The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-01-29
DETAILS OF THE REVOLUTION.

not over twenty-five years of age.
DETAILS OF THE REVOLUTION.
Queen Liliuokalani's Effort to Proclaim .
New Constitution, and What Came of 1t.
San FRANCISCO, Jan. 2S.-Tbe following
account of the Hawaiian revolution is
taken from the Hawaiian Gazette of Jan.
IS:
and o'clock, the community was startled
by the information that coupd' etat was
In progress. aud that the Queen was en-
deavoring to force her Cabinet to sign q
new Constitution which she proposed to
Dromulgate immediately to the peop 8. The
information was at first disbelieved by
some. but it was speedily confirmed. The
political changes of the past few days, the
renewed vote of want OF confidence.
Queen '' to secure secure the ' overthrow %
of her Ministers, her secret inter-
views with regard to new Consultation.
had been felt by some to give a hint as to
what was To be looked for in the future,
and many shared in the forebodings. On
Saturday morning rumor was busy. and 1t
was freely stated that new Constitution
was to be promulgated In the nftern oon. At
o meeting of business men. held In the room
of the Chamber of Commerce, reference was
made to this possibility. but still it was not
generally believed until In the afternoon
the unexpected happened. and doubt was
transformed into certainty. Three days
before the coup d'etst was attempted O
gentleman who enjoys the confidence of the
Queen told one of the members of the Cab
met, who was then In a private station,
that blow was to be struck and that the
In anticipation that the present members
of the Cabinet would not make any resist
ance to q revolutionary blow, the precau-
tion OF arrestlng them was not taken.
saturday morning one of the Ministers
received positive information that blow
was to be struck that afternoon. He i'm
mediately proceeded to consult two prOmi-
nent citizens on the course TO be taken.
After o conference the gentlemen referred
TO advised the Cabinet to refuse to sign the
Constitution and TO decline to resign if
their reslgnations should be demanded.
The propagation of the Legislature was the
last chapter in the story of the morning. it
went Oft tsmely and quietly enough, but
those who were acquainted with the real
situation felt that the government and ma
tion were sleeping on the crest of vol
canO. In the afternoon. mmediately after
the House had been prOrogued, Hui
kalalaina marched over to tho palace and
presented a new Constitution to the Queen
with q petition that the same be prOmul-
gated 60 the people as the fundamental law
of the land. The matter of the new COnsti-
tuition and petition had been prearranged,
and il is stated that its promulgation h ad
been promised two weeks previously and
that member from Lahaina, William
White had been actively working up the
movement.
"A large crowd of HawaiIans had gath
cred around the palace gates and in the
grounds. near flight of steps. and natives
were also gathered In large groups in the
government building yard and elsewhere
in the neighborhood. The Queen retired to
the Blue Room and summoned the Minis
ters. The Ministers at once repaired TO the
Queen in the Blue Room. She was seated
at table, dressed in a magnificent morn
ing costume. with o sparkling corOnet of
q draft Of the new Constitution. demanded
their signatures and declared her intention
to promulgate the same at once. Attor-
ney-general Peterson and Minister of
the Interior Coburn decidedly refused
to do so and Ministers Cornwall
and Parker, though more hesitatingly,
joined their colleagues In their refusal.
Ali the Cabinet now advised ana even
strongly urged her Majesty not TO violate
the law, bat she was not to be dlssuaded
from her revolutionary course. bringing
her clinehed hand down upon the table,
Queen Liliuokalanl said:
'Geltlemen, do not wish to hear eny
more advice. intend to promulgate this
Constitution and do 1t nOw.'
Proceeding. she told the Cabinet that
unless they abandoned their resistance st
once. she would go out upon the steps of
the palace and tell the excited crowd there
assembled that she wished to give them q
new Constitution. bnt that the Ministers
were inside the palace hi ndering her from
doing 1T. The Ministers remembered the
riot at the cOnrt- house and the fate of
the uniucky representatives who fell in
the hands of the mob. They knew what
the threat meant and before it could be
put into execution they fed for their lives.
From the government building the Minis
ters Immediately sent word about town
asking the citizens what support the Cab
met could expect in its resistance TO the
evolutionary movement begun by the
Queen. The leading citizens of every
p0iltical complexion hurried together at
Hon. w. o. Smiths office, their numbers
every instant being augmented by fresh
accesssions, and held hurried consultations
as TO the course to be pursued. There was
but one mind among all those gathered to-
gether; tradesmeD. lawyers. mechanics and
merchants were of one opinion. UDanimi-
~ of sentiment reigned such as has not
been witnessed here for Years, and it was
agreed without q dissenting voice, that
It was the duty of every citizen. without
distinction of party, to support the law
and liberties OF the people and TO resist
the revolutionary encroachments of the
Queen. Messages to this effect were at
once DISPATCHED To the Cabinet.
The Ministers now revisited the palace
again not without apprehen sion that they
would be taken into custody even If they
suffered no bodily harm. Great pressure
had been brought to bear upon her Majesty
trace the revolutionary steps she had al
ready taken. While her troops stood drawn
/ MP before the palace awaiting Tor the final
word of command, the Queen hesitsted.
The conference in the Blue Room lasted a
long time, and the result trembled in the
balance She could not be induced TO give
up her unlawful project. but hnally con-
sented, with bitter reluctance. to q tempo
rary postponement of the premeditated
| coup"
! The Queen was very angry woman
when. at 4P. NJ, Saturday. she returned TO
| the throne room, where were assem bled the
hui Kalaialna with most of the native
members of the Legislature, the Cabinet.
| the Governor of Oahu. the young princess.
Chief Justice Judd and Justice BicgertOn.
! the etaff, the ladies of the court, the Kahili-
bearers, etc. She assembled the dais and
| spoke substantially az follows:
princes. Mobiles and Representatives. have
listened to thousands OF the voices OF luy people
| that have come TO me, and Prepared 20
grant their request. The present Constitution ID
full OF defects, the Chief Justice here will
ffy. as questions egarding IL have often coma