The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-21

Sohe ohOtnCl lSltct tcliiAs VIC
present constitution would be maintained.
On the back of this was written the
word Declined" also the time received
was noted
Blount says the Cabinet could not be re-
moved for two years. and it being against
the new constitution there was no possibil-
ity OF its being proclaimed. His descrip
tion of the revolution is as follows:
Nearly all the arms on the island of
Oahu, in which Honolulu is situated, were
in possession of the Queens Government.
Mhitery forces were organized and drilled.
and occupied the ctation house, barracks
and palace-the only points OF strategic
Significance in the event of a conflict. The
great body of the people moved on in the
usual course. and yet there were secret
conferences held by small body of men
some Germans. some being Americans and
some native born subjects of foreign
origin. Saturday evening, the 14th of
January, they took up the subject OF de-
throDing the Queen and the proclaiming of
a new government with view of annexa-
tion to the United States. The first and
most momentous question was to devise
some plan to have the United States
troops landed
'Thurston. who appears to have been a
leading spirit, on Sunday sought two
members OF the Queens Cabinet and urged
them to head the movement against the
Queen and ask Stevens to land the troops.
assuring them that in such an event Ste
vens would do so. Failing to enlist any
of the Queens Cabinet in the cause it was
necessary to devise some other mode TO
accomplish the purpose. A Committee of
Safety, consisting of thirteen members,
was formed from little body of men as
sembled in w. o. Smiths Office, deputa-
ton of these informing Stevens of their
plans and arranged with him TO land
the troops if they would ask 1t.
for the purpose of protecting life and
property 1t was agreed in the event they
should occupy the Government building
and proclaim a new government and he
would recognize it. Two leading commit
teemen, ThurstOn and Smith, growing un-
easy for the safety of their persons, went
to Stevens to know if he would protect
them in the event of their arrest by the
authorities, to which he gave assent. At
a mass-meeting called by the Committee
of Safety on January 10 there was no CON-
munication to Indicate any purpose to de-
throne the Queen or change the form Of
Government but only to authorize the
committee to take steps to prevent the
coDsummatlon of the Queens purpose and
have guarantees OF public safety.
The Committee of Public Safety kept its
purpose from public view at the mass
meeting and at small gatherings, for fear
of proceedings against them by the Gov
ernment OF the Queen. After the mass
mpQfinO alngan aan ha
Minister for troops was made and signed
unfortunately by Germans, by Amer-
cans and by Hawaiian subjects of foreign
extraction.
The commissioned says the response to
that call does not appear on the files of the
legation. That very night the Committee
of Public Safety assembled In a house
next to Minister Stevens residence. j. 81.
Soper, an American, was elected to COM
mand the military forces. 1t was on Mon
day evening, January Is. at o'clock, that
the United States troops were landed
mot much time elapsed before 1t was
given out by members Of the Committee of
Safety that they designed to support them
at the palace with Cabinet. Among the
leaders of the Queens military forces and
a great body of people who were loyal to
the Queen apprehension came in the move
ment hostile to the existing Government.
Protests were filed by the Minister of For
eign Affairs and by the Governor of the
islands against landing the troops. and
Minister Stevens was quoted and COM
mented upon.
Blount shows 1t was colluslon on the
part of the Minister and the revolutionists
He goes into the details of the matter and
10 of hx-e nd yolo
haste with which Stevens acted, and by
quoting from Stevens report and papers
on file at the legation. he declares the
Minister misrepresented the revolution to
the United States Government
Parker and Peterson testify on Tuesday
at o'clock they called on Stevens and by
him were informed In the event of the
Queens forces being assailed by the in
surrectioDary force he should intervene.
At 2:30 o'clock the same day the members
of the Provisional Government proceeded
70 the Government building in squads and
read the proclamation. They separated in
the march to the Government building for
fear of observation and arrest. Blount de-
scribes the location Of the troops, showing
the American troops controlled the posi-
ton of the Queens for ces and continues:
'"They doubtless so located to suggest to
the Queen and her cOunselors THAI they
were in cooperation with the insurrec-
tionary movement and would. when the
emergency arose, manifest it by an active
support 1t did doubtless suggest to the men
who read the proclamation that they were
having the support of tbs American Min
lister and naval commander and were safe
from personal harm. Why had the Amer
ican Minister located the troops in such a
situation and then assured the members
of the committee on safety Of their occupa-
tion OF the Government building that he
would recognize 1t as q Government dc
facto and give such Government support?
Why was the Government building desig-
mated to them as the place which, when
the proclamation was announced there
from. would be followed by his recogni-
ton? 1t is not point of any strategic
consequence. 1t did not involve the en-
pioyment of single soldier. The build
Ing chosen was where there were no troops
stationed-where there was no struggle to
be made to obtain access with an
nEIn