THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT.

21

spiracies having occurred within five years and seven months, it had become necessary to adopt radical measures "for the preservation of the public credit, already seriously damaged abroad, and to avert the final ruin of a financial condition already overstrained." It was pointed out that further forbearance would be useless; that an immediate guarantee for the protection of life, liberty, and property was imperative; otherwise, conditions already almost intolerable would grow steadily worse.

A Provisional Government was organised, to consist of an executive committee of four members, with Judge Sandford B. Dole, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, as its head. This was supplemented by a strong Advisory Council. The integrity, patriotism, and statesmanship of Judge Dole were beyond question; not even the Queen herself could suspect the motives of a man who was, and still is, one of the wisest and most devoted friends her people have ever had. A committee of five men was also chosen and dispatched to Washington to ask for annexation to the United States. The proposition was favourably considered by President Harrison, who was just retiring from office; but it was subsequently rejected by President Cleveland. Not only was the treaty rejected, but, after a so-called inquiry made by a commissioner, Mr. James H. Blount, who was dispatched to the Islands in February, Mr. Cleveland devised a Quixotic scheme of reparation,

which was to effect the Queen's restoration, with certain other compensations for what she claimed to have suffered through the interference of the United States authorities. The evidence of Mr. Blount, when it was finally submitted to Congress and carefully analysed, proved to be ex-parte testimony of the most pronounced type. Undue importance was given to statements made by persons, tools of the Queen, who proved to be wholly untrustworthy; while many who could have given, and were entitled to give, important evidence were shown very scant courtesy or set aside altogether.

Mr. Albert S. Willis, who succeeded Mr. Stevens as United States Minister, arrived in Honolulu on November 4th, 1893, with instructions to restore Liliuokalani, at the same time bringing letters of extreme cordiality and professed friendliness to the President of the Provisional Government. There is every reason to believe that these orders were to be carried out, peaceably if possible, by force if necessary, and in the latter case it would have meant landing American marines from the warships in the harbour to fire upon the American residents of Honolulu.

The tenor of the instructions given Mr. Willis was not learned until twelve days later, and in the meantime he had received the most cordial welcome, both from the citizens and from the heads of the Government. An incredible cablegram, which

MR. WILLIS' MISSION.

23

had been received viâ London, dated November 2nd, brought by a steamer from New Zealand, stated that the President "was drafting a message to Congress in favour of restoring the monarchy." This could not be believed, until all doubt was dispelled by the arrival of the U.S. S. revenue cutter Corwin from San Francisco a little later with decisive instructions.

In the interval Mr. Willis was negotiating with the Queen. One condition exacted by Mr. Cleveland was full amnesty for all who had taken part in the revolution. An unforeseen obstacle was encountered, which delayed decisive action on the part of Mr. Willis, and this was the prompt and stubborn refusal of the Queen to grant amnesty, and her savage demand that those chiefly instrumental in the organisation of the Provisional Government should be beheaded. Mr. Willis with great wisdom and discretion perceived that restoration was impossible without great resistance and probable bloodshed. He notified the Secretary of State, the late Walter Q. Gresham, and waited further orders. Business was entirely suspended, the Government building was strongly barricaded and fortified, and men and even women held themselves in readiness to defend the Provisional Government to the uttermost.

The course which Mr. Cleveland had pursued was extremely unpopular in the United States. By this

time the flimsy pretext that the revolution had been compassed by the connivance of the United States Minister, Mr. Stevens, backed up by the marines from the U.S. S. Boston, was known to be false; and an attempt to restore a corrupt and incapable monarchy by the Chief Executive of a nation pledged to the support and maintenance of democracy raised such a storm of indignation that the project had to be abandoned. Even the best representatives of his own party condemned the President unsparingly; and the Press, even that faction which bitterly opposed annexation, grudgingly acknowledged that his efforts in the direction of arbitrator had been carried to an extreme.

The status quo having been finally restored, the Provisional Government began at once to prepare for the organisation of a republic. A constitutional convention was called, to be held in Honolulu. It met in the Government building on the morning of May 30th, all the members of the Diplomatic Corps except Mr. Willis being present, with the officers of the American and English ships. The test required of electors in voting for delegates to the convention was the oath of fealty to the Government—the usual test in all civilised governments. The deliberations of convention were conservative and moderate, and the Republic was finally proclaimed July 4th with great public rejoicings.

A REPUBLIC ESTABLISHED.

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The Hon. S. B. Dole was chosen President, with an able and conservative Ministry. The Republic, thus established, proceeded at once upon the prosecution of necessary public works. Roads were built, a water front constructed at which ships might load and unload their cargoes, and, most important of all, the harbour was dredged, so that China steamers might dock, instead of discharging their cargo and passengers by lighters. Public

lands were surveyed and placed upon the market, with special advantages given the native Hawaiians. that would enable them to buy and own their homes at a low rate and on the easiest possible terms privilege they had never had when these lands were held by the Crown.

a

No restraint whatever was placed upon the Queen. She came and went at will, residing at her town house, Washington Villa. The attitude of Mr.

Republic all this time
He refused to recog-

Cleveland toward the sister was one of intense disfavour. nise it as long as he could do so without absolute hostility, and finally carried his animosity to the extreme point of withdrawing the U. S. S. Philadelphia from the Honolulu harbour early in September, and in spite of the emphatic warnings of Admiral Walker, then in command of the Pacific Squadron.

Even the nominal support of Mr. Cleveland being thus entirely withdrawn, the ex-Queen secretly returned to her old methods. Plots were set on foot;