New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-12
Ex-Queen Liliuokalani Dies
In Hawai- After Stormy Career

20 maintain the constitution. tso,.,
her disapproyal Of It's liberal prins
pies was undisguised. The influence :,
her husband, a high-minded and fo,..
ful man Of affairs. restrained her fo.
time from any resetionary attenn,,
But unfortunately he died, universall,
lamented, within the year, and =.
Queen, deprived Of his wise cou-,I
and salutary restraint, soon gave ia
rein 70 her reactionary and arbi,r,rv
impulses. In this course she was =.
couraged by various schcming and ssV
seeking politicians, some American A..
some German. Matters came 20 A .,i,;
in January, 1898, when she underool
arbitrarily 20 abrogate the constitute,
which she had sworn 90 support ana !,
promuigate in its place another Of
most reactionary and despotic char,f
ter. The result was an uprising Of N.
people. the organization Of proyisier.
al government and the deposition ~
the Queen and the abolition Of ,se
monarchy by popular decree.
In accordance with several pree..
dents. established at the wish OF n.
Hawaiian government few marine,
were landed from an American cruise,
to serve as an impartial police force
for the protection of American live,
and property az Honolulu. Because Of
this wise action the revolution wa,
bloodless and peaceful. But the cir.
eumstance gave the deposed Queen
pretext for appealing to the United
States government against recognition
Of the provisional government, and par.
ticularly against its proposals for an.
nexation Of the Islands 20 the United
st ties. Her representation, made
through her agent, Paul Neumann, were
effective IN inducing President Clsye
land 20 withdraw from the Senate and
practically 90 annul the anneyatlo,
treaty which President Harrison had
made and submitted d few days before
Mr.. Cleveland then sent James +.
Blount as "CCmmis siouer Paramount
TO Hawaii, 70 investigate the case, thus
setting the example which Presiden.
Wilson has followed with his various
personal representatives in Mexico
and elsewhere.
Blount foregathered solely with IT,
ex-Queen and her partisans and il.
nored the provisional government and
the people. and, Of course, reported tia,
monstrous wrong had been dove 70
Liliuokalani. Then Mr. Cleveland SEN
Mir. Willis 20 Hawaii on the queer2s'
diplomatic errand on record. He wa,
accredited TO the provisional govern.
ment, and was instructed 10 request ],
70 eliminate itself and let the ex Queer
resume her throne. The proposal Wa
naturally declined, with thanks. The,
Mr.. Willis went 20 the ex-Queen, 10 81
from her a declaration Of what her POI
lev would be If she was restored. Ia
presumptive purpose being 20 repla;.
her upon the throne by force o. Amer
can arms if she would give satisfactory
assurances of a clement and human.
policy. But when he asked her wha
she would do with the leaders OF h.
revolution if she were Queen, 81,
promptly and emphatically replied tbs
she would chop their heads on.
That ended the negotiations. VI
Willis, a high minded gentleman, wa
so unnerved by the outcome Of a mis-
sion which had from the begiunr.
been intensely distasteful 10 him thai
he fell i'll and paid the forfeit Of h'
life TO the purblind policy OF the Stat
Department. Liliuokalsni was e.
couraged from the same source .
hope for restoration, and even TO 20 s.
far "a 20 countenance a conspiracy q
her behalf early in 1895. The con
spiracy was detected and suppr sset
and she was arrested. She thereupor
formally abdicated and renowned al
claims 10 the throne. As matter n.
form she was tried for treason, found
guilty and sentenced to pay fine Of
$4,000 and 20 suffer five years i'm
prisonment; but the sentence va.
never executed, and soon afterward, u
February, 1896, she was pardoned o.
President Dole. She then came 10 thu.
country, visited ':esident Cleveland
and was present at the Inauguration Of
President Mckinley.