Omaha daily bee., 1893-11-21

IN w h1hH " ~ Nfto ~
power at the time OF tho propagation had
control OF the public affairs until n new leg
islature could assemble two years after
wards, and onRer, unless expelled by a vote
Of want Of confidence. An anti-reform cabi-
net was appointed by the queen. Some faint
struggle was made toward organizing TO vote
out this cabinet, but IL was abandoned. The
legislature was p~rorogued. Tn reform mem
bers absented themselves from the session
Of that day in the manifestation OF their
disappointment and loss of power through
the cabinet for the ensuing two years.
''The letters OF the American minister and
naval officers stationed az Honolulu in 1872
indicate any failure to appoint a ministry of
the reform party would produce a political
crisis. The voting out OF the Wilcox cabinet
produced discomfort among the reformers
verging very closely toward oue' and had
more to do with the revolution than the
queens proclamation. The first was the
foundation, the latter the opportunity.
wanted a Now Consultation.
TN the legislatures of 1891 and 1892 many
petitions were filed asking for u new con-
stitution. Many were presented to the
queen. The discomfort with the constitu-
tion of 1887 and the eagerness TO escape from
1t. controlled the elections against the party
which had established it. Divisions on the
mode of changing the constitution, whether
0y legislative action or by constitutional con-
%vention and the necessity of a two-thirds
vote of the legislature &c effect amendments,
prevented relief by either method. Such
was the situation at the propagation OF The
legislature of 1892.
This was followed by the usual cere-
monies ut the palace on the day Of proroga-
ton, the presence of the cabinet, supreme
,ourt judges. diplomatic corps and troops.
The queen informed her cabinet of her pur-
pose TO proclaim a new constitution and re-
luested them to sign it,
He then tells how the cabinet refused to
sign the constitution and the discontinue of
H. 100 o. -,,, r,y 1G - ,snr1a ynn inn,
was signed by the queen ana her friends say
ng that what she had proposed to do on
;he Saturday previous, she was compelled
20 by stress of her native subjects. This
was sent to Minister Stevens, to which there
was no response. On the 18th she sent
another letter telling him the present con-
ititution would be maintained. On the back
Of this was written the word declined"
ilso the time received noted.
Description OF the Revolution.
MIR. Blount says the cabinet could not be
removed for two years, and it being against
anew constitution there was no possibility
Of it being proclaimed. His description of
The revolution is as follows:
NEARLY all of the arms on the island of
Oahu, in which Honolulu is situated, were
in the possession Of the queens government.
A military force organized and drilled occu-
pied the station house, the barracks and the
palace-the only points of strategic signih-
canoe in the event of n conflict. The great
body of the people moved on in their usual
course. Women and children passed to and
FRO through the streets, seemingly uncon-.
icious of any impending danger, and yet
there We're secret conferences held by a
small body of men, some of whom were Ger
mans, some Americans, some native born
subjects of foreign origin. On Saturday
evening, the 18th of January, they took up
the subject of dethroning the queen and pro-
claiming a new government with a view of
annexation to the United States. The
first and most momentous question
was to devise some plan to have
the United States troops landed. Mr..
Thurston, who appears to have been the
leading spirit, on Sunday soueht member of
the queens cabinet and urged them to head
a movement against the queen and to ask
MIR. Stevens to land the troops, assuring
them that in such an event MIR. Stevens
would do so.
Failing to enlist the queens cabinet in
the cause, 1t was necessary to devise some
other mode to accomplish this purpose. A
committee of safety, consisting of thirteen
members, had been formed from u little
body OF men assembled in w. n. Smiths
%ofice,a deputation of these informing Mr..
Stevens of.their plans. and arranging with HIM
to land the troops when they asked it '.for
the purpose of protecting life and property"
~. Tho Plot Thickens.a
cit was agreed between him and them
that in the event they should occlpy tho
o''Ns uhiii aio 'i a Z
government he would recognize it. Two
members of the committee, Thurston and
Smith, growing uneasy as to the safety of
their persons, went TO him to know if he
would protect them in the event of their ar
rest by the authorities, TO which he gave his
assent.
AT the mass meeting called BY the COM
mittec of safety on the 10th of january
there was no communications to the crowd of
a purpose to revolt, but only to authorize the
committee to take steps TO prevent a con-
summation of the queens purposes and to
have guarantees of public safety.
1.-The committee of public safety had kept
their purpose from the public from fear of
the authorities. After the mass meeting
closed a cali on the American minister for
troops was made and signed indiscriminately
by Germans and Americans, also by
Hawaiian subjects OF foreign extraction"
Inc commissioner says: "The response TO
that call does not appear on the flies of the
legation. That very night the committee of
public safety assembled in u house next to
Minister Stevens residence. j. ii. Soper,
na American. was elected TO command the
military forces. 1t was Oh Monday even
ing, January 10, at 8 O'Clock that the United
States troops were landed. Not much time
elapsed before it was given out by the com
mlttee OF safety that they were designed to
support them. AT the palace, with the
rnbinet amongst the leaders of the queens
militia and the great body of people who
were loyal TO the queen, the apprehension
came that II was u move hostile to the ex-
isting government. Protests were filed by
The minister OF foreign affairs and the gov
ernor oil the Islands against landing troops.
warned tho q usen's supporters.
"Messrs, Parker and Peterson testified
that on Tuesday at | o'clock they called on
MIR. Stevens and were informed that in the
event the queens forces assailcd the insur-
rcctionist forces he would intervene. AT
s:30 the same day the members of the pro-
vlsionai government proceeded To the gov
ernment building in squads and read their
proclamation. They had separated in their
march to the government building for fear
of observation and arrest"
MIR. Blount described the location of the
troops, showing that the American troops
controlled the position of the queens forces.
he continues; They were doubtless located
10 suggest TO the queen that they were in
ro'opt ration with the nsurrectionary move
ment, and would, when the emergency arose,
manifest IL by active support.
ut did doubtless suggest TO the men who
road the proclamation that they were having
the support of the American. minister and
naval COMMANDER and were safe from per-
sonal harm.
Why had the American minister located
the troops IN such Il position and then
assured the members OF the committee OF
SAFETY that on their occupation OF The gov
Ornuent building he would reroUniza tbam