HAWAII. 



879 



the Executive and Advisory Councils of the Pro- 



visi.inal (mvtTiiment : 



Such Provisional (iovfriiini-iit has been pro- 

 claimed, is MOW in of the ( iovcrninont de- 

 partmental building, tin; archives, and tin- treasury, 

 ami is in control of the <-ity. We hereby request that 



you will, on behalf of the United state's ..r America, 

 recognize it as the existing it? facto Government of 

 the Hawaiian Islands, and utt'ord to it the moral sup- 

 port of your Government, and, if necessary, the .-up 

 port of Amerieaii troops to assist in preserving the 



public Jleaee. 



Between four and five o'clock Minister Ste- 

 vens sent a reply to a note of inquiry from the 

 Queen's Cabinet informing the 4 ministers that 

 he had recognized the revolutionary Govern- 



sons not willfully blind. Without Mec-p for two day* 

 and night* <>n the " Morton." without i*t|>|.ing "to 

 change dress, a* HOOII UM pow*iblc I nought to a 

 ate with the Kn^l'isli minister, to t " ' a.-cei- to the 

 Queen, and to try by friendly udviee to arrest the 

 resolution. It was too late ; the mot. of royul retainer* 

 wore already gathering at tin- ]>alace to aid th- ' 

 to eurry out her plan of overturning the ( onstitution. 



In a note acknowledging and expressing deep 

 appreciation for Minister Stc\cns'> cominunica- 

 tion recognizing the Provisional Government. 

 Sanford B. Dole, its President, requested that 

 the United States forces should preserve order, 

 saying : 



We have conferred with the Ministers of the lute 

 Government, and have made demand upon the mar- 





THE ROYAL PALACE. HONOLULU. 



ment. In his dispatch of Jan. 18 to Secretary 

 Poster describing the revolution, he says : 



The Committee of Public Safety forthwith took 

 possession of the Government building, archives, and 

 treasury, and installed the Provisional Government 

 at the head of the respective departments. This 

 being an accomplished fact, I promptly recognized 

 the Provisional Government as the de facto Govern- 

 ment of the Hawaiian Islands. 



In regard to this revolution, Mr. Stevens says : 

 When Capt. Wiltsc and myself, on the " Boston," 

 arrived in the harbor of Honolulu, in the forenoon of 

 Jan. 14, 1 was completely taken by surprise at what 

 the Queen, the palace associates, and the lottery gang 

 had accomplished in ten days. The ramonatrancea of 

 the Chamber of Commerce, of the numerous petitions 

 of some of the best people of the island, bott) whites 

 and natives, and the earnest pleadings of those who 

 had previously adhered to the monarchy, had been 

 defiantly disregarded. I found the city in great ex 

 citement, and learned that for many hours tin-re had 

 been an anxious desire for the return of the " Boston," 

 and this desire was strong among the thoughtful sup- 

 porters of the monarchy as well as among the irreat 

 body of the responsible citizens. The surging, irre- 

 sistible tide of revolution was then obvious to all per 



shal to surrender the station house. We are not ac- 

 tually yet in possession of the station house, but, as 

 night is approaching and our forces may be insuffi- 

 cient to maintain order, we request the immediate sup- 

 port of the United States forces, and would request 

 that the commander of the United States forces take 

 command of our military forces, so that they may act 

 together for the protection of the city. 



It has been claimed that at this time the Queen 

 had a well-armed force of 700 men commanded 

 by her favorite, Wilson. But Minister Stevens 

 pertinently says : 



The representation that Wilson had sufficient force 

 in the limited area of the police station to sustain the 

 monarchy is notoriously aiisurd to all honest jxTsons 

 acquainted with the facts. It' the Queen had this 

 force, why had it not Keen exerted while the outraged 

 people were openly holding their great mass meeting 

 and makiiii; their arrangements for the establishment 

 of a new Government '. Why did Wilson and his so- 

 culled force wait until the outraged citizens irather^l 

 with their rillcs and bottled them up in the police 

 station house? Why did the Queen's representatives 

 call at the Tinted States legation on the 17th and 

 ask the aid of the United States force to support 

 her? 



