The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-06-28
CNew York Iimes.)

it will be profitable to recall for the bet
ter understanding Of the morals Of the
transaction a few salient facts of recent
Hawaiian history, showing how the pres
ent government Of those islands was
founded and the peculiar relations Of the
United States Minister to the revolution
which upset the lawful government.
made Dole President, and paved the
way for annexation.
John l.. Stevens. an old friend and
neighbor Of Mr.. Blaine 1T Augusta. was
sent to Honolulu as United States Min
lister in 1850. very soon after the inaugu-
ration of President Harrison. in whose
Cabinet Mr.. Blaine was Secretary OF
State. Immediately after his arrival he
began to write to Secretary Blaine OF
the strong American feeling prevail
ing at Honolulu. shall American civil
cation ultimately prevail here:' he
wrote in March, 1890. In August, 1891,
he wrote that "a proper regard for
American interests will require one ship
here most Of the time in So
On March s. 1892, Minister Stevens
wrote a remarkable letter, in which was
foretold with remarkable detail and
| precision the main events Of Il revolution
which actually occurred ten months
| later. We quote from this prophetic ut
terancC
IF the government here should be sur
priSed and overturned by an orderly ana
| peaceful evolutionary movement. larGelN
of native HaWaiians. and Il provisional
or Republican government organized ana
proclaimed. would the United States
Minister and naval authorities here be
justified in responding aftirmatlvely TO
the call of the members of the removed
government to restore them to power or
! replace them in possession of the govern
mcnt buildings? Or should the United
States Minister and naval commander
+, confne themselves exclusively to the
preservation Of American property. the
protection Of American citizens, and the
! prevention of anarchy? Should Il revO-
lutionary attempt of the character indl-
Gated be made there are strong reasons
to presume that it would begin with
the seizure Of the police station, with
its arms and ammunition, and, this ac-
complished. the Royal Palace and gov.
ernment building, containing the Cab1-
net offices and archives, would very soon
be c%aptured.'
The Queen promulgated the new Con
stitution on January Il, 1898. On thai
day the United States warShip Boston re-
turned from Il ten days trip among the
I>lst II iIIib'i LIS oi 49,
Also. on that day, at Il meeting of rcyo-
lutionistS Il Committee Of Safety was
formed and the conspiracy for the imme-
date d~ethronement of the Queen took
definite shape and began active opera
tons. The first question raised was
whether "a protectorate should not be
sought from the United States steamship
of-war Boston and Il special committed
that evening waited upon Minister Ste
yens to inquire what his course would
be. The Minister said. in reply to qucS
tons. that the United States troops Oh
board the Boston would be ready to land
at any moment to prevent the destruc-
ton of American life and property. and
that ''whatever government was estab-
lishcd and was actually in possession of
the government building. the executive
departments and archives, and in pos
session of the city, that was q de factO
government proclaiming itself as Il gov
eminent, and would necessarily have to
! be IecOgniZcd.'
Two of the conSiprators. l.. \. Thurs
ton md w. O. Smith, called upon Minis
ter Stevens OF Monday, January Is, and
Informed him that. rs their plans We're
not perfected, the committee had decided
not to ask for Il landing of United States
troops until the following morning. 1t
| W 40 w IdlC. ANAIl1lSttl eltNtllS L lllt'
his visitors that "he had ordered tn,
troops to be landed at ) o'clock, and they
would come They did three
companies Of b~luclackctS, one Of artil
lery, one of marines, 154 men and 10 of
ticers; with 1900 cartridges for rifles
and the Gatling gun 1000 revolver cart
ridges, and III explosive shells for tho
revolving cannon. These forces were
landed, on foreign soil, not at the re0uest
of the lawful government-the Governor
of Oahu promptly sent Il formal mote OF
protest to Minister Stevcns-reprcSent
ing $4,000 Of the population, but at tho
request Of a committee of rebels repre-
senting 1000 American residents.
The events of this successful conspir
acy now moved like clockwork. OF tn,
United States troops, landed for ''tho
protection of American life and prop
crty.' one COMPANY of marines was lcf
at the legation, where the American
life and property' were to be found
while the rest of the force was marched
to AriOn Hall. Il structure close to tht
palace and just across the street from
the government building, where, OF
course, the rebels would necessarily make
their attack. Rear Admiral Skcrret
reported that Arion Hall was ill-choseI
for the professed purpose for which tnt
looIS were 1dIlucu. A\dluId1ly, III
adds, IF they We're landed with Il view
to supporting the provisional govern
mcnt troops then occupying the govern
ment building, it was Il wise choice.
Everything being ready. on Tuesday
January II. the conspirators signed thei
proclamation announcing that the Ha
waiian monarchy had been "abrogated'
and Il provisional government estab
lished, with Sanford B. Dole as chair
man of the Executive Council. They tool
this to the government building ant
there read it, within ~seventy-ive yard
i, of the point where the United State
forces We're stationed with their Gatlin;
gun and small cannon. With only tn,
government building in their hands, tn
{ Queen being at the palace and her troop
in possession of the police station. an,
but for the Overawing force of Unite
States troops in possession also of tn
city, the rebels posted off to the Amer