Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1893 — A CRISIS IN HAWAII. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A CRISIS IN HAWAII.

Th* Queen Dethroned and the ’ Government Overthrown by the People. A Commission In this Country to Urge tie United States to Annex Hawaii— Full I'artlculara. Sit 2 o’clock Saturday morning the steamer Claudine arrived i n San Francisco from the Hawaiian Islands, bringing important news of a revolution in that kingdom. A provisional government has been established by an uprising of the people. Queen Liliuofrnlani lias been deposed from power the monarchy abrogated, government buildings seized, and a new provisional ministry, composed of four members, is sustained by bayonets of volunteers. Queen Liliuokiylani attempted onSaturd«y. January 16, to promulgate a new constitution, depriving foreigners of a right of franchise and abrogating the existing House of Nobles, at the same time giving her the power of appointing a new house. This was resisted by the foreing element of the, community, who at once appointed a committee of safety of thirteen members, who called a mass meeting of their classes, at which twelve hundred or fifteen hundred were present. The meeting unanimously adopted resolutions condemning the action of the Queen and authorizing the committee to take into further consideration whatever was necessary to public safety. The manifesto outlined a policy, demanded the removal from office of the Queen and her cabinet, and promulgated laws for the government of the Islands. The Queen yielded unconditionally. The following detailed account is taken from

the Hawaiian Gazette of Jan. 18, received here on the 3«th: ' “Saturday afternoon, January 15, the community was startled by the information that a coup d’etat was in progress, and that the Quecu was endeavoring to force her Cabinet to sign a new constitution, which she then proposed to promulgate to the people. The information was at first disbelieved by some, but it was speedily confirmed. The political changes of the past few days, the secret attempt was made by the Queen to secure the overthrow of her ministers, her secret interviews with regard to a new constitution, had been felt by some te give a hint as to vhat was to be looked for in the future, «nd many shared in forebodings. On Saturday morning rumor was busy, and it was freely stated that a new constitution was to be promulgated in the afternoon. At a meet of business men, held in the room of the Chamber of Commerce, refer.nce was made to this possibility, butstill '• was not generally believed, until in the afternoon the unexpec;cd happened, and aoubt was transferred into certainty. Three days before the coup d’etat was attempted a gentleman who enjoys the confidence of the Queen told one of the members of the Cabinet that a blow was to be •truck, and that the persons of the minis.ers would be secured.

In anticipation that the present Cabinet would not make any resistance to a revoutionary blow, precaution of arresting them was not taken. Saturday morning one of the ministers received positive information that a blow was to be struck that afternoon. He Immediately proceeded to sonsult two prominent citizens on tho the course to be taken. After a conference the gentlemen referred to advised the Cabinet to refuse to sign the constituclon and to decline to resign if their resignations should bedemanded. The prorogation of the Legislature was the last chapter in the story of the morning. It went off tamely and quietly enough, but those who were acquainted with ihe real situation felt that the government and nation were sleeping bn the crest of a vol-. cano. In the afternoon, immediately after the House had been prorogued, Hui Kalaiaina marched over to the palace and presented a new constitution to the Queen with a petition that the same bo promulgated to the people as the fundamental Uw of the land. The matter of the new constitution and petition had been pre-arranged, and it is stated that ‘.ts promulgation had been promised two weeks previously, and a member from Lahaina, William White, had been actively vorkihg up the movement. A large crowd •st Hawaiins had gathered around the palace gates, and in the government building yards, and elsewhere in the neighborhood.

The Queen retired to the blue room and summoned the ministers. She was seated at a table, still dressed In the magnificent morning costume, with a sparkling coronet of diamonds. She at once presented them with a draft of the new constitution, demanded their signatures and declared her intention to promulgate the same at once. Attorney-General Peterson and Minister of the Interior Cobum decidedly refused to do so, and Ministers Cornwell and Parker, though more hesitatingly, joified the coir leagues in their refusal. All the Cabinet now advised and even strongly urged Her Majesty not to violate the law, but she was not to be dissuaded from her revolutionary course. Bringing her clenched hand down upon (he table Queen Liliuokalani said: “Gentlemen, Ido not wish to hear any more advice. I Intend to promulgate this constitution and do it now." Proceeding, she told the Cabinet that unless they abandoned their resistance at once she would go out upon the steps of the palaeo and tell the excited crowd there assembled that she wished to give them a new constitution,'but that the ministers were inside and hinderlngher from doing it. The ministers remembered the riot at the court house, and the fate of the unlucky representatives who fell into the hands of the mob. They knew what the threat meant, and before It; could be put into execution they .fled for their lives. From the government building„the ministers immediately sent word about town asking the citizens what support the Cabnet could expect in its resistance to the revolutionary movements begun by the Queen- The leading of every po-

Iltical complexion hurried together at the Hon. W. O. Smith’s Office, aud while their numbers were every instant augmented by -j fresh are4.^i nn3; they held hurried consultation as to the course to be pursued. There was but one mind among all those gathered together—tradesmen, lawyers, mechanics, merchants, were of eno opinion. Unanimity of sentiment reigned such as has not been witnessed here for years, and it was agreed without a disenting voice that it was the duty of every citizen,withoutdistinction of party, to support the law and liberties of the people and to resist the revolutionary encroachments of the Queen. Messages to this effect were at once dispatched to the Cabinet The ministers now revisited the palace again, not without apprehension that they would be taken into custody, even if they suffered no bodily harm. Great pressure lias boon brought to. bear upon Iler Majesty to induce her to go no further and to retrace tho revolutionary steps she had already taken. While her troops stood drawn up before the palace waiting for tho fia»l word of command the Queen hesitated. The conference in the blue room lasted a long time, while tho result trembled in the balance. She could not be induced to give up her unlawful project, but finally consented with bitter reluctance to a temporary postponement of-her premeditated coup. The Queen was a very augry woman when, at 4p. m., Saturday, sho returned to the throne room; Again she insisted upon her demands, and -the result was the abrogation of the government and the dethronement of Her Majesty. . = The Hawaiian Islands are 2,100 miles west of San Francisco. Their area is 6,640 square miles and their population about ninety thousand, of whom forty thousand are natives and the rest a mixture of va-

rious nationalities, including about two thousand Americans. The Americans largely outnumber the English, though the latter have considerable interests in the islands. The present revolution appears to be in the interests of the Americans. A commission has reached this country with the purpose of urging annexation. The authorities are non-committal, but it seams to be the genera) sentiment that annexation is impossible. The British Press is declaring most emphatically that America will not be allowed to acquire this territory.