The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-03-12
RETROSPECT OF THE REBELLION.

sible to look over the two months
passed and note with what wisdom
and strength the Government has
wrought. While we can hardly
rise to the heights reached by a
local orator, who spoke of the re-
bellion as the "bloodiest revolution
of the nineteenth century," it can
be truthfully said that there has
been no more important crisis in
the history of the country. There
was, indeed, very little bloodshed.
One killed and three wounded
cover causualities on the Govern
ment side. Of the insurgents, two
are known to have been killed.
Others are reported killed, but the
fact that one of these men turned
up few weeks after the fighting
was at an end shows that little de-
pendence is to be placed on the re-
ports from the rebel ranks.
The military strength of the Re-
public and the perfection Of its or
ganization was demonstrated by
the ability to place nearly one
thousand men under arms, and in
position to guard the streets of the
city, within an hour of the sound
ing of the first alarm. The un-
known power of the Citizens Guard,
which many royalists dubbed a
myth, proved a tower of strength
Of no mean proportions. With this
and the regular and volunteer mil
itary companies, the Government
had fully twelve hundred men
ready for active service on the
morning of January 7th. The in
surgents may have mustered five
hundred men, but before the fight
ing began there were many deser-
tons, until on the first morning of
the rebellion Wilcox and Nowlein
had possibly one hundred and fifty
men with them, more than half of
whom, according to their own tes-
timony, were ready to throw down
their arms and get back to town as
best they could. The rebels were on
the defensive from the outset, and,
although their flight might have
been brought to an end more sum-
marily had the Government forces
been in more experienced hands, it
would be unfair to compare citizen
soldiery of hardly two years stand
ing, with trained officers and regi-
ments of larger and older nations.
Immediately the rebel leaders
were captured the Government set
about the formation of Military
Commission for the trial of the |
men captured in the field, and as
many others who had knowledge |
of and assisted in instigating the |
movement, but who kept in the |
background hoping to escape the |
penalties of their guilty action and
knowledge. !
The Military Commission began |
it's sessions on Friday, January |
18th, and its work was practically |
finished on Friday, March 1st, at |
which time it had tried and rend-
cred decisions on 100 cases of |
treason and misprision of treason.
Thirteen of this number have yet !
to hear the sentence passed upon !
them.
On February 9th, when the |
sentences of 149 prisoners had |
been made public, FIVE had received |
sentences of ten years imprison-
ment at hard labor; three, eight !
years one, seven years; two, six
years; and 122 five years. The
majority of this number were ma
tives captured in the field, and the
usual fine of $4,000 was RENTED,
except in the cases of w. G. Lane,
J. G. Lane, and ex-queen Liliuoka-
lani. The sentences of fifty-eight
were suspended and four were &C
quilted by the Commission. Those
who acted as Government witnesses
we're given their liberty, also the