Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-12-22

aolccs. mus IL appears that Hawaii was
taken possession of by the United States
forces without the consent or wish of the
government of the islands, or of ANYBODY
else, so far as shown, except the United
States minister.
Therefore, the military occupation of
Honolulu by the United States on the day
mentioned was wholly without justifica-
zion either as an occupation by consent or
AZ an occupation necessitatcd by dangers
threatening American life and property.
1t must he accounted for in some other
way and on some other ground, and its
real motive and purport are neither OBJ
scure nor far to seek. The United States
forces '2ing now on the scene and favor
ably Stationed the committee proceeded to
carry out their original scheme. They
met the next morning. Tuesday,
the 18th, perfected the plan of
temporary government and fixed
up its principal officers, ten of whom were
drawn from thirty members of the COM
mittee of safety. Between l and 9 o'clock,
by squads and by different routes to avoid
notice, and having first taken the precau-'
ton of ascertaining whether there was one
to oppose them, they proceeded to the
government building to proclaim the new
government. No sign of opposition was
manifested, and thereupon an American
citizen began to read the proclamation
from the steps of the government building
almost entirely without auditors. 1t is
said also that before the reading
was finished quite a concourse of persons
variously estimated at from 50 t o 100, some
armed and some unarmed, gathered about
the committee to give them aid and con-
ndence. This statement is not important,
since the one controlling faction in the
whole affair was unquestionably the
United States marines, who, drawn up
under arms and with artillery in readiness
only Is yards distant, dominated the still
alton. The provisional government thus
proclaimed was in the terms of the procla-
nation, ito exist until terms of union
with the United States had been negot-
lated II agreed upon" The United
States minister, pursuant to prior agree
ment, recognized this government within
an hour after the reading of the proclama-
ton and before 5 o'clock, in answer to an
inquiry on behalf of the queen and her
cabinet, announced that he had done so.
When our minister recognized the provis-
ional government the only basis upon
which it rested vas the fact that the COM
mittee of public safety had in the manner
above stated declared it to exist. It was
a government
Neither DeFacto Nor De Jure.
That it was not in such possession of the
government property and agencies as to
entltle it to recognition is conclusively
proved by a note found in the files of the
legation at Honolulu addressed by the
declared head of the provisional govern
rnonk <n Mi, S%,,.,~ J~Al .-.
II, 1888, in which he acknowledged with
expressions of appreciation the minister's
recognition of thu: provisional government
and states that it is not yet in the posses
sion OF the station house (the place where
a large number of the queens troops were
! Quartered, though the same had been de-
manded of the queens officers in charge.
Nevertheless this wrongful recognition by
II minister placed the government of the
queen in a position of
Most Perilous P%erplexity.
On the one hand she had possion of the
palace, of the barracks and of the police
station, and at her command at least SOC
fully armed men and several pieces of ar
tillery. Indeed, the whole military force
of her kingdom was o. her side and at her
disposal, while the committee of safety, by
actual search, had discovered that there
were very few arms in Honolulu that were
not in the service of the government. In
this state of things could the queen have
dealt with the insurgents alone her course
would have been plain and the result un-
mistakable, but the United States had
! allied itself with her enemies, had recogn-
lied them as the true government of Ha-
waii and has put her in the position Of op-
position against lawful authority. She
knew thBt she could not withstand
the power Of the United States,
but she believed that she might
Safely Trusted to Its Justice.
Accordingly, some hours after the rec.
ignition of the provisional government by
the United States minister the palace, the
barracks and all the police stations, with
all the military u of the country
were delivered up by the queen upon the
ren%resentation made to her that her cause
would thereafter be reviewed at Washing.
ton. While protesting that she surrend.
cred to the superior force of the United
States, whose minister ordered United
, States troops to be landed at Honolulu
and declared that he would support the
provisional government and that she
yielded her authority to prevent collision
VI df1lcu lOECcS dllu lOSS Ol lie ana ONLY
until such time as the United States, upor
the facts being presented to it, should,
under the direction of its representative
reinstate her in the authority she claimed
as the constitutional
Sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands. ~
This protest was delivered to the chief OF
the provisional government, who endorsed
thereon his acknowledgment of it's re.
ceipt. The terms of the protest were read
without dissent by those assuming to con.
stitute the provisional government, who
were certainly charged with the knowl-
edge that the queen, instead of finally
abandoning her power, had appealed to
the justice of the United States for rein
statement in authority. And yet the pro-
~visional~ government, with this unanswered
protest in it's hands, hastened to negotiate
with the United States for the permanent
Punishment of the queen from power and
for a sale of her kingdom. Our country
was in danger of occupying the position of
having actually set up a temporary gov
eminent on foreign soil for the purpose of
acquiring through that agency territory
which we had wrongfully put in our pos
session. The control of both sides of a
bargain III such Il manner is called by 4
Familiar and Unpleasant Name
when found in private transactions. We