David Tenner
2018-02-18 18:17:50 UTC
Maybe in Hawaii in 1893, the answer to the struggle between Lili'uokalani
and the annexationist Provisional Government was to keep the monarchy--but
get a monarch more acceptable to the *haoles* than Lili'uikalani was? Some
of the British community in Hawaii liked that idea--especially because of
the candidate to replace Lili'uokalani:
"Wodehouse's reference to Princess Ka'iulani was an expression of a plan
being considered by English residents in Hawai'i, headed by Theophilus H.
Davies, a businessman and longtime resident, to persuade Lili'uokalani to
abdicate in favor of her niece. Ka'iulani, then 17 years of age, was the
daughter of Lili'uokalani's younger sister Miriam Likelike and Archibald
S. Cleghorn, a Scotsman. Raised with British schoolmasters and at that
time completing her education in England, Ka'iulani was considered
thoroughly British in her outlook. In late 1891, she had been designated
heir to the throne by the childless Queen. Davies, who was Ka'iulani's
mentor and guardian, considered this a fortunate circumstance, and for
some time he had been working to make Ka'iulani as British as possible
through education. Her claim to the throne was clear, and if Lili'uokalani
agreed to abdicate, Ka'iulani would become queen, and through her the
objects both of increase of British influence and an anti-annexation
government policy could be achieved. Davies advanced this idea to the
British Foreign Office with Wodehouse's approval.13 Many people in
Hawai'i, including Dole, would have been satisfied if Ka'iulani had become
queen, but it was not a practical idea. The Americans, who had largely
engineered the Revolution, were tired of the Monarchy and had previously
declared the Monarchy ended. They wanted annexation as a way of ending
Hawai'i's constant political squabbling.14 Presumably too, these people
would not tolerate for long a sovereign with pro-British sympathies, no
matter how circumspect she might be about expressing them. On the other
hand, the placing of Ka'iulani upon the throne would probably have stopped
the current moves toward annexation and assured an immediate future of
greater Hawaiian openness toward the extension of British interests. The
British government neither supported nor discouraged this scenario, but if
it had come about the government would probably have been satisfied with
it..." Ernest Andrade, "Great Britain and the Hawaiian Revolution and
Republic, 1893-1898."
https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10524/562/2/JL24097.pdf
Is it as certain as Andrade writes that it "was not a practical idea"?
After all, the anti-annexationist Cleveland had become president, and, as
Andrade writes, "believed that the United States, by acting against
Lili'uokalani, in effect, had a moral obligation to restore her to her
throne. His attempt at restoration ran afoul of the Queen's initial
determination to punish those who had rebelled against her and ultimately
was undone by the unexpected determination of the leaders of the
Provisional Government not to accept the restoration of the Monarchy even
with the power of the United States thrown against them." But if it is
true that "[m]any people in Hawai'i, including Dole, would have been
satisfied if Ka'iulani had become queen" maybe the Provisional Government
might have been less determined to resist an American-backed restoration
of the monarchy--as long as it was not headed by Lil'uokalani. Dole's
approval might reassure Americans worried about Ka'iulani's British
connection. Even those Americans anxious for annexation would have to
realize that it would not be happening immediately anyway with Clevleland
in the White House--so at least in the short run might not a compromise be
acceptable (especially if Cleveland hints he will use force if necessary
to impose it)? This would leave Lilu'ukolani herself as an obstacle, but--
yes, I know this is unlikely--maybe she could be convinced that her
abdication was the only way of saving the monarchy and preventing
annexation?
One problem is that while the immediate causes of her death in 1899 might
be butterflied away ("In 1898, while on a horse ride in the mountains of
Hawaii Island, Ka'iulani was caught in a storm and came down with a fever
and pneumonia. Earlier she had caught cold from swimming while on the Big
Island, and this worsened matters. Ka'iulani was brought back to Oahu
where her health continued to decline. She died on March 6, 1899 at the
age of 23 of inflammatory rheumatism."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ka'iulani) her health would probably still
not be good, and she still might die relatively early. ("Numerous
documented symptoms may indicate she suffered from thyroid disease which
would help explain her early death.")
and the annexationist Provisional Government was to keep the monarchy--but
get a monarch more acceptable to the *haoles* than Lili'uikalani was? Some
of the British community in Hawaii liked that idea--especially because of
the candidate to replace Lili'uokalani:
"Wodehouse's reference to Princess Ka'iulani was an expression of a plan
being considered by English residents in Hawai'i, headed by Theophilus H.
Davies, a businessman and longtime resident, to persuade Lili'uokalani to
abdicate in favor of her niece. Ka'iulani, then 17 years of age, was the
daughter of Lili'uokalani's younger sister Miriam Likelike and Archibald
S. Cleghorn, a Scotsman. Raised with British schoolmasters and at that
time completing her education in England, Ka'iulani was considered
thoroughly British in her outlook. In late 1891, she had been designated
heir to the throne by the childless Queen. Davies, who was Ka'iulani's
mentor and guardian, considered this a fortunate circumstance, and for
some time he had been working to make Ka'iulani as British as possible
through education. Her claim to the throne was clear, and if Lili'uokalani
agreed to abdicate, Ka'iulani would become queen, and through her the
objects both of increase of British influence and an anti-annexation
government policy could be achieved. Davies advanced this idea to the
British Foreign Office with Wodehouse's approval.13 Many people in
Hawai'i, including Dole, would have been satisfied if Ka'iulani had become
queen, but it was not a practical idea. The Americans, who had largely
engineered the Revolution, were tired of the Monarchy and had previously
declared the Monarchy ended. They wanted annexation as a way of ending
Hawai'i's constant political squabbling.14 Presumably too, these people
would not tolerate for long a sovereign with pro-British sympathies, no
matter how circumspect she might be about expressing them. On the other
hand, the placing of Ka'iulani upon the throne would probably have stopped
the current moves toward annexation and assured an immediate future of
greater Hawaiian openness toward the extension of British interests. The
British government neither supported nor discouraged this scenario, but if
it had come about the government would probably have been satisfied with
it..." Ernest Andrade, "Great Britain and the Hawaiian Revolution and
Republic, 1893-1898."
https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10524/562/2/JL24097.pdf
Is it as certain as Andrade writes that it "was not a practical idea"?
After all, the anti-annexationist Cleveland had become president, and, as
Andrade writes, "believed that the United States, by acting against
Lili'uokalani, in effect, had a moral obligation to restore her to her
throne. His attempt at restoration ran afoul of the Queen's initial
determination to punish those who had rebelled against her and ultimately
was undone by the unexpected determination of the leaders of the
Provisional Government not to accept the restoration of the Monarchy even
with the power of the United States thrown against them." But if it is
true that "[m]any people in Hawai'i, including Dole, would have been
satisfied if Ka'iulani had become queen" maybe the Provisional Government
might have been less determined to resist an American-backed restoration
of the monarchy--as long as it was not headed by Lil'uokalani. Dole's
approval might reassure Americans worried about Ka'iulani's British
connection. Even those Americans anxious for annexation would have to
realize that it would not be happening immediately anyway with Clevleland
in the White House--so at least in the short run might not a compromise be
acceptable (especially if Cleveland hints he will use force if necessary
to impose it)? This would leave Lilu'ukolani herself as an obstacle, but--
yes, I know this is unlikely--maybe she could be convinced that her
abdication was the only way of saving the monarchy and preventing
annexation?
One problem is that while the immediate causes of her death in 1899 might
be butterflied away ("In 1898, while on a horse ride in the mountains of
Hawaii Island, Ka'iulani was caught in a storm and came down with a fever
and pneumonia. Earlier she had caught cold from swimming while on the Big
Island, and this worsened matters. Ka'iulani was brought back to Oahu
where her health continued to decline. She died on March 6, 1899 at the
age of 23 of inflammatory rheumatism."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ka'iulani) her health would probably still
not be good, and she still might die relatively early. ("Numerous
documented symptoms may indicate she suffered from thyroid disease which
would help explain her early death.")
--
David Tenner
***@ameritech.net
David Tenner
***@ameritech.net