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

now for the FIRST time uISipserred
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
Iulu. March 5, 1S92.-Sir: In
view OF possible contingencies in
these islands. / ask for the in
strnctions of the Department of
State on the following, viz
If the government here should
be surprised and overturned by
an orderly and peaceful revo
lutionsry movement, largely of
native Hawaiians, and provi-
sional or republican government
organized and proclaimed, would
the United States Minister and
naval commander here he Justl
fed in resp nding affirmatively
to the call of the members of the
removed Government to restore
them to power. or replace them
in possession of the Government
bulIdings7 or should the United
State Minister and naval COM
mander confne themselves exclu-
slvely TO the preservation OF
American property, the protec-
ton of American citizens and the
prevention of anarchyl
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 loyal
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 it
be justifable 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
what exceptional action in cir
cumstances of disorder, | desire
to know how far the present
Minister and naval commander
may deviate from established
international rules and presidents
in the contingencies indicated in
the first part of the dispatch.
[ have information which L
deem reliable that there is an
organized revolutionary party on
the islands, composed largely of
ab5r n a6hBB ssf 81 WHITES Pfl anaaA ffsar
whites. led chiefly by individuals
oil the latter two classes. This
party Is hostile to the Queen and
to her chief confdants, and espe-
cially opposed to the coming to
the throne of the half English
heir-apparent, now being educat-
ed in England, and means to
gain its object either by forcing
the Queen to select her Cabinet
from its own members, or else to
overthrow the monarchy and
establish a republic with the
ultimate view of annexation to
the United Stats of the whole
island. A portion of this party
mean only the former, and the
other portion intend the latter.
Failing to accomplish the former.
the most of the party would seek
the latter alternative.
| have little doubt the revolu
tionary attempt would have been
made ere this bat for the pre-
sence of the United States ship
ofwar. l still incline to the
opinion that the revolutionary
attempt will not be made so lorg
as there Is a United States force |
in the harbor of Honolulu, but
1t would be rash to assert this
positively. Therefore. I deem it |
my official duty to ask for in
5 tructions in my view of possible
contingencies. | may add that
the annexation sentiment is in-I
creasing, quite at much amongl
the white residents and native /
and other working
men who own no sugar stock. as
with the sugar planters. | an, j
sir, etc.,
JOHN l.. STEVENS. !,
1t can readily be seen that
categorical answer by Secretary
Blaine to these inquiries what to