Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-13
LILIU0KALANrS CASE
LETTER EVIDENTLY INSPIRED ny
HER Ex-wAJEsTY.
GODICATlON NULL AND VOID.
Document signed Under Duress-
signature Not the Ex-Queen's on
cini tsn-M"nuaI-lIcr Name Not
IiliuOknlani Dominis.

WASHINGTON, ID. C., February l2-
In the retinue Of ex-Queen I.iliuokalani.
Of Hawaii, and known as her private
secretary, Is gentleman from Boston
named Julius a. Palmer. Secretary
Palmer has given to the press letter
in which he sets forth the view enter
taincd by those around her ex-Bighness
The abdication is null and void. ne as
serts. because the document was signed
under duress, and the paper. likewise.
was worthless, because the signature at
tachel is not Lliuokalanfs official sig
nature.
Mr Palmer introduces his subject with
an oppression Of appreciation of the
kindness with which the deposed Oueen
has been received in this country. Some
extracts from the letter follow:
do I mean that the Queen of Hawaii
has never given a legal abdieation; that
she is still the lawful ruler. even II she
forbears TO enforce her legitimate rights >
81 DO not mean exactly that. on the
9TH OF January. 1895 she was arrested
for 10 specifically charged offence; taken
by force. and confined alone i'm the Iolanf
Palace. now called the Executive build
ing She was alone and ILL., and the in
huence of Minister Willis was needed
every moment to prevent general mas
sacre 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
Provisiouadst Government. Under these
circumstances. without a friend to advise
her she was told that those she dearly
loved, her personal friends, were await
ing execution, and that the only act
which would save their lives was an
act Of abdication, to be signed by her.
The ring of the adventurers knew their
victim; had they proposed her immediate
death, they could not have terrified her:
but 90 save those she loved she executed
the documents you publish
1T was an act cOnsummated under
the plainest kind of duress. void even
had IL been legally executed. But the
signature is worthless. even to a col
lector Of autographs. 1t is not the Off
cial signature. There was no such per-
son recognized as Liliuokalani Dominis
and there is no such person to this day
i'm their excessive caution, instead OF
taking her signature as Liliuokalani
Regina. the only form of signature
which could have bound even a valid
act they sought TO teach her the grace
of humility by asking for the signature
Of Mrs. Dominis. They got it, and lit
tle good would it DO them in any legal
contest. They simply over-reached
themselves
THE HAWAIIAN MATTER.
'No question is ever settled until it
IS settled right, and that the whole
Hawaiian 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. Alex
ander, and published for the Hawaiian
Board OF Education, I find on the front
page one of the best pictures l have
seen OF her Majesty. Queen Liliuoka-
laui' and at its close 1 notice three
pages devoted 10 showing her genealogy
in a direct line for a hundred years or
SO from the ruling family Of Hawaii.
The frontispiece was well-chosen, be-
cause Liliuokalani has always been
known for years before her reign, and
when upon the throne, as the patroness
Cf music. education, and the fine arts.
The only reception she has been will
ing to give i'm Washington was TO
school. and the only time she has opened
her liDs in public IN America was to
encourage the pupils. But in that his
tory. / read that Ii was ancient and
common law in Hawaii that no chief
could ever be degraded from that high
Office 10 which birth alone is the pass
port The friends Of Liliuokalani in
America or I'm Hawaii are willing TO
stand on that record"
That the letter Is an inspired presen-
taron there can be no doubt. That it
emauated directly from her, or was die
tatei boy her is another matter, and one
on which Mr. Palmer to-day declined 10
commit himself. When asked whether
30 had been submitted TO her for her
approval before il was sent out Mr.. Pal
mer declined 10 answer one way or the
other IF the press should regard IT,
D.. said "as an authorized presentation
OF the Queens position, ! should never
take the trouble TO deny it. ] am will
ing 10 stand by the truth of every state
ment in the letter and from Royaist
point Of view. It cannot be questioned.
Her name is not LiliuOkalani Dominis.
Before her marriage TO General
D0minis. her name was LYDIA kamaka-
meha. When she succeeded the late
king her brother on the throne OF
Hawaii she did so under the title OF
LuuOkalani. The signature Of Liliuoka-
laui Domins Is. therefore meaningless
and OF no value on any paper
Secretary PaSner declined TO express
ary opinion as 10 the ex-Quecn's future
plans.