Evening star., 1897-01-28
Spectacle Of an American Trying to
Restore a Pagan Monarchy.
BE REFUSED TO INSTRUMENTATION
How Queen Lii Wanted to Behead
Her Enemies.
RESPECT FOR THE MINISTER
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
HONOLULU, January 13, 1897
| By the Australia, which takes this letter,
| will be borne hence toward his former home
| in Louisville, KY, the mortal remains Of
| the late envoy extraordinary and minister
| plenipotentiary of the United States to
| Hawaii. Mr.. Albert G. Willis. The long ILL
| ness of Mr. Willis terminated fatally on
| the morning of the 9th. For some two
| weeks he had been in an extremely low con-
| dition, although for most of the time con-
| scious. On his trip last year to visit his
! home. he had an attack Of pneumonia in
! San Francisco. from the effects of which
| he never entirely recovered. Some months
| ago he began to show symptoms of malarial
| trouble, probably long in the system. About
| three months since he received violent
! shock while assisting Mrs. Willis into her
carriage, by being knocked down by the
horse, and a wheel passing over his body.
He was Ill from that time, malaria first
prostr lting him, and pneumonia following,
| the last being the more immediate cause OF
Death.
Mr.. Willis was still not beyond the prime
of life. being about forty-four years Of age.
His political career Is best known by his
countryuen and need not here be described
farther than to say that it is understood to
have been thoroughly honorable one and
not without something of distinction in Con-
gress, where he served for many years.
Our knowledge of him here tends to con-
| firm the reputation he came with. of pos
| st ssng high character for moral probity,
we'll for sincere Christian piety and
conscientiousness. He was a member of
| the large branch of the Baptist denomina-
ton. known as the Christian Church.
The special honor of a state funeral was
accorded by this government to the re-
mains of the dead minister. This. 1 be-
lieve to be quite unusual. Mr.. Willis was
| the first foreign representative dying here
| of high rank minister and envoy.
| Doubtless it was the desire of the govern
Tent to render to the United States an
especial mark of friendly regard. in view of
| the peculiar relations of late years, as well
| as of those now in prospect. The arrange
| ments for the funeral were BETTING. From
noon to 2::D of the Sth instant the body lay
| in state in the former throne room. where
| officers and men of the L. S. S. Alert stood
| on guard around the bier. Copious floral
| tributes had been sent in, and appropriately
arranged. large number of persons came
| in and viewed the features of the de-
ceased, which bore natural expression,
although wasted by illness.
The religious exercises We're held nearby
| in the, Central Union Church (Congrega-
| tionaD. The body was lifted by seamen
! from the Alert. The members of the dip
| lomatic corps acted pallbearers. The
church was crowded by nearly a thousand
| persons. among them being delegations
| from the native royalist associations the
| Hui Aloha Alma Patriotic League of Wo-
| mem and the Hui Kalaiaina political
| League). The services were conducted by
the Rev. j. M. Monroe, pastor of the Chris
| tian Church. assisted by the Rev. d. p.
| Birnie, pastor of the Central Union Church
Five pieces We're sung by choir select ed
| from the Central Union and Anglican
churches.
The procession was a long one brilliant
| with military display, being headed by the
National Guards. 400 strong followed by a
battalion from the Alert. The carriages of
the mourners were followed by those bear
| ing President Dole and cabinet, the justices
! of the supreme court. and other chief ...i-
cials. with the captain and officers of the
| Alert. At the cemetery, one mile inland
! the body was deposited. with the appro-
pirate exercises In a private vault. to await
removal this week to the states. Minute
! guns were fired by the government battery
| during the movement of the procession
Sympathy for Mr.. Willis.
Besides the desire of the government by
| this act to emphasize their friendliness of
| feeling toward the United States, it is rea-
sonable to suppose that they wished to
| testify to the public. and especially to the
native Hawaiians. their cordial disposition
| to forget the collisions of the past in
! which the deceased minister had borne so
prominent a part, as the really ignorant
agent of greatly misin formed s,1periors
1t Is probable that the indignant animosity
which at first was naturally felt toward
Mr.. Willis for his actions .nrec years ago
Hdu SuDStdltldliy uled out, under calmer
| view or his motives and the circumstances:
ana due credit is now generally given to
MIN Tor having acted with fidelity to his
duty as he then understood it, and with
conscientious purpose to serve the best in
terests OF all concerned President Dole
| ana cabinet certainly have long been free
| from cherishing resentment toward the
| WeH-lntentloned. but misinformed agent of
Mr.. Cleveland and Mr.. Gresham however
much there may abide In their minds some
adverse sentiments toward his principals
! Mr. Willis himself has long had their cor
! One can hardly fail of the most profound
compassion and sympathy toward such a
| man as A. s. Willis. finding himself In so
aepioraoiy false position, through no
1auit OF his own. beyond a too confiding
| trust in hasty and prejudiced Judgment
OF the President, toward whom he seems
| TO have cherished the strongest admiration
lie came to Honolulu to execute the Presi-
dents decisions. in the most trustful as
| surance that they were Enthusiastically cor
| rect, and based upon the unimpeachable
conclusions of the investigation made by
| Col. James III. Blount He seemed to re-
! gard his commission as an almost sacred
| one. and Of peculiar dignity As he under
stood his mission. it was the noble task of
| making the reparation due from his great
| nation to the injured Hawaiian people and
| their queen. who had been brutaily wrong
| ed by HIS unprincipled predecessor John L.
Stevens and the naval commander of the
| Boston, In helping band of renegade
Americans to overturn the constitutional L
government. and set up a usurpation of
| their own. Mr. Willis plainly never dreamed
! that Mr.. Blounts proceedings had not gone
| beyond secret and wholly ex parte in
! quiry, which could at best only have been
| preliminary to a just and careful trial of
| the queens alleged case against Stevens
| and Wiltse, but which President Cleveland
! under Mr.. Greshams evil guidance, incon-
| siderateiy adopted as conclusive, without
ever giving the provisional government
| whom he decided to order down and out,
| the ghost of hearing
Mr. Willis arrived at Honolulu in a men,
| tai state Of absolute confidence in the
| justice of his mission and in the power he
was exercising He shut eyes and ears on
principle to the palpable facts Of pros
| porous, intelligent enlightened American
! colony on one side arrayed In maintenance
| of their civilization and their constitu-
| tional freedom against a queen who stood
| for arbitrary and heathenizfng principles
AS he avowed, he came not to inquire, but
! to act.
| Stubborn Attitude.
The present writer had personal evidence
Of the pltiably confident state of mind
| which Minister Willis was then nursing
10 inc