The herald., 1898-10-07

troops would land any moment, ana -.
whatever government was es stablished
and was actually in possession of the
government building, the executive de-
partments and archives, and in pos
session OF the city, that was de facto
government proclaiming itself as
government, and would necessarily
have to be recognized
1t Was agreed that the managers of the
revolution should be ready for the troops
two days later; that Is, ON the 10th; but
at the last moment they asked a little
more time. To this request for delay Min
ister Stevens replied that the order to
land the troops had been given, and that
they would come. and they did come that
day, taking possession of necessary points
to protect themselves against any assault
from the local forces, IL any should be
threatened. The new government was or
ganized next day and was proclaimed that
afternoon. 1t at once asked for recogni-
tion, and within an hour the following
document was sent out, and the peaceful
revolution ended:
United States Legation,
Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands,
January H. 1893
provisional government having
been duly constituted in place Of the
recent government of Queen Liliuoka-
lani, and said provisional government
being in full possession Of the govern
ment buildings, the archives and the
treasury, and in control Of the capital
of the Hawaiian islands, l hereby rec
ognize said provisional government as
the de facto government Of the Ha-
allan islands.
JOHN L. STEVENS,
Envoy Extra ordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary Of the United
States
Not only were all the details of this revo-
luton agreed upon beforehand, but the
documents must also have been prepared,
else all this could not have been acc om-
plished within a few hours. From this
easy beginning it was st.ll easier to ask
Minister Stevens, few weeks later, to
ra lse the American flag, for the more per-
feet protection of all interests, and it was
done and the troops were permanently
auartered in the government buildings
This is the short and simple story Of how
Hawaii came under cur protection. Moth
ing so remarkable ever occurred before.
probably, and few can understand how
such thing became possible. OF course,
when the news reached Washington,
few days before President Harrisons term
ended, the protectorate was not approved
and Secretary Foster. who had succeeded
Mr.. Blaine, disavowed the act of raising
the flag in his note to Minister Stevens.
The undoing Of the thing, however, fell to
the administration Of President Clevela I'd
who, in order to restore the status quo.
ordered the American flag to be removed
from the government building. and that
1t cnly be raised whenever necessary to
protect our property interests The way
he has been assa;led for this by certain
partisan orators and newspapers forms
one of the most disgraceful chapters in
our politics.
Thus it appears that from first to last
the persons bent upon getting control of
Hawaii, and finally accomplishing an-ex
alton, resorted to unusual means. Natural
and orderly steps were too slow, and the
winning over OF the natives by persuas asive
argument was not deemed necessary. Nor
were our people fully advised and trusted
in the matter, but have always been ap-
pealed to by Misrepresentation that there
was pressing need Of possession, and
others were ready to snatch the islands
from us, not one word of which was ever
fer a moment true. No one can help be-
lieving that this business at most points
has been unfortunate, and fer the sake Of
truth and the future of our policy, this
deserves to be understood.
Annexation has now come-come ma inly
as war measure. and there Is no occasion
or excuse for lodging responsibility. All
1iffarapcoc
help matters to misrepresent them Moth
ing is ever to be preferred above the truth
and the American people do not like to
have it hidden or undervalued
We hope good may come CT annexation.
but surely new respons bilty has already
come. BY a recent decision Of the United
states supreme court. every person born
in our territorial jurisdiction Is a citizen
of the United tates, and no treaty and no
law can invalidate this claim. Think what
this means, If we go on annexing strange
peoples. Can they be really allied to us.
assimlated to us? And can handful
Of Americans long profitably, if. indeed.
safely, undertake to control vast alien IN
terests? Are we sure that, outside of Cuba
and Porto Rico, we can even advance our
ma ter!al interests by what some Of our ex
tt emists ire pleased to call imperielismq
Is It true that trade follows the flag? Is
1t not, rather. true that the flag follows
trade? Surely the history Of all colonial
tlon shows this and nothing else.
But this cannot be dwelt upon here. II
was simply the purpose of this article TO
recall some history And in this connec-
ton It should be declared that Minister
Stevens part IN the overthrow CT the Ha
waiian government was not corrupt act
He was no ''jobster," as has been charged