The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-12-16
LOOKING BACKWARD.

markable and impressive spectacles
the varied history of Hawaii ever
gave; and Its results We're far-reach-
ing in the development of constitu-
tional authority here
Up to the actual demand of Minis
ter Willis for the restoration of the
Queen no one on the American side
Of the question believed such a thing
possible. Opposition to kingship was
Whenever there had been an uprising
in Europe against the throne and
scepter American sympathy, official as
well as private, had gone out to it.
Our people had synpathized with the
French revolution; they had done
something for Greece against Turkey;
they were hand glove with Kossuth
against Austria; they had welcomed
three Republican experiments in France
and one in Spain; yet here was the
United States government eondemning
an American colony, owning the great
err part of Hawaii, for overthrowing a
Queen who had abolished the Consti-
tuition and put herself in its place;
not only condemning the colony but
threatening to rebuild the throne. As
tonishment came upon Honolulu like
n tot
thinking of? Would it attempt to en-
force its Minister'S demand? If it did
not intend to do so why did it make a
demand at all? Surely great power
would not run bluff Yet here
were the cold facts: Acting upon or
ders from Washington. brought by
revenue cutter, Minister Willis had
called upon the new American order to
make way for the old Royalist order.
There We're two United States war
ships in the 1arbor, the Philadelphia
and Adams, commanded by Rear Adj
the Hawaiian government, after trans
nitting to Minister Willis it's official
refusal to abdicate, was to suspend
permission for the United States naval
forces to come ashore without passes
A violation of this order would, of
course, have to be construed as an act
of war. The Citizens Guard was sum
moned, the palace fortified with sand
bags and artillery, guards with tele-
scopes were put ON the tower of the
palace to. watch the warships, the Roy
ahsts were under surveillance by spe-
cial police and In that state of prepa-
ration and anxiety Honolulu waited
for the news which should follow the
arrival at San Francisco of the reve-
nue. cutter which carried to the near
est telegraph station the defiance of
the Provisional government.
Things were ready on the warships
also. Shore cannon, with wheels and
caissons, were piled on deck and small
arms. stacked there; the men were in
service dress; the boats were ready for
instant launching. Long afterwards it
was known that, if forces had been
ordered to land they would have gone
by night to Waikiki and entered. the
town by that route.
OF course the Provisional govern
ment was not expecting to fight the
United States" but it felt able to
stand off all the men the ships could
land until word could be sent to the
mainland that, President Cleveland was
making war without the authority of
Congress. The possibility of such an
act had already been written in a
letter addressed to high officials and
concealed in guava jelly which had
been sent on board the departing
revenue cutter. No fear was ex-
pressed that the ships would lombard
the town; there was too much foreign
property exposed. If fighting came
it would be street-fighting. The Roy
alists had been generally disarmed;
the battle would be between 1000 Pro-
yisionals and 500 seamen from the two
ships, most of the latter being in full
sympathy with the American cause.
1t was a queer situation, unparalleled
in our own or perhaps in American
history. The Japanese consul-general
offered hospitality to the wives and
children of Americans who might
have to fight other Americans in de-
tense of basic American principles.
Grand Army men, old and infirn, call
ed on President Dole asking permission
to stand where they could shoot at
the American flag and the blue uni
form in the cause of Hawaii's ulti-
mate annexation to the United States
officers from the fleet came ashore on
passes and secretly gave the Executive
or the militia pointers of value if a
fight came off. One officer said, You
needn't be afraid of killing Americans