The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-13
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TRlCKED OUT OF HER THRONE.
EX QUEEN LILs PRIVATE sECRE-
TARY TALKS.

Claims the Paper of AbdIcatfon She
Signed wouldn't Hold a Minute in
Law COurt-The Signature At
tnched 10 the Document Not tho
One She Had to Use Officially and
the Signature Was Also Obtained
Under Duress.
Washington. Feb. l2-In' the retinue OF
ex-Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii. and
known as her private secretary is a gen.
tleman from Boston named Julius A. Palm
er. Secretary Palmer has given to the
press a letter in which he sets forth the
views entertained by those around her ex-
hghness. The abdication is null and voids
he asserts, because the document was
signed under duress and the paper, like-
wise. was worthless, because the sigma
ture attached is not ex-Queen Liliouka-
lanis signature.
Mr.. 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 follows:
do l mean that the Queen Of Hawaii
has never given a legal abdication that
she is still the lawful ruler. even II she
forbears TO enforce her legitimate rights?
II mean exactly that on the 7th of jan
uary. 1895. she was arrested for no specific
charged offense, taken by force and con-
fined alone in the Iolani palace, now call
ed the executive building. She was alone
and Ill, when the influence of Minister Will
lis was needed every moment to prevent
Il general massacre of those of every ma
ton, who were supposed to be quietly
faithful fn mn
Even prisoners were kept locked in their
cells by their captors lest they should De
taken out and hung by the excited adher-
ents of the provisionalist government. Un-
der these circumstances, without a friend
to advise 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. Inc ring
of adventures knew their victim; had they
proposed her immediate death, they could
not have terrified her, but to save those
she loved, she executed the documents you
III Vas an act consummated under the
plainost kind OF duress, void even II 1t
had been legally executed.
But the signature Is worthless, even
TO a collector of autographs II Is not
her official signature.
as Lilicukalani Dominis. and there Is no
| such person to this day.
! IN Inelf excessive GduIiDuf HHltd4 OL
| taking her signature as 'Lilioukalani, Re
| gina the only form of signature wni3h
could have bound even valid act, they
| sought to teach her the grace Of humility
/ by asking for the signature of Mrs. DOM
/ iais. they got it, and little good wouidr
it DO their y any my, legal sS, contest contest. Ihey
mo question Is ever settled until II is
settled right. enl that the whole Hawaii-
an matter should be properly reviewed Is
the opinion OF a great many people OF
| the United States,
| ander, published for the Hawaiian board
| of education. / find on the front page
| Her Majesty Queen Liiuokalani;' at its
| close l notice three pages devoted to show
ing her genealology in direct line for a
! hundred years or so from the ruling fam
| iiy OF Hawaii. The front piece was well
| chosen because ex-Queen Liliuokalant
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
school, and the only time she has opened
her lips in public in America was TO en-
courage the pupils. But in that history
/ read that Il was ancient and common
law in Hawaii that no confidence could
| ever be degraded from that high office
| TO which birth alone Is the passport; the
friends of Queen Liliuokalani in America,
| or in Hawaii, are willing to stand on that
That the letter is an inspired presenta-
| ton there can be no doubt. That II en-
| anated directly from her is another mat
| ter, and one on which Mr.. Palmer to-day
| declined 20 commit himself When asked
| whether it had been submitted TO her for
| approval before Il was sent, Mr.. Palmer
| declined 20 answer one way or the other.
''If the press should regard IL" he said,
| "as an authorized presentation of the
| queens posiIions / should never take the
| troubel to deny II. ] am willing TO stand
| by the truth of every statement in the
| letter and, from royalist point OF view,
| Il cannot be questioned. Her name Is not
Iilioukalan Domnis.
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 title of Lllioukalani. The signature
Of Lilioukalani Dominis is, therefore.
meaningless and of no value on any
paper"
Secretary Palmer declined TO express any
opinion as to the ex-queens future plans.