The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-11-24
BRANDED as a CRIME.
Ex.Minister stevens Opinion of Greshamt
Hawaiian PolIcv

Hawaiian Policy.
In reply to the report of Secretary of
State Gresham regarding the intentions
of the president to permit the reinstate-
ment of Queen Liliuokalani at Honolulu
ex-Minister j. L. Stevens, of the Harri-
son administration, in an article in the
kennebec Me Journal severely scores
Secretary Gresham and strongly con-
demps the action of the president In
the course of his article Mr.. Stevens
says:
According to authentic reports from Wash
ingtOn, o public crime of startling import is
about to be committed under the authority OF
the American government public crime OF
less proportions, but in its moral type similar
to the sitting Of national life and the reform
aspirations OF Poland and Hungary, few years
ago. by the imperial despo;s, and to the crush
ing out of the newly-formed republic Of Rome
by the usurped powers of Louis Napoleon All
that American piety, American beneyolence.
American schools and American patriotism
have accomplished in Hawaii in the past sew
enty years are now centralized in The provi
sional government and stand in its.support 1t
is a government honestly and ably admin
istered and the best government that Hawaii
ever had L know not the influences
which induced Secretary Gresham to become
an active agent in attempting such great Of
Tense againt American civilization, Justice and
law. His intense hostility TO ex-President Har
rison and TO the illustrious ex-secretary OF
state, who passed to his grave in January last
is well known II was that which caused him
to tetray and desert the great politica party
whose houors he had shared and brought him
to his present attitude toward his former assO-
ciaIes and their work. So far as his recent
manifesto on Hawaiian affairs casts reflection
c1ng.I Isss
degree that the cruel and untruthful words
strike at the band OF noble men and women
who have for DIOnths stood so devotedly and
unitedlv in defense Of American civilization
The remarks made by me before the chamber
of commerce IN san + -ancisco June and be-
fore the citizers Of Augusta June 10. repub-
listed In the kennebec Journal of to-day, are
answers to most of ,fe shamefully unjust impu-
tat'ons my official action, under circum-
stances requiring r'y deepest anxiety to faith
fully serve my Country and the cause Of hu.cAn-
ity.
Secretary Gresham assumes that the friends
Of anne tivli made the revolution provisional
and tfat the private government when &C
knJwleGy ed by The United States minister ex-
is led only on paper. Queen L.liuokll1ni in
aue urated the revolution Dy attempting TO de
Etioy the lee i3ls ton by revolutionary means.
From Saturday afIerlOUh, Jdnuary a, to Jauu
AIRY IL there was no government in Honolulu
except in the united and sell possessed att
t1dc Of Il czeTs who assembled IL a great mass
meeting Un January 10 and cons ulnInsled their
eforts .Of Law anil order by the establishment
Of The provisional government Oh the nth,
which wa promptly acknowledged by all
the foreign representatives who were f3rnil-
tir with Lilicol-oIani, and her fayOrites
I'D destroyed Ter throne by revolutionary
Uuibreal; wen the msd 81 t:ie cost IN AN. ed In
t6a exciting noI.s prsceding and following her
..
formed the C-oyiGional government, had equal
access to The leTa;ion To all prope- Inquiries
my answer was thai the United States marines
could not AXE sides, bur whatever &c facto
go .erhra5n: might exist would have to be
recognized. Wien l did recognize it, late in
the afternoon of the nth, the provij onal s Oy-
ernment was complete master Of the situation.
hac Ill control of the city and of the govern
ment archives. the police station being surren-
dered and at the mercy of the provisional gov
eminent 1t vas small building in which the
disvrgariZed anG pJwerless followers Of the
fallen queens paramour, Marshall, took refuge
Z mi ther must have surrendered in q few hours
by the nero force OF hunger
The provisional government knew its power
to possess the station at once, but wished not
TO take a life OF its occupants. 1t deemed It
wiser to await their surrender. Had the
queens supporters dared TO resis. the organi
cation of the new government then the only
possible chance TO do so Was during Sunday
and Monday, the 18th and 18th, while the citi-
zens vert attending their mass meeting, Sc
lectng their committee of public safety and
10 organize u government rs openly
us public meetings are held in any American
city. They did not dare to attempt TO arrest
or interfere with the aroused white citizens.
1t wac a united and irresistible movement of
the same men with now increased numbers
that took away the despotic powers OF King
y Nggr- .-l,,1 W.
vJit in 1889 They gathered ut the armory with
tner rifles in hand, which were in
creased by other arms openly carried
in u carriage from O gun store with
only three men in charge. The only govern
ment that existed or could exist under the
was the.provisiOlal government
W hoover denies this has no other basis for his
denial than periured afIidavits, hundreds OF
which are obtanaoe in the sums o. Honolulu
I'll two dollars each. An effort has been made
TO damage my recognition OF the provisional
by dispute TO the hour OF the
clock with which gave recognition. That is
o. essential importance for in fact all resist
ance to the formation Of a new government
practically ceased more than two days before
tho committee of public safety and the pro-
visiona, government de facto existing for
twenty -four hours previous to my recognition, |
the monarchial government having completely |
several days before All unjust |
on Capt. Wiltze and myself will |
vanish into thin air and the crime Of attempt |
ing to crush out the supporters OF the Hawaiian |
provisional government will stand out in bold |
relief to American shame"
In addition to Mr.. Stevens rebuke |
comes vigorous protest from III. L. |
Castle, former journalist and resident |
Of Honolulu who took an active part in |
the revolution. Mr.. Castle feels keenly |
what he declares is the injustice of Sec
rotary Gresham to the lawaiians in |
his report upon the matter to Mr.. |
Cleveland. In speaking of the matter
he said:
I'VE were completely thunderstruck when |
We lealned that Secretary Gresham had been |
holdiI,; a brief !or a Gecayed monarchy. All |
the pretended findings OF fact are so PARTISAN, |
80 Tlcnstrously unjust ii is difficult TO see pow |
\ zane man, let alone judge. could ever have
com1 to aDy such conclusion The article con-
tains = few facts. out only enough to give IL the
appearance OF Tlausibility. It is not true that
the queen wat deposed by the American minis
Ter or the American forces. The American |
forces were passive spectators OF the conflict
,fCrl beginning to end l was an eyewitness,
lno / only testify TO what every other eyewit-
ness knows
The men who put the queen OF the throne
knew that 1t was in bitter earnest; they knew
that they took their lives in their hands: that
Il they expected to come out with whole skins
il was because they relied upon the incomPe-
ten " irresoution and the cowardice Of the
lrscn's government The provisional govern
ment Is certainly not disposed to yield to any
thing but force. Cle9eland and Gresham have
been waiting eight months TO see the
government overturned They found that CO.
was not likely TO happen, SO they
concluded they would have 10 bring it about
themselves
1T can't be done. however, without q viola
ton OF the rights OF an independent govern
ment they have recognized 1t can't be done
without the crossest Injustice to hundreds OF I