The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-12-19


properly, SO as Co prorect IL, ansueao or nc
q distance and SO - to command the |
Hawaiian government buildings and |
palace Admiral Skerrett, the officer In |
c0nAmand of our naval force ON the pa |
cific station, has frankly stated that in his |
opinion the location OF troops was inadyis-
able II fthey were landed for the protection |
of American citizens whose residences
and places of business, az well as |
the legation and consulate were I'm
. distant part Of the city, but the |
location selected was q wise one il the |
forces were landed with the purpose of
supporting the provisional government.
IL any peril TO life and property calling for
any such martial array had existed, Great
Britain and other foreign powers inter
ested
Would Not Have Been Behind
the United States i'm activity to protect
their citizens. But they male no sign in
that direction. When these armed men
were landed the city of Honolulu was IN
it's customary orderly and peaceful condi-
tiOn. There was no symptom of riot or
disturbance in any quarter. Men, women
ana children were about the streets as
usual. and nothing varied the ordinary
routine or disturbed the ordinary tran
guilty except the landing of the Boston's
marines and their march through the
town to the quarters assigned to them.
Indeed, the fact that having called for the
landing of the United States forces on the
plea OF danger to life and property, the
committee of safety themselves requested
the minister to postpone action, exposed
the untruthfulness Of their representa-
@s-,,, ,,f ,.,o..x~x v..,~sf - I;fa n~L
The peril they SAW was an anticipation
Growing Dat of Guilty Intentions
ON their part, and something which,
though not then existing, they knew
would certainly follow their attompt to
overthrow the government of the queen
without the aid of the United States
forces. Thus it appears that Hawaii was
taken possession of by the United States
forces without the consent or wish of the
| government of the islands, or of anybody
else, so far as shown, except the United
1 States minister
| Therefore, the military occupation of
| Honolulu by the United States on the day
mentioned was wholly without justifica-
tlon either as an occupation by consent or
AS an occupation necessitatel by dangers
threatening American life and property
4 ~ iiuSS DS SNIOuEltu iUF III some OIDeT
way and on some other ground, and its
real motive and purport are neither OBJ
| scnre nor far to seek. The United States
forces being now ON the scene and favor
ably stationed the committee proceeded to
carry out their original scheme They
met the next morning. Tuesday
the nth, perfected the plan of
temporary government and fixed
"A itl
drawn from thirty members of the com
mittee of safety. Between and 2 o'clock,
i by squads and by different routes to avoid
notice, and having first taken the precau.
y Eon Of ascertaining whether there was one
to oppose them, they proceeded 10 thu
government building to proclaim the new
1 government. No sign of opposition was
manifested, and thereupon an American
citizen began to read the proclamation
from the steps of the government building
almost entirely without auditors 1t is
said also that before the reading
was finished quite a concourse of person,
variousiy estimated at from 80 to 100, som,
armed and some unarmed, gathered abou
the committee TO give them aid and con
fdence. This statement is not important
since the one controlling faction i'm tn,
whole affair was unquestionably til,
United States marines, who, drawn III
under arms and
With Artillery In Readiness
. only 76 yards distant, dominated the stu
. alton. The provisional government thu
, proclaimed. was in the terms of the procla
nation, ITO exist until terms of unio
with the United States had been nego
, tiated and agreed upon" The Unite
States minister, pursuant to prior agree
! ment, recognized this government within
an hour after the reading of the proclams
: tion and before o'clock, in answer to al
! inquiry on behalf of the queen and he
cabinet, announced that he had done sc
When our minister recognized the proyis
iOnal government the only basis upo
which 1t rested was the fact that the CON
n mittee of public safety had i'm the manne
above stated declared it to exist IL wa
. government
Z Neither DeFacto Nor DE Jure.
). That 1t was not in such possession of tn
government property and agencies as t
!. 6ntitle IL to recognition is conclusivel
i proved by a note found in the files of tn
legation at Honolulu addressed by tn
: declared head of the provisional govern
! ment to Minister Stevens, dated Jannar
II, 1913, In which he acknowledged wit
expressions of appreciation Il, minister
] recognition of the provisional ~ overnmer
and states that it is not yet in the posse
! sion Of the station house (the place whel
large number of the queens troops wei
{ qnartered, though the same had been d.
. manded of the queens officers in charg
/ Nevertheless this wrongful recognition b
: our minister placed the government of til
! queen in a position of
q Most Perilous PerpIexity.
ell On the one hand she had possession of ii
q palace, of the barracks and of the polio
1 station, and at her command at least 81
d fully armed men and several pieces of q
d tillery. Indeed, the whole military fors
il Of her kingdom was on her side and at b.
II disposal, while the committee of safety, b
:, actual search, had discovered that thel
Is were very few arms In Honolulu that wei
e not In the service of the government.
j, this state of things could the queen hay
. dealt With the insurgents alone her coun
b would have been plain and the result vi
Is mistakable, but the United States ha
u allied itself with her enemies, had recogl
e lied them as the true government Of I'll
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