See INDIA: A. D. 1857-1858.
HAVRE: A. D. 1563-1564.
Occupation by the English.
Siege and recovery by the French.
See FRANCE: A. D. 1563-1564.
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, The.
The Hawaiian or Sandwich Archipelago, in the North Pacific
ocean, "consists of the seven large and inhabited volcanic
islands of Oahu, Kauai, Niihau, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and
Hawaii, and the four bare and rocky islets of Kaula, Lehua,
Kahoolawe, and Molokini, with a total area of 8,000 square
miles, and a population of scarcely more than 50,000 souls.
… The Kanakas, as the natives are called, are amongst the
finest and most intelligent races of the Pacific, and have
become thoroughly 'Europeanised,' or, perhaps rather,
'Americanised.' … The Hawaiians, like all other Polynesians,
are visibly decreasing in a constantly increasing ratio."
_Stanford's Compendium of Geography: Australasia,
chapter 24._
"Gaetano discovered one of the Sandwich [Hawaiian] Islands in
1542; and, following him, Quiros found Tahiti and the New
Hebrides. Sea voyages in the Pacific multiplied, but that sea
long continued the exclusive theatre of the enterprises of the
Spaniards and Portuguese. … Native traditions refer to the
arrival of strangers a long time before Cook's appearance. In
the seventeenth century Spanish merchantmen were crossing the
Pacific, and might have refreshed at these islands. The
buccaneers, too, may have found the small harbour a convenient
place of concealment."
_M. Hopkins,
Hawaii: The Past, Present and Future of the Island Kingdom,
pages 83, 87._
"It is about a century since His Majesty's ships 'Resolution'
and 'Adventure,' Captains Cook and Clerke, turned back from
Behring Strait after an unsuccessful attempt to discover the
North-West Passage. But the adventurers were destined to light
upon fairer lands than those which they had failed to find. On
the 18th of January, 1778, whilst sailing through the Pacific,
the look-out man reported land ahead, and in the evening they
anchored on the shores of that lovely group of twelve islands,
which they named in honour of the then First Lord of the
Admiralty—Lord Sandwich—better known to the satirists of his
day as 'Jemmy Tickler,' one of the greatest of statesmen and
most abandoned of men. The natives received the strangers
gladly; but on the 14th of February, 1779, in an altercation
consequent on the theft of a boat, Captain Cook was killed in
Kealakcakua or Karakakoa Bay, in the Island of Hawaii, or
Owhyhee, from which the official name of the country—the
kingdom of Hawaii—takes its name."
_R. Brown,
The Countries of the World,
volume 4, page 22._
The several islands of the Hawaiian group were politically
independent of each other and ruled by different chiefs at the
time of Captain Cook's visit; but a few years later a chief
named Kaméhaméha, of remarkable qualities and capabilities,
succeeded to the sovereignty in the Island of Hawaii, and made
himself master in time of the whole group. Dying in 1819, he
left a consolidated kingdom to his son Liholiho, or Kaméhaméha
II., in whose reign "tabu" and idolatry were abolished and
Christian missionaries began their labors. The dynasty founded
by Kaméhaméha held the throne until 1872. In 1840 a
constitution was proclaimed, which created a legislative body,
composed of hereditary nobles and seven representatives
informally elected by the people. In 1842 the United States,
by an official letter from Daniel Webster, then Secretary of
State, "recognized the independence of the Hawaiian Kingdom,
and declared, 'as the sense of the government of the United
States, that the government of the Sandwich Islands ought to
be respected; that no power ought to take possession of the
islands, either as a conquest or for the purpose of
colonization; and that no power ought to seek for any undue
control over the existing government, or any exclusive
privileges or preferences in matters of commerce.'" The
following year, France and England formally recognized "the
existence in the Sandwich Islands of a government capable of
providing for the regularity of its relations with foreign
nations," and agreed "never to take possession, either
directly or under the title of a protectorate, or under any
other form, of any part of the territory of which they are
composed." In 1852 the constitution was revised. The
legislature, formerly sitting in one body, was now divided
into two houses and both enlarged.
{1629}
In 1864, however, King Kaméhaméha V. forced the adoption of a
new constitution which reversed this bicameral arrangement and
restored the single chamber. A double qualification of the
suffrage, by property and by education, was also introduced.
With the death of Kaméhaméha V., in 1872, his line ended. His
successor, Lunalilo, was elected by the legislature, and the
choice ratified by a popular vote. The reign of Lunalilo
lasted but two years. His successor, David Kalakaua, was
raised to the throne by election. In the year after his
accession, Kalakaua visited the United States, and soon
afterwards, in 1875, a treaty of reciprocity between the two
countries was negotiated. This was renewed and enlarged in
1887. In 1881 the King made a tour of the world. In the fall
of 1890 he came to California for his health; in January,
1891, he died at San Francisco. His sister, Liliuokulani,
widow of an American resident, succeeded him.
_W. D. Alexander,
Brief History of the Hawaiian People._
In 1887 a new constitution had been adopted. "This new
constitution was not framed by the king but by the people
through their own appointed citizens and members of the
courts. The legislative powers of the crown which had been
abridged by the constitution of 1864 were now entirely removed
and vested in the representatives of the people. By this the
crown became an executive. In addition to this provision there
was one making the ministry a responsible body and depriving
the king of the right to nominate members of the house of
nobles. … The legislature consists of a House of Nobles
composed of twenty-four members, who are elected for a term of
six years, and a House of Representatives consisting of from
twenty-four to forty-two members elected for two years. The
Houses sit in joint session. In addition to these public
officers there is a cabinet composed of four ministers
appointed by the sovereign holding executive power and who may
be removed upon sufficient cause by the legislature. Such was
the form of government in vogue up to the time of the recent
revolution which has excited the interest of the American
government. On the 15th of January (1893) … Queen
Liliuokalani made the attempt to promulgate a new
constitution, obviously for the purpose of increasing her
power in the government. It has been hinted that the queen
desired to benefit in a pecuniary way by granting concessions
for the establishment of a lottery, and the importation of
opium into the kingdom, both of which had until a year ago
been prohibited. It is best, however, to adhere to fact. The
queen desired more power. This new constitution, as framed by
her, deprived foreigners of the right of franchise, abrogated
the House of Nobles, and gave to the queen herself the power
to appoint a new House. This blow aimed directly at the
foreigners, who are the largest property holders in the
kingdom, stirred them to prompt action. The queen's own
ministry were unsuccessful in their efforts to dissuade her
from the attempt to put the new constitution into effect. The
resolve was not to be shaken, however, and her determination
to carry out her plan incited the people, chiefly the
foreigners, to oppose the measure. The outcome was a
revolution in which not a single life was sacrificed."
_A. A. Black,
The Hawaiian Islands
(Chautauquan, April, 1893, pages 54-57)._
A provisional government set up by the revolutionists was
immediately recognized by the United States Minister, Mr.
Stevens, and commissioners were sent to Washington to apply
for the annexation of the islands to the United States. On the
16th of February, 1893, the President of the United States,
Mr. Harrison, sent a message to the Senate, submitting an
annexation treaty and recommending its ratification. Meantime,
at Honolulu, on the 9th of February, the United States
Minister, acting without instructions, had established a
protectorate over the Hawaiian Islands, in the name of the
United States. On the 4th of March, a change in the Presidency
of the United States occurred, Mr. Cleveland succeeding Mr.
Harrison. One of the earliest acts of President Cleveland was
to send a message to the Senate, withdrawing the annexation
treaty of his predecessor. A commissioner, Mr. Blount, was
then sent to the Hawaiian Islands to examine and report upon
the circumstances attending the change of government. On the
18th of the following December the report of Commissioner
Blount was sent to Congress, with an accompanying message from
the President, in which latter paper the facts set forth by
the Commissioner, and the conclusions reached and action taken
by the United States Government, were summarized partly as
follows: "On Saturday, January 14, 1893, the Queen of Hawaii,
who had been contemplating the proclamation of a new
constitution, had, in deference to the wishes and
remonstrances of her Cabinet, renounced it for the present at
least. Taking this relinquished purpose as a basis of action,
citizens of Honolulu, numbering from fifty to one hundred,
mostly resident aliens, met in a private room and selected a
so-culled committee of safety composed of thirteen persons,
nine of whom were foreign subjects, and composed of seven
Americans, one Englishman, and one German. This committee,
though its designs were not revealed, had in view nothing less
than annexation to the United States, and between Saturday,
the 14th, and the following Sunday, the 18th of
January—though exactly what action was taken may never be
revealed—they were certainly in communication with the United
States Minister. On Monday morning the Queen and her Cabinet
made public proclamation, with a notice which was specially
served upon the representatives of all foreign governments,
that any changes in the constitution would be sought only in
the methods provided by that instrument. Nevertheless, at the
call and under the auspices of the committee of safety, a mass
meeting of citizens was held on that day to protest against
the Queen's alleged illegal and unlawful proceedings and
purpose. Even at this meeting the committee of safety
continued to disguise their real purpose and contented
themselves with procuring the passage of a resolution
denouncing the Queen and empowering the committee to devise
ways and means 'to secure the permanent maintenance of law and
order and the protection of life, liberty, and property in
Hawaii.' This meeting adjourned between 3 and 4 o'clock in the
afternoon. On the same day, and immediately after such
adjournment, the committee, unwilling to take further steps
without the co-operation of the United States Minister,
addressed him a note representing that the public safety was
menaced and that lives and property were in danger, and
concluded as follows: 'We are unable to protect ourselves
without aid, and therefore pray for the protection of the
United States forces.'
{1630}
Whatever may be thought of the other contents of this note,
the absolute truth of this latter statement is incontestable.
When the note was written and delivered, the committee, so far
as it appears, had neither a man nor a gun at their command,
and after its delivery they became so panic-stricken at their
position that they sent some of their number to interview the
Minister and request him not to land the United States forces
till the next morning, but he replied the troops had been
ordered and whether the committee were ready or not the
landing should take place. And so it happened that on the 16th
day of January, 1893, between 4 and 5 o'clock in the
afternoon, a detachment of marines from the United States
steamship Boston, with two pieces of artillery, landed at
Honolulu. The men, upwards of one hundred and sixty in all,
were supplied with double cartridge belts, filled with
ammunition, and with haversacks and canteens, and were
accompanied by a hospital corps with stretchers and medical
supplies. This military demonstration upon the soil of
Honolulu was of itself an act of war, unless made either with
the consent of the Government of Hawaii or for the bona fide
purpose of protecting the imperilled lives and property of the
citizens of the United States. But there is no pretense of any
such consent on the part of the Government of Hawaii, which at
that time was undisputed, and was both the de facto and the de
jure Government. In point of fact the Government, instead of
requesting the presence of an armed force, protested against
it. There is little basis for the pretense that such forces
landed for the security of American life and property. …
When these armed men were landed the city of Honolulu was in
its customary orderly and peaceful condition. There was no
symptom of riot or disturbance in any quarter. … Thus it
appears that Hawaii was taken possession of by the United
States forces without the consent or wish of the Government of
the Islands, or anybody else so far as known, except the
United States Minister. Therefore, the military occupation of
Honolulu by the United States on the day mentioned was wholly
without satisfaction, either as an occupation by consent or as
an occupation necessitated by dangers threatening American
life and property. It must be accounted for in some other way
and on some other ground, and its real motive and purpose are
neither obscure nor far to seek. The United States forces
being now on the scene and favorably stationed, the committee
proceeded to carry out their original scheme. They met the
next morning, Tuesday, the 17th, perfected the plan of
temporary government and fixed upon its principal officers,
who were drawn from 13 members of the committee of safety.
Between 1 and 2 o'clock, by squads and by different routes to
avoid notice, and having first taken the precaution of
ascertaining whether there was anyone there to oppose them,
they proceeded to the Government building to proclaim the new
Government. No sign of opposition was manifest, and thereupon
an American citizen began to read the proclamation from the
steps of the Government Building almost entirely without
auditors. It is said that before the reading was finished
quite a concourse of persons, variously estimated at from 50
to 100, some armed and some unarmed, gathered about the
committee to give them aid and confidence. This statement is
not important, since the one controlling factor in the whole
affair was unquestionably the United States marines, who,
drawn up under arms with artillery in readiness only 76 yards
distant, dominated the situation. The Provisional Government
thus proclaimed was by the terms of the proclamation 'to exist
until terms of the Union with the United States had been
negotiated and agreed upon.' The United States Minister,
pursuant to prior agreement, recognized this Government within
an hour after the reading of the proclamation, and before 5
o'clock, in answer to an inquiry on behalf of the Queen and
her Cabinet, announced that he had done so. … Some hours
after the recognition of the Provisional Government by the
United States Minister, the barracks and the police station,
with all the military resources of the country, were delivered
up by the Queen upon the representation made to her that her
cause would thereafter be reviewed at Washington, and while
protesting that she surrendered to the superior force of the
United States, whose Minister had caused United States troops
to be landed at Honolulu and declared that he would support
the Provisional Government, and that she yielded her authority
to prevent collision of armed forces and loss of life, and
only until such time as the United States, upon the facts
being presented to it, should undo the action of its
representative and reinstate her in the authority she claimed
as the constitutional sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands. This
protest was delivered to the chief of the Provisional
Government, who indorsed it in his acknowledgment of its
receipt. … As I apprehend the situation, we are brought face
to face with the fact that the lawful government of Hawaii was
overthrown without the drawing of a sword or the firing of a
shot, by a process every step of which, it may safely be
asserted, is directly traceable to and dependent for its
success upon the agency of the United States acting through
its diplomatic and naval representatives. … Believing,
therefore, that the United States could not, under the
circumstances disclosed, annex the islands without justly
incurring the imputation of acquiring them by unjustifiable
methods, I shall not again submit the treaty of annexation to
the Senate for its consideration, and in the instructions to
Minister Willis, a copy of which accompanies this message, I
have directed him to so inform the Provisional Government. But
in the present instance our duty does not, in my opinion, end
with refusing to consummate this questionable transaction. …
I mistake the American people if they favor the odious
doctrine that there is no such thing as international
morality; that there is one law for a strong nation and
another for a weak one; and that even by indirection a strong
power may, with impunity, despoil a weak one of its territory.
… The Queen surrendered, not to the Provisional Government,
but to the United States. She surrendered not absolutely and
permanently, but temporarily and conditionally until such
facts could be considered by the United States. …
{1631}
In view of the fact that both the Queen and the Provisional
Government had at one time apparently acquiesced in a
reference of the entire case to the United States Government,
and considering the further fact that, in any event, the
Provisional Government, by its own declared limitation, was
only 'to exist until terms of union with the United States of
America have been negotiated and agreed upon,' I hoped that
after the assurance to the members of that Government that
such union could not be consummated, I might compass a
peaceful adjustment of the difficulty. Actuated by these
desires and purposes, and not unmindful of the inherent
perplexities of the situation nor limitations upon my part, I
instructed Mr. Willis to advise the Queen and her supporters
of my desire to aid in the restoration of the status existing
before the lawless landing of the United States forces at
Honolulu on the 17th of January last, if such restoration
could be effected upon terms providing for clemency as well as
justice to all parties concerned. The conditions suggested
contemplated a general amnesty to those concerned in setting
up the Provisional Government and a recognition of all the
bona fide acts and obligations. In short, they require that
the past should be buried, and that the restored Government
should reassume its authority as if its continuity had not
been interrupted. These conditions have not proved acceptable
to the Queen, and though she has been informed that they will
be insisted upon, and that unless acceded to the effort of the
President to aid in the restoration of her Government will
cease, I have not thus far learned that she is willing to
yield them her acquiescence." The refusal of the Queen to
consent to a general amnesty forbade further thought of her
restoration; while the project of annexation to the United
States was extinguished for the time by the just action of
President Cleveland, sustained by the Senate. The unauthorized
protectorate assumed by Minister Stevens having been
withdrawn, the Provisional government remains (March, 1894) in
control of the Government of the Hawaiian Islands, and a
republican constitution is said to be in preparation.