Template:880-881 - Revision history

Jere Krischel at 03:35, 23 December 2005

2005-12-23T03:35:13Z

Jere Krischel at 04:53, 12 December 2005

2005-12-12T04:53:12Z

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880 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
The CHAIRMAN. Take your own course, so that yon answer the
questions.
Mr. STEVENS. The biennial Legislature assembled in May, 1892.
The body very soon asserted its constitutional prerogative in voting
out a ministry that had consented to the maladministration of the
Queen and her favorite at the palace, who exercised dictatorial powers
and rioted in official police corruption. Instead of appointing ministers
possessing the confidence of the Legislative majority and of the
business men of the islands, she continued to select those of her own
type of character, those whom she knew would retain her palace favorite
in power. Three successive ministers of this description were voted
out by the Legislature, with the warm approval of all the best men of
the islands. At last the Queen appeared to yield to the pressure of
public opinion and consented to the appointment of four responsible
men, three of them persons of wealth, and all of them men of good
financial standing, who took the official places with reluctance, all four
of them sharing the public confidence.
Known as the Wilcox-Jones ministry, it was believed that they
would safely cany the country through the following eighteen months
to the election and assemblage of the next Legislature. Fully sharing
this belief, the United States minister and naval commander left
Honolulu January 4, in the IT. S. cruiser Boston, for Hilo and Volcano,
the distance of nearly 300 miles. It was the first time for
many months I had felt it safe for the United States minister and
naval commander to be away from the Hawaiian capital. We were
absent ten days. When we arrived in the harbor of Honolulu on our
return from Hilo, in the forenoon of January 14, there came to us the
startling news that the Queen and the ring of white adventurers who
surrounded her had, by intrigue and bribery, carried the lottery and
opium bills through the Legislature; had forced out the Wilcox and
Jones ministry, had appointed in their places four of her palace retainers,
two of whom the Legislature and the responsible public had
recently and repeatedly rejected, headed by the man who had carried
the lottery and opium bills through the Legislature.
In spite of numerous petitions and protests from all the islands,
both of whites and native Hawaiians, and the earnest remonstrance of
the chamber of commerce and the principal financial men of the
country, the Queen immediately signed the iniquitous bills. Both she
and the ring of adventurers who surrounded her expected thus to get
the money to carry on the Government by making Honolulu a fortress
of gamblers and semipirates amid the ocean, from which they could,
by every mail steamer to the United States, send out the poisoned
billets of chance by which to rob the American people of their millions
of money—a method of gaining silver and gold as wicked and
audacious as that of the freebooters who once established themselves
in the West Indian seas and made piratical forays on American
commerce. But even this was not enough for the semibarbaric Queen
and the clique of adventurers around her. To fortify themselves in
their schemes of usurpation and robbery they must have a new constitution.
They were afraid the supreme court would decide their
lottery bill unconstitutional. The supreme court must be reconstructed,
so that the Queen could reappoint the judges and give the
final appeal to the Queen herself. The new constitution was to be
proclaimed in a way that the existing constitution expressly prohibits.
Her four new ministers were in the plot.
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 881
While the Boston was coming into the harbor of Honolulu, on the
forenoon of January 14, the mob of hoodlums, at the call of the Queen
and her retainers, were gathering in the palace grounds. The Legislature
was prorogued at 12 a. m. The revolutionary edict of Hawaii's
misguided sovereign was ready to be proclaimed, rumors of which were
already in the public ear. The storm of public indignation began to
gather. A few minutes before the appointed hour for the coup d'etat, immediately
after my reaching the legation from the Boston, I was urged
to go at once to the English minister to ask him to accompany me to
the Queen and try to dissuade her from her revolutionary design. I
promptly sought to comply with this request, went immediately to the
English minister, who was ready to cooperate with me if there were any
possibility of effecting any good. We went immediately to the foreign
office to seek access to the Queen in the customary manner.
The hour of proroguing the Legislature had arrived. The ceremony
concluded, the Queen went immediately to the palace, around which
the mob was gathering. It was too late for the American and English
ministers even to attempt to reason with the maddened, misguided
woman, who had already launched the revolution which could not be
arrested, though her cowardly ministers of the. lottery gang became
alarmed and drew back. She scorned their cowardice and pushed on
to her doom. Saturday night told every intelligent man in Honolulu
that the Hawaiian monarchy was forever at an end—that the responsible
persons of the islands, the property holders and the friends of
law and order, must thereafter take charge of public affairs. The great
mass meeting of January 16—worthy of the best American towns, of
the best American days, was held. It was made up of the best and
chief men of the country—the owners of property, the professional and
educated citizens, merchants, bankers, clerks, mechanics, teachers,
clergymen.
This assemblage was a unit in opinion and purpose. It was
stirred by a common sentiment, the love of country and the desire for
public order and public security. It took its measures wisely and prudently.
Its committee of public safety asked us to land the men of the
Boston lest riot and incendiarism might burst out in the night, for no
reliable police force longer existed, and whatever there was of this force
was now in the control of the usurpers and the lottery gamblers
who had initiated the revolution. Under the diplomatic and naval
rules, which were and are imperative, the U. S. minister and naval
commander would have shamefully ignored their duty had they not
landed the men of the Boston for the security of American life and property
and the Maintenance of public order, even had the committee of
public safety not requested us to do.
As American representatives, 5,000 miles from our Government, we
could not have escaped our responsibilities even had we desired to do
so. Fortunately the commander of the Boston and those under his
command had no desire to shirk their duty. They appreciated the
obligations of American patriotism and the honor of the American
Navy. The allurements of a semibarbaric court and palace had not
blinded their eyes to the condition of things in Honolulu. On shore in
perfect order, they stepped not an inch from the line of duty. They
never lifted a finger in aid of the fallen monarchy.
The CHAIRMAN. Who was then chamberlain?
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. Robertson.
The CHAIRMAN. Who was prior to himt
Mr. STEVENS. MacFarlane.
S. Doc 231, pt 6 56

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
+{{p|880}}
-The CHAIRMAN. Take your own course, so that yon answer the
+The {{sc|Chairman.}} Take your own course, so that you answer the
 questions.
-Mr. STEVENS. The biennial Legislature assembled in May, 1892.
 The body very soon asserted its constitutional prerogative in voting
 out a ministry that had consented to the maladministration of the
@@ Line 17: / Line 18: @@
 financial standing, who took the official places with reluctance, all four
 of them sharing the public confidence.
 Known as the Wilcox-Jones ministry, it was believed that they
-would safely cany the country through the following eighteen months
+would safely carry the country through the following eighteen months
 to the election and assemblage of the next Legislature. Fully sharing
 this belief, the United States minister and naval commander left
-Honolulu January 4, in the IT. S. cruiser Boston, for Hilo and Volcano,
+Honolulu January 4, in the U. S. cruiser ''Boston'', for Hilo and Volcano,
 the distance of nearly 300 miles. It was the first time for
 many months I had felt it safe for the United States minister and
@@ Line 34: / Line 36: @@
 recently and repeatedly rejected, headed by the man who had carried
 the lottery and opium bills through the Legislature.
 In spite of numerous petitions and protests from all the islands,
 both of whites and native Hawaiians, and the earnest remonstrance of
@@ Line 55: / Line 58: @@
 proclaimed in a way that the existing constitution expressly prohibits.
 Her four new ministers were in the plot.
-HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 881
+{{p|881}}
-While the Boston was coming into the harbor of Honolulu, on the
+While the ''Boston'' was coming into the harbor of Honolulu, on the
 forenoon of January 14, the mob of hoodlums, at the call of the Queen
 and her retainers, were gathering in the palace grounds. The Legislature
@@ Line 62: / Line 65: @@
 misguided sovereign was ready to be proclaimed, rumors of which were
 already in the public ear. The storm of public indignation began to
-gather. A few minutes before the appointed hour for the coup d'etat, immediately
+gather. A few minutes before the appointed hour for the ''coup d'etat'', immediately
-after my reaching the legation from the Boston, I was urged
+after my reaching the legation from the ''Boston'', I was urged
 to go at once to the English minister to ask him to accompany me to
 the Queen and try to dissuade her from her revolutionary design. I
@@ Line 70: / Line 73: @@
 possibility of effecting any good. We went immediately to the foreign
 office to seek access to the Queen in the customary manner.
 The hour of proroguing the Legislature had arrived. The ceremony
 concluded, the Queen went immediately to the palace, around which
@@ Line 75: / Line 79: @@
 ministers even to attempt to reason with the maddened, misguided
 woman, who had already launched the revolution which could not be
-arrested, though her cowardly ministers of the. lottery gang became
+arrested, though her cowardly ministers of the lottery gang became
 alarmed and drew back. She scorned their cowardice and pushed on
 to her doom. Saturday night told every intelligent man in Honolulu
@@ Line 86: / Line 90: @@
 educated citizens, merchants, bankers, clerks, mechanics, teachers,
 clergymen.
 This assemblage was a unit in opinion and purpose. It was
 stirred by a common sentiment, the love of country and the desire for
 public order and public security. It took its measures wisely and prudently.
 Its committee of public safety asked us to land the men of the
-Boston lest riot and incendiarism might burst out in the night, for no
+''Boston'' lest riot and incendiarism might burst out in the night, for no
 reliable police force longer existed, and whatever there was of this force
 was now in the control of the usurpers and the lottery gamblers
@@ Line 96: / Line 101: @@
 rules, which were and are imperative, the U. S. minister and naval
 commander would have shamefully ignored their duty had they not
-landed the men of the Boston for the security of American life and property
+landed the men of the ''Boston'' for the security of American life and property
-and the Maintenance of public order, even had the committee of
+and the maintenance of public order, even had the committee of
 public safety not requested us to do.
 As American representatives, 5,000 miles from our Government, we
 could not have escaped our responsibilities even had we desired to do
-so. Fortunately the commander of the Boston and those under his
+so. Fortunately the commander of the ''Boston'' and those under his
 command had no desire to shirk their duty. They appreciated the
 obligations of American patriotism and the honor of the American
@@ Line 108: / Line 114: @@
 perfect order, they stepped not an inch from the line of duty. They
 never lifted a finger in aid of the fallen monarchy.
-The CHAIRMAN. Who was then chamberlain?
-Mr. STEVENS. Mr. Robertson.
+The {{sc|Chairman.}} Who was then chamberlain?
-The CHAIRMAN. Who was prior to himt
-Mr. STEVENS. MacFarlane.
+Mr. {{sc|Stevens.}} Mr. Robertson.
 S. Doc 231, pt 6 56