The Indianapolis journal., 1893-11-22
REPLIED TO MR.. BLOUNT.
Concluded from First page1

under similar conditions have done upon
previous circumstances. Fortunately there
IS no dispute as to the facts concerning
two recent incidents in Hawaiian history
in which the same parties who were brought
into conflict in January, 1893, were ar
rayed against each other under similar cir
First-In 1887 the King, by a manipulation
of the electorate, had encroached upon pop
ular rights and Obtained autocratic power
over the people. In this course he was sup
ported by practically the same persons who,
in January last, and now constitute the
royalist party in Hawaii The open bribery,
corruption and debauchery of the King and
his supporters crystalliZed the opposition
thereto into an organization of practically
stitute the provisional government. Such
organization was formed with the openly
ayowed intention OF wrestling from the
King his powers-for dethroning him. In
preparation for the expected movement the
King fortified the palace, loopholed its
basement for sharpshooters,. erected sand
building, mounted cannons and Gatling
guns at all the approaches thereto, largely
defed the organization and public opinion.
The leaders of the revolutionary move
ment proceeded deliberately to col,
lect such arms as were available and
organized their plans. An executive COM
mittee Of thirteen was appointed, who took
entire control of the movement and called
a mass meeting in the same building used
for that purpose on January last. The
King attempted to hold off the meeting by
sending a letter to it, promising certain re-
forms. The letter had no effect Resolu-
tionS were adopted denouncing the King
and demanding the granting OF new con-
stitution, depriving the King of all personal
power. The resolutions were forthwith pre-
sented to the King by the committee who,
unarmed and alone, proceeded direct from
the meeting to the fortified palace with the
ultimatum that he comply with the de-
mands within twenty-four hours or take
the consequences. The King was then in
absolute control of the regular troops, the
special troops enlisted for the occasion,
four companies of native militia, the police,
all the artillery and Gatling guns, the gov
ernment buildings, the palace the barracks
and the station house. with full knowledge
of the weeks preparation and the action
taken by citizens. His military strength
was greater and his control on the public
buildings more complete than was that OF
the Queen in January last. He did not fire
a shot, submitted TO all demands, dis
banded his troops and turned the whole
control of the government over to the revo-
lutionary party who. in consideration of
his abiect submission aHowed MN 10 con
tinue on the throne in hgurehead ca
"Second-In 1889, while the same men who
now cons .itute the provisional government
were i'm control of the Kings government
% conspiracy was organized among the
royalist supporters, and by the King and
met and the restoration of the old royal
power and constitution. The cOnspirators
took the Cabinet by surprise, and. on the
night Of July 30 took possession OF all the
artillery and fortified the palace. The reg,
MAR troops. by order of the King, refused
to assist the Cabinet, who called upon the
WhoIe militia and white citizens for assist,
ance. The call was promptly responded to.
The revoluticniStS were protected by an
eight-foot stone wall around the palace,
and used artillery as well as rifles, while
the Cabinet supporters were armed with
rifles alone. The fighting opened at O'Clock
III the morning, with less than thirty Cab
inet supporters in position in front of the
palace, which number was later increased
TO about five hundred. The royalist revolu-
t,onists opened with a furious attack OF
boch artillery and small arms. Within half
an hour they were driven from their guns.
Seven were killed and twelve wounded. and
before dark all of them We're dispersed or
captured, while not one of the Cabinet sup
porterS was injured.
such is the undisputed record of events
upon two occasions when the rOyalistS and
the organizers of the provisional govern
n!ent have come into armed conflict when
there has been no suggestion OF support TO
either side by any outside power. Under
| these circumstances, l submit that the bur-
| den OF proof is those who claim that the
| leaders Of the provisional government are
| OF in power or the organization OF the gov
ernment cannot successfully carry out q
revolution in Hawaii.
lit is unnecessary for me to here state
| the details of the bitter constitutional con-
| fiict which had been carried on between the
! Queen and the Legislature during the seven
months prior to January last, nor TO speak
| of the intense Indignation existing among
| all classes of persons by reason of the open
! and successful alliance of the Queen with
! opium and lottery rings. The political lib
critics Of the people had been trampled upon
and their moral sense shocked. 1t simply
| needed the added provocation of the arbi-
trary attempt to abrogate, the Constitution
| and disfranchise every white man i'm the
country TO spontaneously crystalline opposi-
| tion into force that was irresistible.
| In reply to the sneer that the per-
| sons taking part i'm the movement were
aliens, l would say that every man of them
| was by the laws of the country, legal
| voter, whose right to the franchise was,
by the proposed Constitution. to be abro-
| gated. A large proportion of them Were
| born in the country, and almost without
exception those not born there had lived
! there for years owned property there and
| had made it their home They the
| men who had built up the country COM
mercially, agriculturally, financially and
| politically, and created and made possible
a civilized government therein. They were
and are such men as to-day are the leading
| citizens of the most progressive community
| OF the United States, with interests as
| thoroughly Identified with the interests of
| Hawaii as are the interests of native and
| foreign born citizens in similar communi-
ties in this country Identified with IL.