Synopsis: Remember the Day of Restored Independence. Remember, too, Black Week and the failed mission of Minister Willis.

Ma Iulai o ka MH 1893, puka akula ka hō‘ike a ke Kuhina Blount e ho‘oholo ana ua kōkua ka pū‘ali koa ‘Amelika i ka ho‘okahuli ‘ia ‘ana o ke aupuni o Lili‘uokalani ma Ianuali o ia makahiki nō a he hewa ia hana a he pono e ho‘iho‘i ‘ia ka Mō‘ī Wahine i ka noho ali‘i.

Ma Nowemapa o ia makahiki, ua pani ‘ia ‘o Blount e Albert Willis. Kēnā ‘ia ‘o Willis e ka Pelekikena Cleveland e holo i Hawai‘i a kūkā pū me Lili‘uokalani a ho‘okō i ka ‘ōlelo ho‘oholo a ka hō‘ike a Blount.

Akā, e like nō me ka hō‘ike a ka New York Daily Tribune o ka lā 19 o Nowemapa o 1893, ‘a‘ole ‘o Willis i ho‘okō i ke kauoha a Cleveland a ua pū‘iwa a ‘ano ‘ē loa ka mana‘o o ka Pelekikena i ka ho‘okō ‘ole ‘ia o kāna kauoha. ‘O kekahi mea i pa‘akikī iā Willis ma kāna hana, ua noi aku ‘o ia iā Lili‘uokalani e huikala loa i ka po‘e kupa ‘Amelika nāna i ho‘okahuli i kona aupuni, akā, hō‘ole ‘o‘ole‘a ka Mō‘ī Wahine. Ma kāna ‘ōlelo, he pono loa ‘o ia e ho‘okō i ke kānāwai o ka ‘āina, a inā ‘āhewa ‘ia kekahi i ka hana kipi kū‘ē i ke aupuni, ‘o ka hopena, he pepehi ‘ia a make ma ke kānawai.

Nokenoke lāua i ke kūkākūkā pū ā Kekemapa, a laila, loli mai ka ho‘oholo ‘ana a ka Mō‘ī Wahine e huikala aku nō i nā ‘Amelika i kipi kū‘ē, aia nō a ho‘iho‘i ‘ia kona aupuni i ka noho ali‘i ma mua. Ua holo nō ia ‘‘like.

Ma ia hope mai, kauoha ‘ia ‘o Willis e Cleveland e ho‘okuke aku i ke Aupuni Kūikawā, a inā he pono, e ho‘ohana aku i nā pū‘ali koa ‘Amelika no ka ho‘okikina ‘ana iā lākou a no ka ho‘iho‘i ‘ana ho‘i iā Lili‘u i ka noho ali‘i.

Ma ka pule mua o Ianuali o ka 1894, kauoha akula ‘o Willis i nā kāpena o nā moku kaua ‘Amelika ‘o ka USS Adams a me ka USS Philadelphia e ho‘oma‘ama‘a no ka ho‘ouka kaua ‘ana i ka hale kapikala o Honolulu kahi i ho‘opūnana ai ka pū‘ulu kipi. Hana ‘ia kēia i ‘ike ākea ‘ia ka mana‘o o Willis e ho‘okō i ke kauoha a ka Pelekikena.

Noi pū maila nā kāpena o nā moku kaua Kepanī, ‘o ka HIJMS Naniwa a me ka moku kaua Pelekānia, ‘o ka HMS Champion, e komo pū ma ia ho‘oma‘ama‘a ‘ana ma muli o ka ‘i‘ini o ia mau ‘āina e ho‘okō i kā lākou mau ku‘ikahi ho‘ohoaloha me ke Aupuni Mō‘ī Hawai‘i.

Ua hō‘ike aku ‘o Sanford Dole, ke po‘o o ka pū‘ulu kipi, ua ho‘olako ‘ia ho‘okahi kaukani po‘e kānaka me ka pū a me nā lako no ka hō‘a‘a aku i nā pū‘ali koa ‘Amelika ke ho‘op‘ ‘ia lākou. Ua kapa ‘ia ia pule, ‘o ia Ka Pule ‘Ele‘ele ma muli o ka pi‘i o ke kūlana ‘iha‘iha a me ke kānalua i ka hopena ‘e‘ehia e hiki mai ana.

Ma ka pau ‘ana, ua kuemi i hope ‘o Willis me ka makemake ‘ole e make nā kupa ‘Amelika a ho‘i nele ‘o ia i Wākinekona me ka ho‘okō ‘ole ‘ia o ke kauoha a kona Pelekikena.

‘O ke kauoha a ka Pelekikena, he kānāwai nō ia. ‘A‘ohe ho‘opau ‘ia ‘ana o ke kauoha a Cleveland a hiki i kēia lā. ‘O ka mea wale nō e kali ‘ia nei, ‘o ia ka ho‘okō ‘ia o ke kauoha a Cleveland.

E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai nā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:
» kwong@hawaii.edu
» rsolis@hawaii.edu
a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:
» 956-2627 (Laiana)
» 956-2624 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by the Hawaiian Language Department at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, supported by the Initiative for Achieving Native Hawaiian Academic Excellence.