Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 2, 1 Pepeluali 2004 — U.S. role in overthrow [ARTICLE]

U.S. role in overthrow

Those who believe the U.S. government did not instigate the overthrow have not done the most basic research on the subject. Let's be clear that diplomatic agents of a country, those "officers clothed with its authority and wearing its uniform," as President Cleveland said, are representatives of their government, and that government is responsible for their actions regardless of whether their acts are done with proper authority. On Dec. 18, 1893, in an address to Congress, Cleveland stated that, "The lawful government of Hawai'i was overthrown ... by a process every step of whieh ... is directly traceable to and dependent for its success upon the agency of the United States acting through its

diplomatic and naval representatives." A century later, Congress passed Puhlie Law 103-150, "to offer an apology ... for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai'i." The findings of fact and law contained within this resolution include the following: "Without the active support and intervention by the United States diplomatic and military representatives, the insurrection against the government of Queen Lili'uokalani would have failed for laek of popular support and insufficient arms." Scott Crawt'ord Hāna, Maui