The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-03-03
THE EX- QUEEN TALKS.
AN INTERVIEW wIrH uER NY MR.
LEIGH IRVINE.
Liliuokaiani Receives Newspaper Cor
respondent and Gives Her Views
of the Passing show

| by today's Australia, correspondent
Leigh Irvine sent the following report
Of an interview with the ex-Queen to tn,
| EGdminer and the New York Herald:
HONOLULU, March 3, 1891.
Since the last steamer | have sue
ceeded in interviewing the ex-Queen
who has hitherto refused to discuss
matters bearing on the Hawaiian situa.
ton with any but trusted friends.
Though guarded in speech Liliuokalani
expressed herself freely on few
phases of the question at issue between
the former Government and the Pro-
visionals.
| found her quite alfable and in a
reasonable. cheerful and pleasant mood.
] saw her at / o'clock Wednesday, and
when her chamberlain presented me she
arose from divan, where 81 e sat neatly
attred in black silk, put aside varie-
gated piece of crocheting, at which she
was engaged, and gave me hearty
welcome. Underneath her cheerful as
pect a suggestion of sadness was appar-
ent. Her life has not been IA very happy
one, and her friends say that there has
been a tinge of melancholy from girl
hood, so l could not say whether her
quiet mood was constitutional or the
result of her late misfoitunes.
With "a gentle wave of the hand she
said; "Be seated pray" whereupon
took a chair at her right. After / had
thanked her for the permission of an
interview she SAID: II rust that YOU
"a rn' ON in N-iutr N.nur ,.iGty tI..
Islands, and that you find our people
pleasant and courteous, although must
assure you that they are suffering very
much owing to the uncertain conditions
which have SO long prevailed"
When | had assured her that | found
the Hawaiians hospitable and gentle
people, she seemed pleased and said /:
Il am glad that you have found them
SO. Our subjects have been badly mis-
represented at times, and sometimes
they grow impatient over matters now
pending, but we have counselled them
to wait, and have always told them we
had confidence in the ultimate justice of
the American Government"
Remembering the old adage "Once "A
Queen, always Queen, asked, Does
Your Majesty still have faith in restora-
ton p
"Of course we anXiously await news
by every steamer, as you may imagine"
she saIu, "but we now have the same
faith in the triumph of justice which
we have had from the outset: that is,
we have the greatest faith in the Ameri-
can nation and in MIR. Cleveland particu-
larry. We have no better means. how
ever, of knowing what will be done
than the public at large. for we depend
wholly ON the newspapers for informa-
tor"
''1sthere any particular message Your
Majesty desires to deliver TO the Amer
lean public through the Examiner and
Herddy' | asked, and her ans wer,
emitting a few Interruptions and digres-
sions, was practically as follows:
1--WE have hitherto not felt it proper
to discuss matters at issue while the
case is under consideration, she replied,
but you may contradict one of the
many false rumors for ms if you please.
IL has been widely published in America
and elsewhere that our interest IN the
case is wholly personal OF course
We have naturally great per-
sonal interest at stake, but you may say
that we are very sorry on account of our
patient native people. many of whom
have lost employ ment by the overthrow.
If anything grieves us sorely, more
sorely than our own annoyance, it is
their distress. Their devotion has been
so marked during our trouble that we
are most deeply grateful. They are. of
course, very anxious about their liber-
ties, for [ assure you that the Hawaiians
love their country: | may say | believe
they are as patriotic as any people in the
world,
l. liuokalani would not discuss the
questions pertaining to the formation of
a new government here, and she de-
clIned to express any opinion as to
whether the Hawaiians would ulti-
mately rebel, though she did say: "Our
subjects are probably more patient than
any other people in the woi Id, and for
that matter we have counseled them to
be peaceful and await results"
She said she loved the American peo-
pie and the American Government but
believed there was as much liberty in
Hawaii under the monarchy as in the
United States.
Going more into details she said:
people prosper under the monarchy
and tramps " ere unknown. The poor
were not numerous in our country and
many white men made fortunes under
the old conditions. BY the v ay. there
are some serious problems in your own
Government, rs in all civilized cOun-
tries to day. | read that there are
millions of idle and desperate. hungry
men hunting for employment in other
civilized lands. We are very surrY to
see SO many of them coming to these
Islands and we wish you would V arm
Them that there is nothing for them to
do here"
Neglecting the use Of the plural. Lii
uokaleni then broke forth say ing, i'm.
patiently, with wave of the hand; Il
wish they would turn the other way!
There are enough poor natives aud
others idle here now. l hope no more
will be attracted this way by reason of
the peculiar notorlety the Islands have
had"
In conclusion she said: Il trust that
you will not misrepresent us, as has
sometimes been done. OF course cor
respondents cannot always be blamed
for being prejudiced in favor of the
views represented by their papers, but
sometimes they have written shameful
reports of interviews"
| then Withdrew intending merely to
make IA respectful bow, but Liliuokalani
stepped forward pleasantly and offered
me her hand, shaking hearty farewell
and wishing me pleasant sojourn and
q safe return home.
FOURTH DISTRICT CLUB.