Home: The Annexation Of Hawaii: A Collection Of Document
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HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 633 decided to encourage the Hawaiians to keep quiet and await further developments. On Tuesday, the 17th, the cabinet met in the morning and arrangements were made for calling a meeting of the diplomatic corps to take place at noon. The different foreign representatives, except Minister Stevens, who sent his excuses, met together at the time appointed. Shortly after I saw Marshal Wilson, who emphatically told me that from a military standpoint he was perfectly able to cope with the situation, and that he and his followers were ready to stop any insurrection, and, if necessary, prepared to resist and successfully tight (as he expected to have to do) the United States forces then ashore. Having the fullest confidence in the good judgment of Marshal Wilson, I concurred with his ideas, and from that moment advised my colleagues to resist by force any attempt that might be made to overthrow the Government. About 2:45 p. m. we were informed that a proclamation had been issued to the effect that the Queen had been deposed and that her ministers and the marshal had been dismissed. The cabinet immediately proceeded to the American legation. Messrs. Parker and Peterson went into Minister Stevens's office while Mr. Colburn and myself remained in his sitting room. Our colleagues soon returned and told us that Minister Stevens could grant us no assistance, as the committee of thirteen representing, as he said, the respectability and wealth of the community, had requested his support. Upon a straight question of the attorney general he answered that if called upon for assistance by the alleged newly-established Government he would respond to such call with the forces at his command. A little after 3 p. m. Mr. Charles Hopkins was sent to Minister Stevens from the station house (where the cabinet had taken up their headquarters) with a letter in which the cabinet wished to know in black and white how Minister Stevens proposed to act in the matter. Mr. Hopkins returned about half an hour later and brought Minister Stevens's answer, in which he informed us that he had already recognized the Provisional Government because they were in possession of the departmental buildings, the archives, and the treasury, and that he would stand ready to support them as the de facto government. Messrs. E. C. Macfarlane and Neumann were then in consultation with the cabinet in regard to what action should be taken. About this time Messrs. Samuel M. Damon and G. Bolte came to the station house and asked the cabinet to go with them to the Government house, that the officers of the Provisional Government wished to talk over the situation with us. Mr. Parker and I went there and found Messrs. Dole, Damon, W. O. Smith, and others, and we were told that the Provisional Government had been recognized by Mr. Stevens, and we were asked as true Hawaiians to do the best for our country and surrender, to avoid bloodshed. We told them that we could give them no answer before seeing Her Majesty the Queen, and were then requested to go to the palace and do our best to induce the Queen to surrender. Shortly after 5:30 p. m. we went to the palace and found the Queen in the blue room, and soon after Messrs. J. O. Carter, H. A. Widemann, Paul Neumann, and E. C. Macfarlane arrived. There were also present my colleagues, Messrs. Colburn and Peterson, and the two princes. Mr. Damon was likewise present representing the Provisional Government. The Queen told us that she had sent for the gentlemen present to consult with them in this crisis, and requested them all to remain with her until everything was settled. Mr. Damon stated that he was