Hawaii Holomua, Volume II, Number 30, 5 February 1894 Edition 02 — STEVENS VS. BLAINE [ARTICLE]

STEVENS VS. BLAINE

A PAIR OF NOELE BROTHEHS. — i How the Men from Maine Con«: spircd.

I I On« reason wLieh bas heen 1 «ssigued f<>r the delay in trans j |mitting the Hawaiian correspondenee to Congress has attracted nineh attention. It is asserted | that certa n officīal dispaiches, as.-nu.ed to bave been written by i Secretary BUiue in respon.se to a > | most signitfeant dispatcb of Min1 ister Stevens, dated March 8, * 11892, are missing from the records. The letter of Mr. Stevens, the &nsver to whieh apparently never ctme. is qnite important in the Iight of sobseqnent events. lt v»s not inclnded in the pab- ( lisbed volnroe of *‘Foreign Relations” for 1892 sent to Congress. ' A very noticeable fact, whieh will be made clear wben the President s message and otber docunwBts iw made pohlio, is

l I th.»t vt-ry roanv important SL*te rel»ting to Hawaii «Tef, n«>w f«T tbe first time disinteTred froro tbe s»cret anrhiTes of the J»visk»n oi Rulls *nd 5ndexes in the St»to Department L:brary. Th īs >ignificant letter cf Mr. Stfcv«us to SecreUrv Bl«ine nsads {as foilo»s:

United SUtes Leg«tion. Honoioln. March 8, 1892 —Sir: In v>ew of |H)ssible contingencies iu these islauds. I ask for the in-j structions of the Depart«nent of j (St«to on the following. vii. { If the gt»vern «ent here shoold be surprisetl and overt>imed by j i vn orderly aud peacefol revo j | lotiocarv moveaient. Iargely of i native Hawaii.*ns. «nd a provi-i sionaI or republican governmeut organized and procl*imed, w 'ukl, i thfc Uuit»-d St .tes Mmister «nd n«val commander bere Le ju>ti ! gfcj in re>p n.ling affirtnHtively I to lbe eall *'f the m mbers of thf [ removed Goverameut to restort* | them to power. or replace them . i in jK>ssession of tbe Goverument | buildmgs? or shoold the l mted State Mīnister and naval coui-j j mauder confi'ie themselves excln- j i sivfcly to tlie preservution of; American property, the protec-, | tion »>f Anu rican citizens and tht ■

! preventīon of anarchy? j Sbould n revoiutionan- attempt 1 i of tbe cbaracter inclicateil bej made, tbere are strono; rea-sons to ; presuroe tbat it wonld begiu witb ' tlie seizure c»f tbe poliee stitioa, witb its arms und ammuuition, unel, tbis accomplisbed, tbe ioyal palaee and the Governroent i building. containing tne C cbinet ' oltices and archives, woulel verv 1 soon be C3ptured, tbe latter 1 build ug beiug situated abont I oue tbircl of a mile from tbe puliee station. Iu sucb contiugencies woulel it be just’.fiable t» use tbe l uited ; St>iles forccs bere to restore the Governmeut buildings to tbe pee» ple of tbe displaced officials? ! Ordinarily, in hke circumstances, ; ' the rule secms to limit tlie lanel,!ing «nd tbe movemeuts of tbei Uuited States forces iu foreignj waters aml dominion exclnsiyely | 1 to the protection of the United States Legation anel tbe lives »nd . proporty of American citizens. Bnt as tbe relationsof tbe United ’ States to Hawaii are excepUonal, ‘ j anel in forraer years tlie United 1 St;ites officials bere took somei what exceptional j»ction in cirJ cumstances of disurder, 1 desire ; to kuow liow far tbe present ! Ministor and naval commander ■ may deviate from established >: international vules and precedeuts 3 iu the contiugencies iudicated in » tbe first part of tbe clispatch. I have information whieh I 5 i deem reliable tbat tbere is an 3 ! organized revolutionnry party on 1 Uie isliuuls. coraposed largelv of t J a()^ 1 nrouVi^'‘ilt ar.cV , whites, led cbietly by individiials I oi the latter two classes. Tbis ’l party is hostile to tlie Qneen and s to ber cbief confidauts, aud espe- ! c:ally opposed to tbe coming to 1 j tiie throue of tbe balf Englisb i beir-ap'parent, now being eeiueaied in £ngland. and meaus t<> 1 gain its object eitber by f<>rcing } the Queen to select ber C ibmet <! frotu its own mem.bers, or else to ; overthrow tbe monarcby anel estahlisb a republic witb the uitimate view of annex<tion to tbe United St<t s of tbe whole 1 island. A portion of tbis party 1 mean only tbe former. and tbe . otber portion inteml tbe latter. j ' Failingto accompiisb the former. ; tbe most of tiie party woulel seek i tbe latter alternative. i I bave little doubt tbe revolu ; tionary atterapt woulel bave been j made ere this but for the pre , ■ St nee of Uie United States ship<>f \v»r. I still inelino to tlie ‘ opiuiou tbat tbe rcvolation.tr}' | attempt wiil not be maele so loi g ! as tbere is h Umled States force i in the barbor of Honoluln, but j it would be r*sb to assert this ' positivelv. Therefore, I deera it i my < ffici»l dutv to ask for instrcctioBS in my view of possibte contingencies. I cnHy add tbati i the anueiation sentiroeut is iu-i ,jcreasing, quite at mueh amor.g' i tne wbite residents anel n.itive j Hawaiiaii» and other working-i men who own no sugar stock, asj witb tbe sugar p!anters. I an,{ , sir. etc., 1 JOHN L. STEVENS. j It ean readily be seen tbat a j categorical answer by Secretary Blaiue to these ioqu:ries wbat to' do in case tbe revolatiou Lere ; foresbadowed nme montbs in ndvauce were aetu.-)lly l>roQgbti aboat woukl be of absorbing interest. It is said no answer ean be foand oa the fiies. i i. - !