The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-03-20

the Queen appeared upon the balcony
and the troops respectfully saluted
her by presenting arms and dipping
the flag, and made no demonstration
Of any hostile intent. Her attitude
at that time was that of heiplessness,
because she found no active or cOur-
ageOus support in her isolated posi-
! ton, which was self-imposed and was
regretted by few of her former sub
jects. In this condition of Hawaii
the laws for the protection of life and
property were, in fact, suspended so
far as the executive power was con-
cerned, and the citizens of the United
States in Honolulu and all the isl
ands, and their property rights, were
| virtually outlawed. The citizens of
| Honolulu were not held ameGable to
| the civil authorities, but were treated
| by the Queen, as well as by the peo-
pie, as il the country was in state OF
war. a policeman was shot down on
| the streets by person who was con-
| Quoting a wagon loaded with arms to
| the place of rendezvous where the
people had assembled, and no action
was taken for the purpose of arresting
! or putting on trial the man who did
the shooting.
In a country where there is no
power of the law to protect the citi-
zens of the United States there can be
no law of nations nor any rule of COM
| ity that can rightfully prevent our
| flag from giving shelter to them I'M
| der the protection of our arms, and
| this without reference TO any distress
it may give to the Queen who gener-
ated the confusion, or any advantage
it might give to the people who are
disputing her right TO resume or to
hold her regal powers. In every
country where there is no effective
chief executive authority, whether it
is a newly-discovered island where
only savage government prevails, or
one where the government is para
lyzed by internal feuds, it is the right,
claimed and exercised by all civilized
nations, to enter such country with
sovereign authority to assert and pro-
tect the rights of its citizens and their
property, and to remain there with
out the invitation of anybody until
civil government shall have been es-
tablished that is adequate, in a salts
factory sense, for their protection.
lit dSItt llldJ SuCh WIS
the condition OF the Hawaiian Gov
eminent at the time that the troops
were landed in Honolulu from the
steam warship Boston; that there
was then an interregnum in Hawaii
as respects the executive office; that
there was no executive power TO en-
force the laws of Hawaii, and that it |
was the right of the United States to
land troops upon those islands at any |
place where it was necessary in the |
opinion of our minister to protect our |
citizens.
In what occurred in landing the |
troops at Honolulu there may have
been an invasion, but it was not an
act of war, nor did it create that con-
dition of the public law in Hawaii.
In the period of reconstruction, as
it is called, which followed the civil
war of 1S61j65 IN the United States,
a very similar condition existed, or
ives assumed to exist, which caused
Congress to provide for yacating
offices in several of the
Southern States and filling them by
appointments of the President.
In these States strong military
bodies were stationed and general
officers of the Army took command
and enforced the laws found on their
statute books and also the laws of the
United States. All the civil officers
in those sovereign States were re-
luired to obey the commands of those
Army officers, and they did so, often
under protest, but with entire SUBJ
mission to the military power and
authority of the President, exerted
through the instrumentaIity of the
Army. That was not war. Yet it
vas the presence of military force,
actively in the enforcement ,
If the civil laws, and in full suprem-
icy over the civil authority.
The only reason that could Justify
his invasion of sovereign States by
he armies of the United States was
he declaration by Congress that the
governments in those States .
we're not in the lawful possession of {
he incumbents; that there was an
nterregnum in those States as to the I
Dtfice of governor. {
If the Queen, or the people, or both
Lcting in conjunction, had opposed {
anding of the troops from the Boston t
With armed resistance, their invasion
would have been an act of war. But {
when their landing was not opposed S
~ any objection, protest, or resist t
nee the state of war did not super s
'ene, and there was no irregularity or t
want of authority to place the troops 1
n shore. 2
In this view of the facts there is no 7
necessity for inquiring whether Min |
ster Stevens or Capt. WiItse, in '
for the landing of the @
rOops, had any purpose either to aid t
be popular movement against the !
queen that was then taking a a
efinite and decisive shape, or to b
remote the annexation of the Ha- Il
7aiian Islands to the United States. n
tut justice to these gentlemen re
uires that we should say that the o
roops from the Boston were not sent a
lto Honolulu for any other purpose Il
han that set forth fully and fairly in s.
ne following order from Capt. Wiltse
the officer in command of the de-
achment:
U. S. S. Boston, SECOND e
RATE, q
Honolulu, Hd1Odiidn Islands, il
January Is, 1898. 5