HAWAII. 



385 



President., luted Oct. 18, he recommends that the 

 treaty should not be resubmittcd to the Senate. 



At an carl\ stairc of the movement, if not lit the 

 beginning, Mr. Bteveni promised the anncxationiM* 

 that as soon as they obtained possession of t: 



eminent building, and there read a proclamation of 

 the character above referred to, he would at one.- ice 

 omin them as u de facto government, and support 

 them hv landing a force from our war ship then in 

 the harbor, and he kept that promise. 



This iissurancc wits the inspiration of the move- 

 ment, and without it the annexationists would not 

 have exposed themselves to the consequences of fail- 

 ure. They relied upon no military force of their own, 

 for they had none worthy of the name. 



The Provisional Government was established by 

 the action of the American minister and pr. 

 the troops landed from the " Hoston." and its con- 

 tinued existence is due to the belief of the lluwaiians 

 that if they made an effort to overthrow it they 

 would encounter the armed forces of the Tinted 

 State-. 



Under such circumstances, he asks, '-should 

 not the great wrong done to a feeble but inde- 

 pendent State by the abuse of the authority of 

 the United States be undone by restoring the 

 legitimate government t " " Our Government, " 

 he says, " was the first to recognize the inde- 

 pendence of the islands, and it should be the 

 last to acquire sovereignty over them by force 

 and fraud." 



Albert S. Willis, of Kentucky, was appointed 

 minister to Hawaii on Sept. 3, to succeed Mr. 

 Blount, who returned to the United States early 

 in August. Mr. Willis was confirmed, received 

 his credentials on Sept. 27, departed for Hawaii 

 on a naval vessel, and was received by President 

 Dole on Nov. 7. There was an excited state of 

 public feeling in Honolulu after his arrival, which 

 became intense when the report of Secretary 

 Gresham foreshadowing the President's policy 

 of restoration reached the islands. 



In a confidential letter of instructions, dated 

 Oct. 18, Secretary Gresham informed Minister 

 Willis of the conclusions drawn by the Pres- 

 ident from Mr. Blount's report, and his plan 

 for reinstating the Queen by moral force under 

 certain conditions. 



The Provisional Government was not established 

 by the Hawaiian people or with their consent or ac- 

 quiescence; nor has it since existed with their con- 

 sent. The Queen refused to surrender her powers to 

 the Provisional Government until convinced that the 

 minister of the United States had recognized it as the 

 de facto authority, and would support and defend it 

 with the military force of the United States, and that 

 resistance would precipitate a bloody conflict with 

 the force. She was advised and assured by her min- 

 isters, and by the leaders of the movement for the 

 overthrow of her Government, that if she surrendered 

 under protest her case would afterward be fairly con- 

 sidered by the President of the United States." The 

 Queen finally wisely yielded to the armed forces ot 

 the United States then quartered in Honolulu, rely- 

 imr upon the good faith and honor of the President, 

 when informed of what had occurred, to undo the ac- 

 tion of the minister and reinstate her and the author- 

 ity which she claimed as the constitutional sovereign 

 or the Hawaiian Islands. 



The President lias, therefore, determined that he 

 will not send back to the Senate for it* action thereon 

 the treaty which he withdrew from that body for 

 further consideration on the 9th day of March' last. 



On your arrival at Honolulu you will take advan- 

 tage of an early opportunity to inform the Queen ot 

 this determination, making known to her the Presi- 



VOL. xxxiii. 25 A 



.lent s sincere regret that the reprehensible conduct 

 ol the Amerieun minister, un<l tin- uimutl 

 presence on lurid of a military force of t),e ' 



States, obliged her to UITOUder her sovereignty for 



the time boog.aod rely on the jutice of thu Govern- 

 ment to undo the flagrant wrong. 



V.-u will, however, at the same time inform the 

 Queen that, when reinstated, the Prcsi.: 

 that she will pursue a magnanimous coiiine by 

 grunting full amnesty to all who participated in th 

 movement against her, including |-rson* who 

 are or have been, otlicially or otherw i.-i . 

 neeted with the Provisional Government, depriving 



ministration should be a.-.-umcd. 



Having secured the Queen's agreement to pursue 

 thiswise and humane policy, which it is believed 

 you will speedily obtain, you will then advise the 

 K.xccutive of the Provisional Government ami his 

 ministers of the President's determination of the 

 Question which their action and those ot the Queen 

 devolved upon him, and that thev are expected to 

 promptly relinquish to her her constitutional author- 

 ity. 



Should the Queen decline to pursue the liberal 

 course suggested, or should the Provisional Govern- 

 ment refuse to abide by the President's decision, you 

 will report the facts and await further directions. 



Rear-Admiral J. S. Skerrett was relieved by 

 Rear-Admiral John Irwin, who took command 

 on Nov. 6. The Provisional Government had 

 imported an additional supply of machine guns, 

 repeating rifles, and ammunition in anticipation 

 of a struggle, and the military forces had been 

 increased until there were 1,100 men under 

 arms. The Government building was barricaded 

 and converted into a fortress. The friends of 

 the Provisional Government boasted that thev 

 were stronger than the naval forces of t la- 

 United States in Hawaii, and declared that they 

 would fight if the forces of the United States 

 should be used to restore the Queen. As t hreats 

 of assassination wero uttered against Liliimka- 

 lani, the Provisional Government posted guards 

 before her house. The Government decided to 

 remove from office all employees whose loyalty 

 they could not depend upon. Wundenberg, clerk 

 of the Supreme Court, was dismissed on account 

 of his affidavit contained in Blount's report. In 

 anticipation of an announcement by Minister 

 Willis that the United States would intervene 

 to restore the Queen, the Executive Council 

 framed a declaration to be presented to Minister 

 Willis that the Government declined to enter 

 into negotiations for the restoration of the 

 Crown, and would resist with military force any 

 attempt to overthrow its authority. 'An Amer- 

 ican League, composed of American citi/ens 

 who were prepared to fight for the Government, 

 numbered about 1,200, and then- \\,-r<- i.:>iin rifles 

 in the hands of annexationists of this temper. 



The Queen refused to accept the conditions 

 laid down by President Cleveland, declaring that 

 nothing but the execution of the memlH-rsof the 

 Provisional Government and banishment of their 

 families would be consented to, and Mr. Wil- 

 lis therefore had nothing to communicate to 

 the Provisional Government. The Secretary of 

 State telegraphed to the minister, on Dec. 3. to 

 require the Queen's unqualified agreement that 

 the obligations assumed by the Provisional Gov- 

 ernment shall be assumed', and on a pledge that 



