Hawaii holomua = Progress. [volume] (Honolulu) 1893-1895, 1894-02-05

now for the flTSf time uiSlntsrEeo /
from the secret archives OF the
division OF Rolls and Indexes in
the State Department Library
This significant letter Of Mr..
Stevens to Secretary Blaine reads
as follows:
United States Legation, Homo
lulu. March 5. lS9a.-Sir: In
view OF possible contingencies III
these islands. | ask for the IN
structions of the Department of
State ON the following. viz
II the government here should
be surprised and overturned by
nm orderly and peaceful revo
lutionarv movement, largely of
native Hawaiians. and provi-
sional or republican government
organized and proclaimed, would
the United States Minister and
naval commander here he Justi
| fed in resp ndlng affirmatively
to the call Of the me mbers of the
removed Government to restore
them to power, or replace them
! in possession of the Government
buildings7 or should the United
State Minister and naval COM
mander confine themselves exclu-
sively to the preservation of
American property, the protee-
ton of American citizens and the
prevention of anarchy!
Should revolutionary attempt
of the character Indicated be
made, there are strong reasons TO
presume that it would begin with
| the seizure of the police station,
with its arms and ammunition,
and, this accomplished, the Royal
palace and the Government
building, containing the Cabinet
Offices and archives, would very
soon be captured, the latter
building being situated about
one third of mile from the
police station.
In such contingencies would 1T
be UNSUITABLE to use the United
States forces here to restore the
Government buildings TO the peo-
pie of the displaced officials!
} Ordinarily, in like circumstances,
| the rule seems to limit the land
ing and the movements OF the
United States forces in foreign
waters and dominion exclusively
, to the protection of the United
States Legation and the lives and
property of American citizens,
But AS the relations of the United
: States to Hawaii are exceptional
and in former years the United
States officials here took some
t what exceptional action in cir,
, cumstances of disorder, l desire
to know how far the present
Minister and naval commander
may deviate from established
D international rules and precedents
e in the contingencies indicated II
the first part of the dispatch.
[ have information which
deem reliable that there is al
e organized revolutionary party OF
a the islands, composed largely o
abtt5r h HaBB sf 81 Writes shd dda
. whites. led chiefly by individual.
oil the latter two classes. This
> party is hostile to the Queen and
5 to her chief confdants, and espe-
cially opposed to the coming tC
I the throne of the half English
beir-apparent, now being educat
ed in England, and means t,
J gain its object either by forcing
9 the Queen to select her Cabine
S from its own members, or else t.
{ overthrow the monarchy and
. establish a republic with tn,
ultimate view of annexation t.
: the United Stats of the whole
4 island. A portion of this party
| mean only the former, and tn.
other portion intend the latter
! Failing to accomplish the former
, the most of the party would seel
the latter alternative.
| have little doubt the revolu
tionary attempt would have beer
made ere this bat for the pre-
sence of the United States ship
, of-war, / still incline to the
: opinion that the revolutionary
attempt will not be made SO lore
as there is United States force
in the harbor of Honolulu, but
1t would be rash to assert this
positively Therefore. / deem il
my official duty to ask for In
tructions in my view of possible
contingencies. / may add that
the annexation sentiment is In.
creaslng, quite at much among
the white residents and native
Hawaiians and other working
men who own no sugar stock. as
with the sugar planters. / AN,
sir. etc.,
JOHN L. STEVENS.
1t can readily be seen that a
categorical answer by Secretary
Blaine to these inquiries what to
do in case the revolution here
stll