The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-05-14

President Gomez of Venezuela has
turned over the government to the Vice
President and has gone to Miracay for
a brief sojourn.
ooooooooooooooooocoo c
during the fall of 1854, awaiting the
results of the negotiations. The II. s.
frigates Susquehannah and Mississippi
also called on their way home from
Japan, in the latter part of October,
1854, and remained week off the port
of Honolulu.
1t would seem that an attempt was
now made to intimidate the King into
signing the treaty at once. Mr.. Wyllie
afterward stated in his report as Min.
that on the 10Th of November he was
informed that there was imminent dan.
ger of a revolution, that there were
dangerous men from California, well
armed, who insisted on the Kings i'm.
mediate sanction of annexation to the
United States, without waiting for the
arrival of the Crown Prince or the con
sent of the Legislature. That they
would be Joined by three hundred or
more of the American residents here.
That if unsuccessful then, they would
be joined by three hundred men of the
same dangerous character, who We're
to arrive from California by the Amer
lea, and fifty that would arrive by the
Ianthe. That IL we attempted to re-
sist a force so determined, the King
Government would be upset, public
and private property plundered, and
perhaps the town set on fire. That
three individuals should have a pri-
waite conference with the King in
stantly. so as to convince His Majesty
of the truth of these dangers, and that
he could only avoid them by annexa-
ton to the United States"
A Cabinet Council was then called,
at which Mr.. Wyllie was ordered to
make these threats known to the rep
resentatives of the three great mari
time powers. Mr.. Gregg had already
written to Mr.. Wyllie. to assure him
that the forces of the United States
We're ready to cooperate lin depressing
any unlawful attempts of reckless adj
venturers, claiming to be American
citizens, against the peace and dignity
of His Majestys Government" Mr..
Wyllie Immediately appealed to the
representatives of France, Great Brit.
ain and the United States, and was
promised the aid of 200 men from the
U. S. ships Portsmouth and st.
Mary's, of 100 men from H. B. Ms
ship Trincomalee, and of 500 men from
the French frigate Artemise.
He further improved the opportunity
to declare that negotiations should be
suspended, until they could be honor
ably resumed after every trace of co.
ercion had been removed" On the
18th of December he issued a procla-
nation in the Kings name. declaring
that His Majesty had accepted the as
sistance of the three powers named
above. and that his Independence
was more firmly established than ever
before"
This called out from Mr.. Gregg a
despatch denying that the United
States had any intention of entering
into any tripartlte protectorate of the
Kings government, or that his and
Captain Dornn's officers should be
taken as equivalent to a permanent
guarantee of its independence. The ex-
pected filibusters never appeared.
The Crown Prince Alexander Liho-
liho arrived at last from Hawaii, De-
cember /. and 1t is stated on good
authority that he agreed to sign the
treaty, and tina. a day December 12)
was set for the ceremony.
The King is said (by Mrs. Judd) to
have been more eager than ever" ia
complete the business, when he was
suddenly taken i'll, and expired in five
or six days. on the 18th of December
1854, in the forty-second year of his
age. His untimely death was undoubt.
eddy FASTENED by excessive intemper
ance towards the last. Aside from this
unfortunate falling. he had many no.
BILE traits.
AS Mr.. Severance truly said. "His
Partially to Americans has always
been strong, and 1t will be universally
conceded that by his death they have
lost faithful and honorable friend
His adopted son and heir, Alexander
Liholiho, was Immediately proclaimed
king, under the title of Kamehameha
Nv. Soon afterwards he expressed his
wish that the negotiations that had
been begun with Mr.. Gregg should BIZ
broken off. which, was done.
As Mr. Marcy afterwards stated. II
mis- letter to Mr.. Gregg of January 81
1855. the President would never have
approved OF treaty, admitting tbs
Islands into the Union as a State, II
say nothing of other objections o.
minor Importance In fact, the whole
movement as we now look back upor
it. seems to have been premature ant
unnecessary.
'Dr. Judd. DR.. Wood and Mr. Swan