Martial law still prevails. The ex-Queen is now under trial before the
military commission, upon the charge of misprision of treason. After
objections to the jurisdiction of the court and to the court in general
had been overruled, the plea of not guilty was entered. The evidence as
to landing of arms, assembling of forces, and other treasonable acts was
the same as in the cases heretofore tried. The principal witnesses were
the former retainers of the ex-Queen, who are now in prison. The
ex-Queen, as a witness in her own behalf, denied knowledge, and filed
the statement, printed copies of which I send herewith. By order of the
court those portions of the statement marked with blue pencil were,
against the objection of the accused, stricken out.1 The case is now under submission. In none of the
cases thus far tried has the decision of the commander-in chief,
President Dole, been made known.
[Inclosure in No. 86.]
Statement of Liliuokalani Dominis.
In the year 1893, on the 15th day of January, at the request of a
large majority of the Hawaiian people, and by and with the advice
and consent of my cabinet, I proposed to make certain changes in the
constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, which were suggested to me as
being for the advantage and benefit of the Kingdom and subjects and
residents thereof. These proposed changes did not deprive foreigners
of any rights or privileges enjoyed by them under the constitution
of 1887, promulgated by King Kalakaua and his cabinet, without the
consent of the people or ratified by their votes.
My ministers at the last moment changed their views and requested me
to defer all action in connection with the constitution, and I
yielded to their advice as bound to do by the existing constitution
and laws.
A minority of the foreign population made my
action the pretext for overthrowing the Monarchy, and, aided by
the United States naval forces and representative, established a
new government.
I owed no allegiance to the Provisional Government
so established, nor to any power or to anyone sire the will of
my people and the welfare of my country.
The wishes of my people were not consulted as to
this change of government, and only those who were in practical
rebellion against the constitutional Government were allowed to
vote upon the question whether the Monarchg should exist or
not.
To prevent the shedding of the blood of my people, natives and
foreigners alike, I opposed armed interference, and quietly yielded
to the armed forces brought against my throne, and submitted to the
arbitrament of the Government of the United States the decision of
my rights and those of the Hawaiian people. Since then, as is well
known to all, I have pursued the path of peace and diplomatic
discussion, and not that of internal strife.
The United States having first interfered in the interest of those
founding the Government of 1893 upon the basis of revolution,
concluded to leave to the Hawaiian people the selection of their own
form of government.
This selection was anticipated and prevented by
the Provisional Government, who, being possessed of the military
and police power of the Kingdom, so cramped the electoral
privileges
[Page 825]
that no
free expression of their will was permitted to the people who
were opposed to them.
By my command and advice the native people and those in sympathy with
them were restrained from rising against the Government in
power.
The movement undertaken by the Hawaiians last month was absolutely
commenced without my knowledge, sanction, consent, or assistance,
directly or indirectly, and this fact is, in truth, well known to
those who took part in it.
I received no information from anyone in regard to arms which were or
which were to be procured, nor of any men who were induced or to be
induced to join in any such uprising.
I do not know why this information should have been withheld from me,
unless it was with a view to my personal safety or as a
precautionary measure. It would not have received my sanction, and I
can assure the gentlemen of this commission that had I known of any
such intention I would have dissuaded the promoters from such a
venture. But I will add that had I known, their secrets would have
been mine and inviolately preserved.
That I intended to change my cabinet and to appoint certain officers
of the Kingdom in the event of my restoration I will admit; but that
I, or anyone known to me, had in part or in whole established a new
government is not true. Before the 24th of January, 1895, the day
upon which I formally abdicated and called upon my people to
recognize the Republic of Hawaii as the only lawful Government of
these islands and to support that Government, I claim that I had the
right to select a cabinet in anticipation of a possibility, and
history of other Governments support this right. I was not
intimidated into abdicating, but followed the counsel of able and
generous friends and well wishers, who advised me that such an act
would restore peace and good will among my people, vitalize the
progress and prosperity of the islands, and induce the actual
Government to deal leniently, mercifully, and charitably,
impassionately with those who resorted to arms for the purpose of
displacing a government in the formation of which they had no voice
or control, and which they themselves had seen established by force
of arms.
I acted of my own free will, and wish the world to know that I have
asked no immunity or favor myself nor pleaded my abdication as a
petition for mercy. My actions were dictated by the sole aim of
doing good to my beloved country and of alleviating the positions
and pains of those who unhappily and unwisely resorted to arms to
regain an independence which they thought had been unjustly wrested
from them.
As you deal with them, so I pray that the Almighty God may deal with
you in your hours of trial.
To my regret much has been said about the danger which threatened
foreign women and children, and about the bloodthirstiness of the
Hawaiians and the outrages which would have been perpetrated by them
if they had succeeded in their attempt to overthrow the Republic
Government.
They who know the Hawaiian temper and disposition understand that
there was no foundation for any such fears. The behavior of the
rebels to those foreigners whom they captured and held shows that
there was no malignancy in the hearts of the Hawaiians at all. It
would have been sad, indeed, if the doctrine of the Christian
missionary fathers, taught to my people by them and those who
succeeded them, should have fallen, like the seed in the parable,
upon barren ground.
I must deny your right to try me in the manner and by the court which
you have called together for this purpose. In your
actions you violate your own constitution and laws, which are
now the constitution and laws of the land.
There may be in your consciences a warrant for your action in what
you may deem a necessity of the times, but you can not find any such
warrant for any such action in any settled, civilized, or Christian
land. All who uphold you in this unlawful
proceeding may scorn and despise my word, but the offense of
breaking and setting aside for a specific purpose the laws of
your own nation and disregarding all justice and fairness may be
to them and to you the source of an unhappy and much to be
regretted legacy.
I would ask you to consider that your Government is on trial before
the whole civilized world, and that in accordance with your actions
and decisions will you yourselves be judged. The happiness and
prosperity of Hawaii are henceforth in your hands alone as its
rulers. You are commencing a new era in its history. May the Divine
Providence grant you the wisdom to lead the nation into the paths of
forbearance, forgiveness, and peace, and to create and consolidate a
united people, ever anxious to advance in the way of civilization
outlined by the American fathers of liberty and religion.
In concluding my statement, I thank you for the courtesy you have
shown to me not as your former Queen, but as a humble citizen of
this land, and as a woman. I assure you, who believe you are
faithfully fulfilling a public duty, that I shall never harbor any
resentment or cherish any ill feeling toward you whatever may be
your decision.
