Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-16
WHEN KINGS RULED.
Continued from 9Th page.)

the palace yards, but the king had weak
ened and fed to a house in the harbor,
placing guard on the bridge leading to
ii, with instructions TO shoot any one who
should approach. The household troops in
the barracks remained neutral and the pal
ace was refused to the insurgents by the
kings orders. The revolutionists made no
declaration, as they expected the king to
come TO the front and take the lead in
proclaiming the old constitution. The vol
unteer rifiemen promptly turned out and
many OF the citizens took up arms for the
government At the request of the United
States minister, Mr.. Merrill, an appointee
of the previous Cleveland administration,
a body of marines was landed and marched
up to the legation, where they remained
during the day. This had a great moral
effect. Minister Merrill also furnished the
government troops with 10000 rounds or
ammunition from the Adams. The insur-
gents were surrounded and isolated from
the populace outside The ministry drew
up a written summons to them to surren-
der, which was served on them by Hon. 5.
NJ. Damon. They refused to receive II, and
a conflict began at once between their three
field pieces and sharpshooters in the opera
house and other buildings commanding the
palace yards. Mr.. Damon had served his
summons in a shower of grapeshot and
canister. The result was that their guns
We're soon silenced and they We're driven
into a wooden building on the palace
grounds, where they were besieged during
the afternoon. Toward night heavy rifle
fire opened upon them and the roof
of the building was blown in with dyna-
mite. which forced them to surrender. Seven
of WilcoX's followers We're killed and twelve
wounded. Wilcox was afterward put on
trial for treason and acquitted by native
jury on the theory that what he did was
by and with the kings consent. He became
a popular idol and had unbounded in
fuence over the Kanakas for a time.
Proposed Treaty.
This unfortunate affair was made the most
of by demagogues to intensity race hatred.
The license of the native press was almost
Incredible. A project for a new commercial
treaty with the United States was drawn
up in the fall of 1889 by the ministry, in con-
junction with II. A. p. Carter. 1t provided
for free trade between the two countries
the perpetual cession of Pearl harbor to the
United States. and the guarantee of the in
dependence of the islands by that power.
BY working on the kings suspicious. C w
Ashford, the Canadian member of the cabi-
net, induced the king to refuse to sign the
draft of the treaty. A copy of the treaty,
including a Cancelled article authorizing the
landing of United States troops in certain
king to a native paper for publication, and
the cry was raised that the ministry were
selling the country to the United States
The Legislature Of 1880.
Owing to divisions in the reform party
and other causes mentioned above. a strong
opposition was erected the legislature,
and the reform ministry went out of office
on a tie vote. AS the parties We're so near
ly balanced a compromise cabinet of con-
sentative men was appointed June T. 1880
John A. Cummins. minister OF foreign af-
fairs; G.. \. Spencer, minister of the in
terror; Godfrey Brown, minister of finance
and \. p. Peterson, attorney general The
king at first proposed to the new premier
his old project of a ten-million- dollar loan,
but he met with no encouragement Another
scheme favored by the king and agitated
by the royalist papers was for a universal
suffrage convention to frame a new con-
stitution and deprive the white race of DO
litical power. This revolutionary measure
was defeated with great difficulty. After a
stormy session of six months the legislature
adjourned without undoing the reforms of
1857.
In order to recruit his failing health the
king visited California in the United States
cruiser Charleston as the guest of Admiral
Brown in November, 1880. He received the
utmost kindness and hospitality. both in
San Francisco and In southern California
His health, however, continued TO fail in
spite of the best medical attendance, and on
the 10Th of January, 1891. he breathed his
last at the Palace Hotel. San Francisco
In spite of his grave faults as a ruler and
man, he was kind-hearted and courteous
In private life. and there was sincere mourn
Ing in Honolulu when the news Of his death
arrived there on January %. 1891.