Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-10
Mr.. GRESHAM'S LETTER
Why Hawaii Was Asked to Recall Minister
Thurston.
Furnished Matter to the Press, 1t is
Claimed, for Which He After
ward ApOlOgfzed.

Secretary Greshams letter to Minister
Willis, directing him to ask for the recall
of Mr.. Thurston. the Hawaiian minister in
this city, news of the receipt of which at
Honolulu was announced in yesterdays
Star, is as follows:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON, February p, 1895.
Sir: regret to be constrained to bring to
your attention and through you to the
knowledge of the Hawaiian government
certain acts of its representative in the
United States of which this government
has just grounds to complain.
In order to set forth the facts with de-
sirable clearness. it becomes necessary to
recite fully what occurred at two inter-
views which I had with Mr.. Thurston at
this department on the 10th and 18th in
stants.
The recent seizure of ship at San Diego,
Cal. for alleged violation of our neutrality
laws in carrying arms to Hawaii was the
occasion of his first call. After brief con-
versation this subject 1 took occasion
to remark that 1 had information that he
was not pleased with your action In con-
nection with recent events at Honolulu
Mr.. Thurston desired to know why that
view was entertained here, whereupon
handed him a clipping from a New York
paper of the 18th instant, of which a full
copy is hereto appended. Enclosure ~
After he had read this article, 1 asked
him if he had furnished the matter to the
paper for publication. He at once said he
had furnished the paragraph. which he
pointed out, reading as follows:
There has been great reaction among
the more prominent royalists who were not
concerned in and did not approve of the
late insurrection, and a number of them
have taken the oath of allegiance to the
republic. Othels had stated that as long
as the queen claimed that she should be
tod tha~ n
help from the United States government to
reinstate her. they felt in duty bound to
support restoration. Now that the queen
has abdicated and further action on the
part of the United States looking to res
toration is hopeless, they proposed to ac-
cept the situation and work for anneXa-
ton. which many of them say they have
all along considered the best course for all
concerned, but have been prevented from
advocating it by what they considered their
duty to the queen"
Letters to ThurstOn Copied.
I then desired to know If Mr.. Thurston
had also furnished to the same paper the
concluding paragraphs, purporting to be
extracts from letter written by "a prom
trent lawyer in Honolulu" and reading
thus:
Mr.. Halves. the British representative,
has confined his action to diplomatic re-
quest to the government that, il not in
ment capital punishment proposed to be
inflicted on any British subjects may be
postponed until he can communicate with
his government. Upon the publication OF
the instructions of Secretary Herbert to
Admiral Beardslee in the local papers, de-
claring that no protection would be given
to Americans who either opposed or sup
ported the government. a number of En-
glishmen applied to Halves to know
whether his course would be similar to
that CT the American government. He i'm
mediatey replied that on the contrary, he
considered II highly proper for all English
the government, and by so doing they vio-
lated no international law, and would for
felt none Of their rights as English citizens.
Had the insurrectionists not been dis
covered at the time they were, and had
they once succeeded in getting into the
city. there would have been savage butch
cry. as they were well supplied with dyna-
mite bombs. and the evidence which has
been developed shows that their plans were
to march into town at o'clock in the
morning along the main avenue leading to
the city, blowing up the residences of the
principal supporters of the government as
they advanced. regardless of the women
and children therein, in order to prevent
support reaching the government. Their
plans also were for an uprising Of the
natives in the city, attacks simultaneously
10 be made on the palace. the government
buildings and station house and the tele-
phone station. The arms and dynamite
bombs stored at the queens residence were
to play an important part in the plans. A
marked feature of the situation is the large
number of natives who rallied to the sup
port of the government They volunteered
to the number of nearly 300 to go to the
front. The final capture of most of the
rebels who remained in the mountains was
by Capt. Robert Parker, a three-quarters
native, and fifty native police, who. with
their thorough knowledge of the country,
secuted the hills from Honolulu to the east
- b. toll
Mr.. Thurston answered that he had fur
nished nothing to that or any other paper,
but that he had permitted an employee or
agent of one of the press associations to
copy at his legation a private letter or let
tiers which he had received. and added that
the published paragraphs din not contain
all that was in the private letter or letters.
l thereupon said that I was aware this
was so. and that 1 knew the private letter
or letters did not appear IN full in the last
paragraphs as printed.
Minister Willis Criticised.
Handing him typewriter paper. 1 asked
if the omitted parts were not contained in
the following passages:
There is intense feeling being manifested
by the people at what is looked upon as
Mr.. Willis unwarranted interference in
connection with the present trials He is
doing everything that he can to protect
the royalists and harass the government
Many of our best men feel 1t imperative
for our future safety that some examples
should be made. While the government is
master of the situation for the present, the
danger is not entirely over. Much in6ig-
1.ation is also felt from the fact that al
though direct information was given to
Minister Willis last November, before the
shipment of arms was made at San Fran
cisco, that such shipment was intended,
nothing appears to have been done to stop
the shipment. 1t is felt that the Hawaiian
government has strong ground for COM
plant against the United States govern
ment on the score of its Indifference, If not
at its active conniving at this fragrant
breach of neutrality. Whether or not the
Hawaiian government will make a claim
by reason of the breach of the neutrality
laws, It is net yet known, but there is
strong feeling. here that it should be done.
1.-THE action Of Mr.rHawes. the British
1epresentatiys, is in marked contrast to
81
Encouraged by PRECEDENT Cleveland.
"An analysis of the growth of the feeling
and facts leading upo'to the insurrection
showed that 1t is based almost wholly on
the encouragement given to the royaIists