The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-12
III.

A most important feature Of Lieut.. Young's
careful and detailed history Of tho revolution
OF 1898 is his absolute refutation OF the reiter-
atod atemen by Commissioned Blount, Sec
rotary Gresham, and President Cleveland that
there was profound peace in Honolulu when the
Boston's troops landed and tho Provisional
Government was formed. In reference to this
matter he says: From my personal observa.
ton made at the time, on the spot, and an In
umato personal acquaintance with all tho lead
Ing people OF all parties, l assert unhesitatingly
that during the three days between tho attempt
OF the Queen to overturn the Constitution and
tho proclamation Of the provisional Govern
mont, Honolulu was a slumbering volcano liza
Bile to broAk out into bloody conflict at any
time on two minutes notice. l repeatedly
urged Capt. Wiltse to land the troops on Sun
day, but he waited until the evidences Of i'm
pending conflict became so strong that he would
have been wilfully negligent OF his duty to have
waited longer, and did not land until Monday
afternoon"
At the time when the mint of Safety
appointed by the people was preparing TO act,
tho palace guards were kept under arms and
ready for active work, while the police station
was barricaded and fortified with two Calling
guns, and, on their side, the revolutionists
were organized into armed bodies ready at a
moments call. Tho leading citizens Of tho
town were openly preparing TO oppose the
Queens Government by force of arms. There
were several thousand American citizens and
many million dollars worth Of American prop
erty in danger, and the Government, manifestly
unable to take care Of itself, could afford no
protection. Capt. Wiltse. after consultation
with the American Minister and with Lieut..
Young, decided that his duty plainly required
him to land a force to protect American inter.
eStS. A battalion. consisting of one company
Of artillery, two companies of bluejackots and
ono OF marines, was accordingly landed and en-
campcd at a central point in':the city. AS a
matter Of fact the revolution took place and
the provisional Government was established
without the Lose of q single life, but Lieut..
Young clearly shows that matters might have
taken a different course. while at tho
Hawaiian Hotel that evening"" he says, speak
ing of matters that occurred later. II met the
ex-Marshal, {. h. Wilson. and had a long talk
with him in relation TO the past events before
he became biased by the later false statements
made by the Queens advisers. The Marshal
>recounted to me all his plans and how he ex-
pected to carry them out had he not boon inter-
fered with by tho ex.Ministers. Wilson is a
man Of powerful physique. a half white. Of
strong natural but uncultivated mind; OF good
Judgment and possessed of great confidence in
AS wv WV ~ Woo NShoO u ITO "
atty to the Queen and bitterly denounced the
ex.Ministers as towards and traitors. lie had
intended to resist and said that It was fully
understood that II a fight took place the Gov
ernment building and palace grounds were to be
the scene Of battle. as had been the case in all
The other uprisings in Honolulu. The forces, he
Informed me, that were under his command con-
sisted of sixty men at the palace and barracks,
eighty-ive armed police and alot of scared and
unarmed refugees, the OK. Ministers at the po-
lice station and about twenty special deputies
In civilian clothes in the city. With this force
so disposed his plans were to detail about thirty
men early in the forenoon to guard the Govern
ment building, and as the volunteers from the
armory on Beretania street would have to ap-
proach the Government grounds from tho east
ern approaches they would be opened upon by
the cannon from the top of the palace and the
forces at the barracks and Government build
ing. At the same time he would move up the
two Calling guns to enflade the streets from
the western approaches to Palace square,"
Had the Marshal been permitted to carry out
these plans there would have undoubtedly been
much loss Of life.