The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-20

now on the scene and favorably stationed,
the committee proceeded to carry out their
original scheme They met the next morn
ing CTuesday), the 18th, perfected the plan
Of temporary government and fixed upon
its principal officers, ten OF whom were
drawn from the thirteen members or the
committee Of safety. Between l and 2
o'clock, by squads and different routes, to
avoid notice. and having first taken the
precaution OF ascertaining whether there
was any one 70 oppose them, they pro-
ceeded 10 the government building TO pro-
claim the new government No sign OF
opposition was manifested, and thereupon
one of the citizens committee began to
read the proclamation from the steps Of
the government bullding, almost enJTely
without auditors. 1t is said that before
the reading was finished cOncourse of
persons, estima ed at about five thousand,
some armed and some unarmed, gathered
about the committee to give them aid and
confidence. This statement is not tmpor-
tant since the one controlling factor in
the whole affair was unquesuonably the
United States troops who. drawn up un-
der arms and with artillery IN readiness,
only seventy-stX yards distant, dominated
the situation
claimed was by the terms Of the proclam5.-
tion Ito exist until terms OF union with
the United States had been negotiated and
agreed upon" The United States minis
pized this governmer within an hour after
the reading of the PROCLAMATION, and be-
fore o'clock. in ,nswer to an inquiry
on behalf Of the queen and her cabinet, an
nounced that he had done SO.
Neither de FactO Nor de Jure.
When our minister recognized the pro-
visional government the only basis upon
which it rested was the fact that the COM
mittee Of public safety had in the manner
above stated declared Il to exist IL was
neither a government de facto nor de jure.
That * not in such possession of the
government property and agencies as en-
titled it to recognition is obviously proved
by another letter found in the files of the
legation Of Honolulu, addressed by the
declared head of the provisional govern
ment to Minister Stevens, dated Jan. II.
1898, in which he Acknowledges, with eX-
pressions OF appreciation, the minister's
recognition of the provisional government.
and states that II is not yet IN the pos
session Of the station house dhe place
where a large number Of the queens troops
We're quartered), although the same had
been demanded Of the queens officers in
Nevertheless, this wrongful recognition
by our minister, placed the government of
the queen in a position Of most perilous
perpleXity on the one hand she had pos
session of the palace of the barracks and
of the police station, and had at her COM
mand at least 500 fully armed men and sew
eral pieces of artillery. Indeed the whole
military forces OF her kingdom was on her
side and at her disposal while the COM
mittee Of safety, By actual search, had dis
covered that there were but very few arms
in Honolulu that were 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. but the
United States had allied itself with her
enemies and had recognized them as the
true government of Hawaii, and had put
her and her supporters in the position of
opposition against lawful authority She
could not Withstand the power of the
United States but she believed that she
might safely trust 70 it's justice Accord
ingly some hours after the recognition OF
f-fr
states minister the palace, the barracks
and the police station, with all the mill
tary resources of the country, were de-
livered up by the queen upon the repre-
sentation made to her that her cause would
thereafter be rev. wed at Washington, she
protesting that s surrendered 70 the SUI
minister ordered the United States troops
to be landed at Honolulu, and declared
that he would support the provisional gov
ernment, and that she yielded her authori-
~. to prevent the collision Of armed forces
and loss OF life, and, only until such time
as the United States. upon the facts being
presented to it. should undo the action of
its representative and reinstate the author
ity she claimed as the constitutional
sovereign of the Hawaiian islands. This
protest was delivered to the chief Of the
provisional government. who indorsed
thereon his acknowledgment of its receipt.
The terms OF the protest were read with
out dissent by those assuming to consti-
tute the provisional government, who were
certainly charged with the knowledge that
power. had appealed to the justice Of the
United states for reinstatement in her
dulIlOilly, anu Scl w w PLoElSIoIIi P, SoNeIH-
ment with this unanswered protest IN its
hands, hastened to negotiate with the
United States for the permanent banish-
ment of the queen from power and for a
sale Of her kingdom.
Nothing short of Theft.
Our country was in danger Of occupy
ing the position of having actually set up
a temporary government on foreign soil
for the purpose Of acquiring through that
agency territory which we had wrongfuly
put in our possession. Such bargain is
called by familiar and unpleasant name
when found in private transactions.
We are not without a precedent showing
how scrupulously we avoided such accusa-
tons in former days After the people Of
Texas declared their independence Of
Mexico, they resolved that on the acknowl-
edgment of their independence by the
United States, they would seek admission
into the union. Several months after the
battle of San Jacnto, by which TeXas's
independence was practically assured and
recognize II, alleging as one OF his reasons
that in the circumstances it become us to
beware of a too early movement, as it
might subject US, however unjustly. to the
claim of our neighbOrs 10 q territory, with
a view TO its subsequent acquisition by
with the hasty recognition of government
openly and concededly set UP for the pur-
pose of rendering TO us territory anneXa-
ton. I believe that a candid and thor
ough examination OF the facts will force
the conviction that the provisional govern
ment owes its existence TO an armed in
vasion by the United States. Fair-minded
people, with the evidence before them, viii
hardly claim that the Hawaiian govern
ment was overthroWn by the people Of the
islands, or that the provisional govern
ment has ever existed with their consent.
l do not understand that any member OF
this government claims that the people
would uphold il by their Suftrages II they
were allowed to vote on the question.
While naturally sympathizing with every
effort to establish a republican form OF
government it is the settled policy OF the
United States to concede to the people of
foreign countries the same freedom and
independence in the management OF their
domestic affairs that we have always
claimed for ourselves, and IL has been
our practice to recognize revolutionary
governments as soon as 1t became ap-
parent that they were supported by the
people. Fer illustration of this RUIZ l
need only refer to the revolution in Brazil
I'm 1850 when our minister was Instructed
to recognize the republic as soon as a ma
jOrity of the people or br9Hh shouI nave
slgniAed their assent to ats establi shment
and maintenance; the revolution in Chill
in 1891, when our minister was dlrecteu 10
recognize the new government, II 1t was
accepted by the people And to the reNOlu-
tion in Venezuela in 1892, when our recog-
milton was accorded on condition that the
government was fully established in pos
session of the power Of the nation and ac-
cepted by the people" AS L understand
the situation. we are brought face to face
with the following conditions.
A LawIess Act.
The local government of Hawaii was
overthrown without the drawing of a