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intended—she intended to have all the foreign officials there, with all the eclat possible. There were only five minutes left, and she had already gone into the palace. If we had been two hours earlier, we could perhaps have gotten at her and accomplished something. I did not go to the palace with the other foreign officials. Being absent on the Boston when the cards of invitation were sent out, I had received none to go to the palace, nor to the proroguing of the Legislature at 12 o'clock that day.
And only those present in Honolulu could know how thoroughly the monarchy was dead after the Queen's revolutionary attempt to proclaim a new constitution on the afternoon of July 14. I have already given account of the mass meeting, mostly of white citizens, of the appointment of a committee of safety, and of their request of us to land the naval force.
The Chairman. You say "us." Whom do you mean?
Mr. Stevens. Myself and Capt. Wiltse.
The Chairman. Do you mean that they made a joint request of you, or separate?
Mr. Stevens. They made the request to me.
The Chairman. And not to Capt. Wiltse?
Mr. Stevens. Not to Capt. Wiltse. They always make it to the diplomatic officer.
The Chairman. In what form is that request made?
Mr. Stevens. In a note.
The Chairman. By whom?
Mr. Stevens. The committee of public safety.
The Chairman. Addressed to you, where?
Mr. Stevens. At the legation.
The Chairman. How long before you had arrived there?
Mr. Stevens. I arrived there on Saturday, and this meeting of the committee of public safety was on Monday. After the committee of public safety had been chosen, they made this request.
The Chairman. Was there any reason for making the request for the landing of the troops?
Mr. Stevens. Only the fears of the citizens.
The Chairman. I want to know whether any request had been made upon you before that time?
Mr. Stevens. No, only so far as individual citizens made representations of the danger.
The Chairman. Individual citizens did appear before you to represent the danger?
Mr. Stevens. Yes. Especially did I have a note from Rev. Mr. Bishop, a man 65 years of age, born on the islands. He has everybody's confidence. He informed me on Sunday that the Kahunas of the Queen, the sorcerers, were evidently around the Queen, and there were serious times ahead. He did not ask me, but he stated that that I might know the danger. I learned from other sources, of persons who knew perfectly well, if I did not do so, the legation would be crowded with many people fearing what might happen during the night.
The Chairman. They would come there for protection?
Mr. Stevens. Yes.
The Chairman. Who is this Rev. Mr. Bishop of whom you spoke?
Mr. Stevens. He was born on the islands; his father was a missionary; he was educated at a New York college. He has been identified with the islands for sixty-five years.
The Chairman. There is another Mr. Bishop who is very wealthy?
Mr. Stevens. He is a banker.
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The Chairman. Are they related?
Mr. Stevens. No. Mr. Bishop, the banker, is a native of New York; the other, I rather think, is the son of a Connecticut man.
The Chairman. A missionary?
Mr. Stevens. Yes.
The Chairman. Is this man, the Rev. Mr. Bishop, of whom you speak, a man of substance and property?
Mr. Stevens. He has some property; I do not know how much.
The Chairman. Any wealth?
Mr. Stevens. Not wealthy.
The Chairman. Is he reputable?
Mr. Stevens. Highly reputable. He is known outside of the islands as a man of science.
The Chairman. In addition to Mr. Bishop did other persons come to you and admonish you of the state of danger?
Mr. Stevens. Prior to my arrival—I had left one daughter at home and my wife---
The Chairman. You were informed of that on your return ?
Mr. Stevens. Before we returned, for many hours, persons in anxiety had been coming to the legation, hoping for the Boston to come back, lest something should turn up. The royalists were divided into two cliques, and loyalists came to the legation in anxiety as well as others.
The Chairman. To make it a little more clear, I will ask you whether, on your arrival, your family, including your wife, informed you that persons had been there to inform you in regard to the state of the public mind?
Mr. Stevens. Precisely; and of their anxiety that the Boston should return.
The Chairman. Did they give you that information immediately on your arrival?
Mr. Stevens. Yes.
The Chairman. Did they seem to be concerned about it?
Mr. Stevens. Yes; they thought they were safe when the Boston got there and I got back.
The Chairman. After your arrival there, and after receiving this information from your family, you spoke of Mr. Bishop coming to talk with you personally. Were there other persons who came to talk with you?
Mr. Stevens. I came in contact with a good many persons.
The Chairman. At the legation?
Mr. Stevens. At the legation, where I kept myself except for two or three hours that I was at the Government buildings, for the new ministers had got frightened and they sent to me. They sent to Mr. Wodehouse and the other diplomatic representatives to come to the Government building, and we went there and waited two hours.
The Chairman. What ministers do you speak of?
Mr. Stevens. Foreign ministers.
The Chairman. Representatives of foreign governments.
Mr. Stevens. Yes.
The Chairman. Were they all invited?
Mr. Stevens. They all came over to the Government building while all this wrangling was going on about the Queen's constitution.
The Chairman. Did you join that party?
Mr. Stevens. I went over that afternoon to hear what they had to say, to find out about the constitution and obtain other information.
The Chairman. Did you meet them at the Government building?