The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-12-15
MESSAGE KEPT BACK
50 the HaWaiians May Not Know
What Congress is Told.
GRESHAM CAN'T FIND A LETTER
HE THINKS BLAINE WROTE.

Reply to a Request for Instructions
Made by Minister stevens-In His Let
tor. Minister stevens Told of the Pros
pect of a Revolution and Asked That
His Duty Be Defined.
Washington, December 14-No Hawaii
an news is expected before Monday. The
Presidents formal reply to the requests
from Congress to communicate the in
structions given Minister Willis and
Commissioners Blount is said to be all
ready for transmittal. An unofficial
statement is made tht it is not deemed
compatible with public interests to give
publicity to these official documents in
time to have all unauthorized synopsis of
their contents telegraphed to San Fran
cisco in the press dispatches so as to be
conveyed to Honolulu by the steamer
Alameda which sails tomorrow. Another
reason assigned for delay in transmitting
the correspondence has attracted much
attention in Congress. 1t is asserted
that certain official dispatches, assumed
to have been written by Secretary Blaine
in response to the significant despatch of
Minister Stevens, dated March 8, 1892,
are missing from the records. The letter
of Mr.. Ste vens, the answer to which ap-
parently never came is quite important
in the light of subsequent events. 1t is
not included in the pu blished volume of
foreign relations for 1892, sent to Con-
gress. A noticeable fact, which will be
made clear when the Presidents message
and other documents are made public,
is that very many important state
papers in relation to Hawaii are now for
the first time disinterred from the secret
dexes' in the State Department library.
This is the significant letter of Mr..
Stevens
Omitted States Legation, Honolulu,
March 8, 1892.
"Sir-In view of possible contingencies
in these islands, ask for the instruc-
tions of the Department of State on the
following, viz: II the government here
should be surprised and overturned by
an orderly and peaceful revolutionary
movement largely of native Hawiians,
and provisional or repub ican govern
ment, organized and proclaimed, would
the United States minister and naval
commander here be justified in respond
ing affirmatively to the call of members
of the removed government to restore
them to power or replace them in posses
should the United States minister and
naval commander confne themselves
exclusively tc. the pr5ser sation of Ameri-
can property. the protection of Ameri can
citizens and; the proven tion of anarchy?
Should a revolutionary attempt of the
character indicated be made, there are
strong reasons to presume it would begin
with the seizure of the police station,
with its arms and ammunitions. This
accomplished, the royal palace and gov
ernment building containing the cabinet
offices and archives would very soon be
captured, the latter building being
situated about third of a mile from the
police station. In such contingencies,
would it be justifiable to tuse the United
States forces here to restore the govern
ment buildings SQethec ecppssession of the
displaced oaicialsD Ordinarily, in like
| circumstances, the Tdae seems to be to
| limit the IandingI and movement of
| United States forces. in foreign waters
| and dominion exclusively TO the protec-
| tion of the United States legation and
| the lives and property of American citi
IONS but, as the relations of the United
| States to Hawaii are exceptional and in
| former years the United States officials
here took somewhat exceptional action
| in circumstances of disorder, / desire to
| know how far the present minister and
| naval commander may deviate from
established international rules aid pre-
cedents in the contingencies Indicated.
Il have informal on that deem reli-
| able that there is an organized revolu-
| tionary party on the islands, composed
| largely Of native Hawaiians and con-
siderable number Of whites and half
| whites, led chiefly by indivi duals of the
| latter two classes. This party is hostile
to the Queen and her chief confidants,
and is especially opposed to the coming to
| the throne of the half English heir ap-
parent now being educated in England.
| It means to gain it's object either by
! forcing the Queen to select a cabinet
| from its own members or the overthrow
| of the monarchy and the esta blishment
| of republic with the ultimate view of
| the annexation to the United States of
| the whole island. A portion of this party
mean only the former. The other portion
| intend the latter. Failing to accomplish
| the former, most of the party would seek
| the latter alternative I have little doubt
| a stationary attempt would have been
| made ere this but for the presence of an
| United Statesuship Of war. I still incline
| to the opinion that no revolutionary at
| tempt will be made as long as there is
! an United States forcs in the harbor OF
| Honolulu. 1t would be rash to assert
this positively, and ] deem it my official
| duty to ask for instructions in view OF
| the possible contingencies. / may add
| the annexation sentiment is increasing
as much among the white residents and
native Hawaiians and other working
men who own no sugar stock, as with
| the sugar planters.
I am sir, ETC.,
| JOHN L.STEVENS."
| 1t can readily be seen that q Categorical
| answer by Secretary Blaine to these in
quiries as to what to do in case the revo-
| luton, here foreshadowed nine months
! in advance, actually broke out. wo1ld be
of absorbing interest. It is said NO
answer can be found on the files.
| F.P. Hastings, secretary of legation OF
| Hawaii in this city, received a Telegram,
from Minister Thurtson based or infor-
nation received by the latter at San
Francisco on the steamer Oceanic vester.
day, saying: "The friends Of the nro.
visional government are confident and
| sanguinc They are determined to resist
assault from whatever quarter if NAV
| come"
- San Franolsco, Denem her 14--Hav;ian
Minister ThurSteu has takar n.ssara On
! the s.eansr Alameda which will al fo, a
Honolulu at 2 O'clock tomorrow. 80
The Ford's Theatre Disaster
Washington, December a. 4--Tbe raso,,,
tion offered at the last session II hr sqdr Tfr