Home: The Annexation Of Hawaii: A Collection Of Document
hawnpac@hawaii.edu
(808) 956-8264
[ Previous Page ] -- [ View PDF ] -- [ View in MS Word ] -- [ Next Page ]
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 589 have occupied the government building and read, their proclamation dethroning the Queen and establishing the Provisional Government he would recognize it. The committee of safety, recognizing the fact that the landing of the troops under existing circumstances could, according to all law and precedent, be done only on the request of the existing Government, having failed in utilizing the Queen's cabinet, resorted to the new device of a committee of safety, made up of Germans, British, Americans, and natives of foreign origin, led and directed by two native subjects of the Hawaiian Islands. With these leaders, subjects of the Hawaiian Islands, the American minister consulted freely as to the revolutionary movement and gave them assurance of protection from danger at the hands of the royal Government and forces. On January 17 the following communication, prepared at the station house, which is one-third of a mile from the Government building and two-thirds of a mile from the residence of the American minister, was sent to him: DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, Honolulu, January 17, 1893. His Excellency JOHN L. STEVENS, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, etc. : SIR : Her Hawaiian Majesty's Government, having been informed that certain persons to them unknown, have issued proclamation declaring a Provisional Government to exist in opposition to Her Majesty's Government, and having pretended to depose the Queen, her cabinet and marshal, and that certain treasonable persons at present occupy the Government building in Honolulu with an armed force, and pretending that your excellency, on behalf of the United States of America, has recognized such Provisional Government, Her Majesty's cabinet asks respectfully, has your excellency recognized said Provisional Government, and, if not, Her Majesty's Government under the above existing circumstances respectfully requests the assistance of your Government in preserving the peace of the country. We have the honor to be your excellency's obedient servants, SAMUEL PARKER, Minister Foreign Affairs. WM. H. CORNWELL, Minister of Finance. JOHN F. COLBURN, Minister of the Interior. A. P. PETERSON, Attorney-General. In it will be observed the declaration that the Provisional Government is claiming to have had his recognition. The reply of Mr. Stevens is not to be found in the records or files of the legation, but on those records appears the following entry: UNITED STATES LEGATION, Honolulu, January 17, 1893. About 4 to 5 p. m. of this date - am not certain of the precise time - the note on file from the four ministers of the deposed Queen, inquiring if I had recognized the Provisional Government, came to my hands while I was lying sick on the couch. Not far from 5 p. m.-I did not think to look at my watch - I addressed a short note to Hon. Samuel Parker, Hon. Win. H. Cornwell, Hon. John F. Colburn, and Hon. A. P. Peterson, no longer regarding them as ministers, informing them that I had recognized the Provisional Government. JOHN L. STEVENS, United States Minister. This communication was received at the station house and read by all of the ministers and by a number of other persons. After this Mr. Samuel M. Damon, the vice-president of the Provisional Government, and Mr. Bolte, a member of the advisory council, came to the station house and gave information of the proclamation