Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-02-13
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN I?
Private Secretary to Ex-Queen
LiliuokaIani
ISSUES A PUBLIC DOCUMENT
ln Which He Claims the Signature to the Alb
dcation
TO BE ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS
Ring of Adventurers' to Extort the
Crown From Her Majesty's Hands
Something of Mystery.

Washington, Feb. 12.--In the retinue of
ex-Queen Liliuokalina, of Hawaii, and
known as her private secretary, is a
gentleman from Boston named julius A.
Palmer. Secretary Palmer has given to
the press letter in which he sets forth
the view entertained by those around
her ex-highness. The abdication Is null
and void, he asserts, because the docu-
ment was signed under duress, and the
paper, likewise, was worthless because
the signatures attached is not Liliuoka-
lanis official signature.
Palmer introduces his subject with an
expression Of appreciation of the kind
ness with which the deposed queen has
been received in this country. Some ex-
tracts from the letter follow:
Do l mean that the queen of Hawaii
has never given a legal abdication, that
she is still the lawful ruler, even If she
forbears to enforce her legitimate rights I?
L do mean exactly that. On the 7th
| of January, 1885, she was arrested for
no specific charged offense, taken by
force and confined alone in the lola nj
palace, now called the executive build
ing. She was alone and i'll, when the
Interference of Minister Willis was need
ed every moment to prevent a general
massacre of those of every nation who
were supposed to be quietly faithful to the
constitutional monarch. Even prisoners
were kept locked in their cells by their
captors lest they should be taken out
and hung by the excited adherents of
the provisional government. Under these
circumstances. without friend to adj
wise her, she was told that those she
dearly loved, her personal friends, were
awaiting execution and that the only act
which would save their lives was an act
of abdication to be signed by her. The
ring of Adventures knew their victim;
had they proposed her immediat death
they could not have terrified her, but to
save those she loved, she executed the
documents you publishd.
II was an act consummated under the
plainest kind of duress void even had it
been legally executed.
E,It the signature is worthless even to
a aoollector of autographs. 1t is not the
Official signature.
There was no such person recognized
as Jiliuokalina Domis, and is no such
person to this day.
In their excessive caution, instead of
taking her signature as Liliuokalani, Re-
gina. the only form of signature which
could have bound even valid act, they
sought to teach her the grace and hui
mility by asking for the signature of Mrs.
Dominis; they got 1t, and little good 1t
would do them in any legal contest. They
simply oyer-reached themselves.
mo question is ever settled until it is
settled right, and that the whole Ha-
waiian matter should be properly re-
viewed is the opinion of a great many of
the people of the United States.
In an official history, written by one of
the opposition party, Mr. w. D. Alexan-
der, published for the Hawaiian board of
education, find on the front page one
of the best pictures l have seen of her
majesty, Queen Lilluokalani. At its close
| notice three pages devoted to showing
her genealogy in direct line for 100
years or SO from the ruling family of
Hawaii. The frontispiece was well chos-
en- because Liliuokalani has always been
known for years before her reign, and
when upon the throne, as the patroness
of music, education and the fine arts.
The only reception she has been willing
to give in Washington was to a school,
and the only time she has opened her
lips in public in America was to encour-
age the pupils. But in that history I
read that 1t was ancient and common
law in Hawaii that no chief could ever
be degraded from that high Office to
which birth alone is the only passport;
the friends of Liliuokalani in America or
in Hawaii are willing to stand on that
record that the letter is an inspired pre-
sentation there can be no doubt.
That it emanated directly from her is
another matter, and one in which Mr..
Palmer today declined to commit HIM
self. When asked whether it had been
submitted to her for her approval before
it was sent, Mr.. Palmer declined to an
swer one way or the other.
"If the press should regard it," said
he, 'as an authorized presentation of the
queens position, I should never take the
trouble to deny It. I am willing to stand
by the truth of every statement in the
letter, and from royalist point of view.
1t cannot be questioned. Her name is not
Liliuokalani Dominis. f3a
Before her marriage to Gen. Dominis,
her name was Lydia Kamakaeha. When
she succeeded the late king, her brother,
on the throne of Hawaii she did so under
the tftle of Liliuokalani. The signature
of Liliuokalani Domins is, therefore,
meaningless and of no value on any
paper
Secretary Palmer declined to express
any opinion as to the ex-queen's future