Hawaii holomua = Progress. [volume] (Honolulu) 1893-1895, 1894-04-28
An Excellent Review.

Nothing written on the Hawai-.
ian embroglio has hurt the feel
ings OF Stevens, the Sun and the
Tribune more than Ex-Governor
d. II. Chamberlaiue's excellent
letter to the Ne1c York Times.
We reproduce it in full, believ-
ing it to be we'll worth reading'by
all friends OF Hawaii:
No recent phase or exhibition
OF public opinion seems to me
more remarkable or deplorable
than the current animadyersions
on the dealings of President
Cleveland with the Hawaiian
question. Much of this must be
set to the account of partisan
rancor. much more to personal
and political malevolence to ward
the President and the Secretary
of State. but certain app1ec;able
part is due. have no doubt, to
honest belief, resting on ignor
ance or imperfect knowledge of
the essential feature OF the case.
1t is not, however. an essen
tally complicated case, and it
seems to me that only modicum
Of clear seeing and straight think.
ing is required to reach conclu-
sions conformable both TO good
morals and sound public law. /
have said the case is not a COM
plicated one; | do not mean by
this that is is not ore requiring
time and close attention for its
adequate mastery. The several
messages of the President to the
congress since December Is last,
with accompanying documents,
make over 300 printed pages, the
correspondence and-reports of Spe-
cial Commissioner Blount alone
covering nearly 700 pages.
The Hawaiian question can,
however, be nearly stated in a
few words. Between the 14th
and the 18th of January, 1898,
the Government of the Hawaiian
Islands was wrested from the
Queen and assumed by a Provis-
ional Government organized Ey
so-called citizens committee of
safety of thirteen persons, five
of whom were American citizens,
one an English and one German
subject, six only being Hawaiian
subjects, and of these six only
two were native born Hawaiians,
and all were of foreign parentage.
We are thus met at the outses
by the fact that the change of
government WAS conducted and
effected by a committee, a major
ity OF whom were not 4awaiians,
but subjects of foreign Govern
ments, and of whom not one was of
native Hawaiian parentage or
descent.
The so. called committe of safe
ty owed ITS existence to no action
or choice of any public body, not
even of mass meeting or mob.
1t was purely self-coEstituted,
Its first public appears to have
beea the calling of a mass meet
ing at Honolulu on January l6.
1898. Immediately after the
adjournment of this mass meeting
the committee of safety called
upon Stevens, the United States
minister at Hawaii. for the pro-
lection of the United States
forces" AT this time no effort
had been openly made to over
throw the Queens Government,
nor had the Queens Government
made the least show of force
against the committee or its sup
porters. The committee, in their
written call on Stevens. say "in
view of recent public events.
the public safety is menaced, and
and lives and property are in
peril. We are unable to
protect ourselves without aid, and
therefore, pray for the protection
of the United States forces
Immediately upon receiving
this cal of the committee the
American minister caused United
States troops with gatling guns
to be landed in Honolulu and |
stationed in $ position command |
ing the Government buildings in
that city. At the time this was
done no violence had occurred;
no forces. armed or unarmed, of |
either the Queens party or that
Of the committee, were in conflict
or were actively threatening the
public peace or the lives or pro-
perty of the citizens or American
residents of Honolulu. On the
next day. January IL. the temper
airy goverument--so called--de
by the committee OF
safety, proclaimed the abrogation
Of the Hawaiian monarchy and
the establishment of Provision
Al G<Fsrrwent, sto exist until
sezRs with the United States Of