Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 November 1893 — BACK TO HER THRONE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BACK TO HER THRONE

QUEEN LILIUOKALANI TO L„ nESTORED. Au Examination of the Case Has Convinced Secretary Gresham that a Wrong Was Committed the Queen of tho Sandwich Islands. Says ’Twas a Conspiracy. Queen Liliuokalani will bo restored to her throne in Hawaii, if she has not been restored ere this. P riday afternoon President Cleveland s Cabinent held an unusually long session, and as a result of the discussion it was decided to give to the Dress the recommendation made by : Secretary Giesham in the Hawaiian matter to the President. Minister Willisiamved in Honolulu on Monday last, it ,g supposed, and as ho had in his pcc ket instructions in conformity with tie lecommehdations of Secretary Gres! tain, which have been approved by thf President, it is probable, says a Was linglon correspondent, that by this ,ime the provisional Sovernmeni hai been deposed and the lueen has reas sorted authority over the islands. At first other I lembers of tho Cabinet opposed this nethod of settlement. They declared lie restoration of the Queen would be unpopular, and that it would be an unf irtunate thing for the administration f it adopted this policy. But grad lally the Secretary’s presentations of tho question won over not only the o her members of tho

Cabinet but the President himself. Tho Secretary’s letter is based upon ; what he describes as ’‘the full and imj partial report” (submitted by J. H. ; Blount, Cleveland's special commis- ' sioner to the Hawaiian Islands. Secrej tary Gresham declares that the follow- ; ing facts aro established: Queen Liliuokalani announced her Intention Saturday, Jan. 14, lull), to proclaim a new constitution, but the opposition of her ministers induced her to change her purpose. At a meet- ; lng In Honolulu late the afternoon of that day a so-called committee of public safety, consisting of thirteen men, a majority of whom, Including five Americans, were aliens, was appointed "To consider the situation and devise ways and means fori the mcintenance of the puhlio peace and tile protection of life and property." This coiinuttee met the 16th or the forenoon ■ f the loth and resolved among other things that a provisional government be created, “To exist uqtil terms of union with the • United States of America have been negotiated | and agreed upon." u'he committee addressed | a letter to John I). Stevens, the American j Minister at Honolulu, stating that the lives and property of the people were In peril, and appealing to him and the United States forces at his command for assistance. On receipt of this letter Mr. Stevens requested Capt. Wilts, commander of the United States steamship Boston, to land a forte. The well-armed troops were promptly landed and marohed through the quiet streets of Honolulu with two Gatling guns to a public hall, just across the Btreet from the Government building and in plain view of the Queen’s palace, j The Protest Was Prompt and Vigorous. The governor protested against the act as an ! unwarranted Invasion of Hawaiian soil and reminding him that the proper authoilties had never denied permission to the naval forces of the United States to land for drill or any other proper purpose. About the same time the queen’s minister of foreign affairs sent a note to Mr. StevenH asking why the troops had been landed, and informing him, that the proper authorities were able and willing to afford full protection to the American Legation and all American interests in Honolulu. Only evasive | replies were sent to these communication^. I Then the committeo entered the government building after first ascertaining that it was unguarded, and one of their number, a citizen of the United States, read a proclamation declaring that the existing government was overthrown and aprovisional government established in its place to exist until terms of union with the United States of America have been negotiated and agreed upon." No audience was present when the proclamation was read, but during the reading forty or fifty men, some of them indifferently armed, entered the room. The executive and advisory councils, mentioned in the proclamation, at onco addressed a communication to Mr. Stevens. informing him that the monarchy had been abrogated and a provisional government established. On receipt of this letter Mr. Stevens immediately recognized the new government, and In a note addressed to Sanford B. Dole, its president, informing him th it he had done so. The Queen was informed that the provisional government had the support of the American minister, and. if necessary, would be maintained by the military force of the United States. | Secretary Gresham concludes: The earnest appeal to the American minister for military- protection by the officers of the provisional government after it had been advanced shows the utter absurdity of the claim I that It was established by a successful revolu- | tion of the people. The government of Hawaii surrendered its | authority under a threat of war until such time only as the Government of the United States, upon the fact being presented to it, should reinstate the constitutional sovereign and the provisional government was created "to exist until the terms of union with the United Stat -s of America has been negotiated and agreed upon.” A careful consiueration of the acts will, I think, convince anyone that the treaty which was withdrawn from the Senate for further consideration should not be resubmitted for action. Our Government was the first to recognize the Independence of the islands and should be the last to assume sovereignty over them by force and fraud. • .

Stevens Is Surprised. Augusta, Me., dispatch: John L. Stevens, late United States Minister to the Hawaiian Islands, was shown the

press dispatch announcing the report of SecretarvGresham to the President upon the affairs connected with -the Hawaiian revolution. Mr. Stevens read it carefully and said: “The posi•tion to which Secretary Gresham has iseen fit to commit himself is so extraor-

dinary, so void of a real foundation of truth, so calumnious of the living and the dead, that I have no extended reply to make at this time. I prefer to let time and events and history decide as to the issue the Secretary has raised against the Provisional Government and the aspersions he sees lit to cast on the deceased Captain of the Boston, the officers under his command, and myself. The way the United States Minister and the officers of the Boston discharged their responsibilities at Honolulu in January was more than covered by Secretary Bayard’s instructions, approved by President Cleveland, of July 12,1887." Sure to Result in Bloodshed. Indianapolis dispatch: When the news of the action of the Cleveland Cabinet in reference to Hawaii was carried to General Harrison to-night he was inclined to doubt it, and said he did not think the President would announce a policy, except in a message to Congress. “But in any event, whether or not,” he said, “I do not want to comment on Mr. Cleveland's acts.” General Harrison continued: “The Queen can-

not resume her throne, I believe, without bloodshed, and it remains now to see whether the United States service will be used to establish her in power again. The question of annexation is one of deep interest to America, and will be handled, I have no doubt, by the newspapers and the people in a patriotic manner.”

SECRETARY ARY GRESHAM.