The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-05-11


internal condition of the kingdom there
was danger, and there was no saying
what changes that danger might lead
the King to submit to.
Procrastination and Failure of the
Treaty.
On the 18th of September, General
Miller, the Consul General of Great
Britain, had an audience with the King,
when he delivered a TRADE of more
than an hour in length against annexa-
ton, and in denunciation of the gov
eminent and people of the United
States.
He read in full the article in the New
York Tribune of July 20, to show that
the designs of the United States were
unfriendly to Hawaiian interests The
King in his reply said that he much
preferred that such communications
should be made in writing, in order to
prevent misunderstanding
Meanwhile the Crown Prince, Alex
ander, remained at Hawaii, to avoid
signing the treaty. Weary of the de-
lay, Mr.. Gregg wrote September Il,
complaining of the procrastination, and
threatening to withdraw from further
ACSOtldtlOHS, anu " ueCldit buOS6 WHICH
had already taken place to be at an
end.
The Prince was sent for, but did not
come. Mr.. Gregg wrote again Novem-
Der l, demonstrating against further de-
lay in the conclusion of the treaty. He
used the following language: s.The
strong arm of the United States has
! been solicited for your protection. 1t
has been kindly extended and held out,
| until at length self-respeet must soon
| dictate it's withdrawal . This was re-
garded as menace by Mr.. Wyllie, and
gave much offence.
| The u. s. S. Portsmouth, Captain
Dornin, and the st. Mary, Captain
| Bailey, were in fact detained in port
during the fall of 1854, awaiting the
results of the negotiations. The &. 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
/ lister of War to the Legislature of 1858,
/ that on the 18th 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 King S 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 OF
| more of the American residents here.
That if unsuccessful then, they would
be joined by three hundred men of the
same dangerous character, who were
to arrive from California by the Amer
lea, and fifty that would arrive by the
Ianthe. That if we attempted to re-
sist force SO determined, the King
Government would be upset, public
and private property plundered, and
perhaps the town set on fire Tha1
three individuals should have a pr.
vate conference with the King in
stantly. SO as to convince His Majesty
of the truth of these dangers, and tina
he could only avoid them by annexa
ton to the United States
d A Cabinet Council was then called
at which Mr.. Wyllie was ordered t,
make these threats known to the rep
resentatives of the three great mari
time powers. Mr.. Gregg had alread!
written to Mr.. Wyllie, to assure hin
that the forces of the United State:
were ready to cooperate ''in depressing
any unlawful attempts of reckless ad
| venturers, claiming to be American
citizens, against the peace and dignity
of His Majesty's Government" Mr.
Wyliie 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.
| ereion 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 tripartite proteotorate of the
Kings government. or that his and
Captain Dornins officers should bt
taken as equivalent TO a permanent
guarantee of its independence. The ex
pected filibusters never appeared.
The Crown Prince Alexander Liho
|, Tho arrived at last from Hawaii, De
cember 1, and it is stated on GOO
authority that he agreed to sign tn,
treaty, and that day December Il
. was set for the ceremony