Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-23
Narrative of Queen Liliuokalani's
Overthrow.
FACTS OF THE HAWAIIAN REVOLUTION
Attitude of the American Repre-
sentatives at Honolulu.
WE'RE ABSOLUTELY NEUTRAL

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
HONOLULU, December 8, 1897.
That Queen LiiuOkalani was dethroned
end the Dole government" established by
means Of the United States naval forces
under the direction of United States Minis
ter John L. Stevens is a falsehood SO
pcrsistently and necessarily reiterated that
people have become weary Of contradict
ing it. No doubt many, even of the friends
of the annexation of Hawaii, have come to
Believe that there must have been much
basis of fact in 1t. The wrong alleged
thus to have been done to the Hawaiians
and their queen is vehemently urged as
reason why the United States should per-
manently be debarred from annexing Ha-
waii because thereby they will avail them
selves of a fragrant wrong previously in
fcted by their own public servants.
Probably this plea will be emphasized in
debates In Congress this month. Stevens
created the Dole government, and now it
is sought to use that creation of your own
wicked servant to rob Hawaiians of their
country"
In his message to Congress of December
~. 1893. President Cleveland Endorsed that
untrue allegation as follows:
The lawful government of Hawaii was
overthrOwn without the drawing of a
sword or the firing of shot by process
every step of which, 1t may Safely be as
serted, is directly traceable to and de-
pendent for it's success upon the agency
of the United States acting through it's
diplomatic and naval representatives.
. Mr.. DlOunfs Report.
Mr. Cleveland based his conclusion upon
the report made by j. H. Blount, whom he
had sent to Honolulu to investigate the
subject. Mr.. BlOunt, however. had been
onc-sided in his inquiries. and had given
the Dole and Stevens parties accused no
opportunity to rebut the numerous state
nonts and affdavits of their royalst ac.
cuscrs, or even to know of tbs ir existence
until published in mis- printed report His
work was an industrious collecting of evil
dence for the prosecution, and not at all
an impartial inquiry into the truth. The
President and Secretary Gresham, how
ever, treated his report as if it embrace ed
all the truth
Two months later. the senate committee
on foreign affairs, through their chairman
Mr.. Morgan. submitted a report on the
same subject. reversing f3lount's concIu-
sions. and declaring that "the committee
md no cause Of censure either against
Minister Stevens or Captain Wiltse of the
Boston This conclusion is supported by
a large mass of printed evidence most OF
which had been in reach of Mr.. Blount
hut was not sought for by him, notably
the evidence of officers of the Boston of
leading members of the provisional gov
himself. That evidence concurs in proving
that throughout the whole revolution
Minister Stevens and Captain Wiltse kept
strictly within the bounds of their official
uuty, ana lent no aid whatever either to
the queen or to the party who dethroned
her.
l was then and ever since a resident Of
Honolulu, and n close watcher of the prog
resS OF analrS L was somewhat intimately
acquainted with Minister Stevens and with
several leading members of the provisional
government. l never supposed at the time
that Mr.. Stevens was rendering any aid
Whatever to the revOlutionists beyond that
OF the enlightened sympathy always due
from Il patriotic American to other Ameri-
cans struggling for liberal and constitution
al government, as our people had been do
ing Tor long series of years against the
arbitrary and despotic tendencies of Kala-
kaua and Liliuokalani. The landing OF
forces from the Boston was well under
stood by all parties at the time to be only
1in proceeding customary at times of pub
TIC disorder, and to contain no element
whatever of menace to either of the pa rites
in conflict. Such landing of forces had oc-
Cured several times and was a familiar
proceeding. / personally witnessed II in
July. 1887, when the whites rose in arms
and extOrted new and liberal constitution
from kalakaua; and again in 1889, when
robert Wilcox seized the palace premises,
ana the same whites subdued him. The OBJ
Ject of such landing forces was at the time
qef1ned by Secretary Bayard to Cleveland's
Minister Merrill to be Ito secure the safety
OF American life and property, and to as
sist in preserving public ORDER
No Evidence of a Plot.
There is not single trace Of document
airy evidence that either Minister Stevens
or Capt. Wfltse in 1893 transcribed those
clear instructions in one iota. or took active
part in behalf Of either of the contending
parties on shore. While the proclamation
OF the committee of safety was being read
at the government house, before their own
troops mad reached the spot Mr. s M
Damon, who was not on the COMMITTEES
asked Z. l.. Carter to go over and asl,
S Lieut.. swinburne to send them a guard.
Swinburne refused saying Capt. WiItse's
orders are that l remain passive or neu
trai presumably no member of the com
mlttee would have sent such a request
showing It's utility. l saw the provisional
FORCES arrive few moments later. Ste
Nens written requiSition of forces from
NHtse and the latters instructions to his
forces are on record, and clearly prove the
t ueutr AMY OF their attitude The charge
that they aided the revolutionists is totai1,,
against the written evidence, as well as the
testlmony of the officers employed.
John L. Stevens was an unlikely person
~ COMMIT ~, such an unlawful act as to as
slst In an fnsurrectionary movement how
ever Just or promising Of success. He was
experienced In diplomatic service having
neen TOR several years minister to the
al SeH'ihS anu ldter TO sweden, At the
former post he had occasion to order the
landing OF United States naval forces for
protection of American citizens, and was
familiar with that duty. In an affair like
that which had been in progress in Homo
lulu for three days, and was about to cul-
inmate on the fourth evidently no time
was to be lost. Agitation was great and
general, and public disorder was Imminent.
while the authorities were paralyzed. The
minister would have been grievously dere-
lict in his duty had he not caused the
naval forces to be landed as soon as he
did.
American Forces Neutral,
From first to last those forces continued
entirely neutral. Their written orders in
dubitably prove that such was the inten-
ton, exactly as in 1887 and 1885, There
was nothing whatever in their actions or
attitude to prevent the queens forces from
attacking those of the provisional govern
ment. Much has been made OF the fact
that the United States forces were quar-
tered in the vicinity of the government
house. That was proved to be accidental,
and without forethought, the use of the
hni ox-fp