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Blount Report: Affairs in Hawaii

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                             592	HAWAIIAN   ISLANDS.
letter of the cabinet, it does not appear how long before this reply he , had recognized the Provisional 
Government. Some witnesses fix it at three and some at half-past three. According to Mr. Damon he went over 
with the cabinet to meet the Queen between four and five, and, taking into account the periods of time as 
indicated by the several events antecedent to this visit to the palace, it is quite probable that the recognition took 
place in the neighborhood of 3 o'clock. This would be within one-half hour from the time that Mr. Cooper com-
menced to read the proclamation establishing that Government, and, allowing twenty minutes for its reading, in 
ten minutes thereafter the recognition must have taken place.
Assuming that the recognition took place at half-past 3, there was not at the Government building with the 
Provisional Government exceeding 60 raw soldiers.
In conversation with me Mr. Stevens said that he knew the barracks and station-house had not been delivered 
up when he recognized the Provisional Government; that he did not care anything about that, for 25 men, well 
armed, could have run the whole crowd.
There appears on the files of the legation this communication:
GOVERNMENT BUILDING,
Honolulu, January 17, 1893, 
His Excellency JOHN L. STEVENS,
United States Minister Resident:
SIR: I acknowledge receipt of your valued communication of this day, recognizing the Hawaiian 
Provisional Government, and express deep appreciation of the same.
We have conferred with the ministers of the late government, and have made demand upon the 
marshal to surrender the station-house. We are not actually yet in possession of the station-house; but as 
night is approaching and our forces may he insufficient to maintain order, we request the immediate 
support of the United States forces, and would request that the commander of the U. S. forces take com-
mand of our military forces, so that they may act together for the protection of the city.
Respectfully yours,
SANFORD B. DOLE, 
Chairman Executive Council.
After the recognition by Mr. Stevens, Mr. Dole thus informs him of his having seen the Queen's Cabinet and 
demaded the surrender of the forces at the station-house. This paper contains the evidence that before Mr. Dole 
had ever had any conference with the Queen's ministers, or made any demand for the surrender of her military 
forces, the Provisional Government had been recognized by Mr. Stevens.
On this paper is written the following:
The above request not complied with.-STEVENS.
This is the only reference to it to be found on the records or among the files of the legation.
This memorandum is not dated.
With the Provisional Government and its forces in a two-acre lot, and the Queen's forces undisturbed by their 
presence, this formal, dignified declaration on the part of the President of the Provisional Government to the 
American minister, after first thanking him for his recognition, informing him of his meeting with the Queen's 
cabinet and admitting that the station-house had not been surrendered, and stating that his forces may not be 
sufficient to maintain order, and asking that the American commander unite the forces of the United States 
with those of the Provisional Government to protect the city, is in ludicrous contrast with the declaration of the 
American minister in his

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