Here is the front page of the Sunday Morning Globe on September 22nd, 1901. President McKinley had been assassinated eight days earlier in Buffalo and his Vice President, Teddy Roosevelt, was inaugurated as the youngest President. Click on it to read it in greater detail.

Sunday Morning Globe – September 22nd, 1901

The post September 22nd, 1901: The Youngest President appeared first on Ghosts of DC.

If you know who POTUS 25 is off the top of your head, congratulations. You are an über history geek. Enjoy the Libary of Congress photos below.

The post The 25th President of the United States appeared first on Ghosts of DC.

Ebbitt House in 1865 as photographed by Matthew Brady (Wikipedia)

GoDCer and long-distance reader Ben sent in a request to do a little digging on local favorite Old Ebbitt Grill. The restaurant has a great story, deeply tied to the history of our city, dating back to 1856.

You’re just as likely to run into a tourist from Texas, a sports celebrity, a local from somewhere uptown or some politico from Capitol Hill.

This latest “Three Things…” post will highlight three notable people and their connections with our favorite local establishment, Old Ebbitt.

1. President-elect William McKinley takes up residence at the Ebbitt

McKinley in 1896 – “Prosperity at Home; Prestige Abroad”

The Old Ebbitt’s website claims that McKinley is “said to have lived there during his tenure in Congress.” Well this can be updated to say it is confirmed by historical newspaper articles that he lived there while serving as the Representative from Ohio. Not only that, he chose it as his temporary residence leading up to his inauguration as the 25th President of the United States.

A special dispatch from Washington to the Baltimore Sun was printed on November 23rd, 1896 about the selection of McKinley’s new accommodations in the city.

WASHINGTON, NOV. 22–Hon. William McKinley has engaged rooms at the Ebbitt House for himself and a large party for the inauguration, and arrangements are now being perfected by Mr. Burch, the manager of the hotel, for the entertainment of the distinguished guests. The selection of rooms for the next President and his family has been left to Mr. McKinley’s brother, who is now in the city, and to Mr. Burch. The latter proposes to make the rooms as luxurious and convenient as can possibly be done. Mr. McKinley’s party will occupy portions of three floors of the hotel. On the second floor there will be reserved for Mr. McKinley’s own use three suites of rooms, two double bedrooms and a large private parlor all overlooking F street.

On the third floor all the rooms on the Fourteenth street side of the building will be occupied by the party and similar rooms on the fourth floor will be reserved for their use. These rooms include the suite that was occupied by Mr. McKinley when he was a member of Congress. It is Mr. Burch’s idea that the members of Mr. McKinley’s family will prefer these rooms to any others because of their association with Mr. McKinley’s former life in this city. The rooms which were occupied by Vice-President Stevenson when he came to Washington four years ago are also included in the suite.

The fact that Mr. McKinley is to stop at the Ebbitt House has caused the applications for quarters in that hotel to pour in upon the managers. Eight hundred applications for rooms had been received up to Saturday night. The hotel, however, is not reserving rooms so far in advance, and only the regular patrons of the house are given the privilege of engaging rooms at this early date.

It sounds like a mass of opportunistic lobbyists were trying their best to place themselves in manufactured serendipitous proximity to the incoming president. Good luck.

There is another pretty funny hotel story that we posted that you should read. Poor Vice President Calvin Coolidge … Silent Cal gets zero recognition.

2. Samuel Gompers endorses Speaker of the House Champ Clark for President in ’12

The New Ebbitt – Washington, DC (Flickr user StreetsofWashington)

Samuel Gompers, the former cigar manufacturer, founder of the American Federation of Labor and giant in the labor movement attended a large dinner with 500 others at the New Ebbitt. The Washington Post reported on the event the following day, June 15th, 1911 — extremely early for a presidential endorsement back then.

The executive order issued by former President Roosevelt and reissued by President Taft denying government employes the right to petition Congress directly was attacked by Speaker Clark, of the House, and Representative W. B. Wilson; Speaker Clark was indorsed [sic] for the Presidency by President Samuel Gompers, of the American Federation of Labor, and the decision of Justice Wright, of the District Supreme Court, in the Buck’s stove boycott case was criticised [sic] by Mr. Gompers at a dinner given last night at the New Ebbitt by the Washington Central Labor Union in honor of labor union members of Congress and the members of the executive committee of the American federation.

…

Representative Wilson declared that under present conditions civil service employes of the government are helpless. The order of President Roosevelt, which forbade all government clerks to petitions members of Congress, and directed them to refer their grievances to the heads of their departments, he attacked as being unconstitutional. This order, according to Mr. Wilson, has been made more dangerous by President Taft, who also directed that no government employes give information to Congress except through their department heads.

“Neither government nor industrial employes want to strike,” he continued, “but some times they are forced to do so. The orders of Presidents Roosevelt and Taft have created a condition in which the employes are helpless. These conditions must be improved, or the workers are liable to strike. Were these orders repealed, the possibility of a strike would be removed. Let the clerks organize, take away these orders, and then the government service will be improved.”

Speaker Clark made a humorous address, referring to the fact that he is as poor now as he was in 1888, and that he expected to remain poor until he retired from Congress. He paid a high tribute to the workingmen of the country. Secretary James Wilson, of the Agricultural Department, he praised highly for his work in building up the farming industry of the country.

“I like to praise a Republican occasionally,” he said, “and take the opportunity whenever I think they deserve it. But I admit that I do not spend all of my time at it.”

Does that last sentence also amuse you?

Samuel Gompers – 1908

3. William F. Cody (aka, Buffalo Bill) pays a visit to the Ebbitt

We posted about wild west hero Buffalo Bill in the early days of our blog. Our hardcore GoDCers might remember that — all nine of you — you know who you are. He was visiting the Willard back in 1903 and he was getting up there in age.

Well, Buffalo Bill passed through Washington on a number of occasions, and one of them included a stay at the famed Ebbitt back in 1891. Below is the article from the Washington Post.

Col. William F. Cody, better known as “Buffalo Bill,” arrived in the city yesterday. He held quite a levee in the lobby of the Ebbitt last night, being the most prominent figure about the hotel. “Bill,” although a trifle grayer than he was when he visited Washington three years ago, does not look a day older. He has the same long hair, the same fine, silken mustache and imperial which give him such a pronounced military appearance. Col. Cody, although always sensitive on the age question, confessed last night to having seen fifty-two hard winters, most of them in the wild and woolly West.

Hist visit to Washington is not of any special interest. He attended the Sherman funeral at St. Louis, Saturday last, and being over half way to the National Capital, thought he would run over and see how things were being managed by President Harrison and Speaker Reed. He expects to start for his home, on the North Platte, Nebraska, on Thursday. Before leaving the colonel will call at the White house to pay his respects. He will also call at the Indian Bureau and tell Commissioner Morgan what he knows of the recent Indian troubles, and will probably give that gentleman a key to the question. the colonel knows more about the American Indian, his habits, and what he needs, than any other man living. He has made him a study all his life.

Col. Cody says he will leave for Europe in April to look after his show, which is in winter quarters near Strasburg, Germany. The entire outfit is over there, cowboys, mustangs, buffalo, &e. His cowboys are apt scholars and expects them to be talking German when he returns.

Buffalo Bill is a pretty good third notable person to round out this “Three Things…” post.

Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and Congress of Rough Riders of the World – Circus poster showing cowboys rounding up cattle and portrait of Col. W.F. Cody on horseback – 1899 (Wikipedia)

One of our favorite local blogs, Streets of Washington has an excellent history post on the Ebbitt House and Ebbitt Hotel. He also has a great book out, which you need to check out.

Related articles

• Three Random Facts About the Corcoran Gallery (ghostsofdc.org)
• Old and Older: The Ebbitt House and New Ebbitt Hotel (streetsofwashington.com)
• Old Ebbitt Grill – Washington, DC (withoutbacon.wordpress.com)

The post Three Notable People Connected to Old Ebbitt appeared first on Ghosts of DC.

Tragedy! I was tipped off by DCist that the Corcoran Gallery might be leaving the District for Alexandria?! Wow, that would be bad. Say it ain’t so. And who is in the market to buy a big 115-year-old art gallery? What’s the market price anyway … $50 million? Hey, the White House is apparently estimated at $110 million.

Well, the good news is that this was inspiration for another “Three Things…” post. Let’s see if GoDC can dig up some bizarre and odd tales about the Corcoran Gallery.

1. The new Corcoran Gallery opens on 17th St.

The New Corcoran Gallery (Washington Times)

Out with the old and in with the new. Early 1897 was a time for change in Washington, D.C. A new president was two weeks away from being inaugurated. William McKinley had defeated William Jennings Bryan in the fall of 1896 and inaugurations were held in March (watch film of his second inauguration in 1901).

The new Corcoran Gallery was set to open just before the celebrations for the incoming president. The Washington times had a column in their newspaper on February 23rd, detailing the grand opening ball held the night before.

Nearly five thousand people visited the new and beautiful Corcoran Art Gallery last evening by the courtesy of the trustees, who had issued cards to the friends of the institution for a private view of the treasures in this exquisite temple of art.

It was understood that Mrs. Cleveland would be present, as she had accepted her invitation, and this possibly secured the continued attendance of the crowd until after 11 o’clock, when the doors were to be closed. Between 9 and 10, however, the notables arrived in great numbers, among them being Sir Julian Pauncefote, his three daughters, Lord Aberdeen and the Countess of Aberdeen, and their daughter, Mr. and Madame Patenotre, the Chinese Minister and Madame Yang Yu, the Japanese Minister, and members of the legation, Minister De Lome, Madame De Lome, Senator Hoar and party of ladies, Senator Pasco and party, Vice President Stevenson and party, M. Andrade and party, Senator Blackburn and party, President H. L. Whitman, of Columbian University, and party, Rev. Howard Wilbur Ennis and party, Rev. Mackay-Smith, D. D., and Mrs. Smith, Senator Lodge, Mr. McMillin and Mrs. McMillin, and quite a number of other Representatives and Senators. All of the embassies were represented.

Possibly the proudest man in the building was Dr. Barbarin, the curator, and there was much to be proud of. The arrangements were as perfect as if they had been chiseled or painted by artists, and there was much appreciative comment on the disposition of the works of art in all the halls. Good critics said that the view is vastly superior to that in the Museum of Chicago, and in the exquisite symmetry of the hall and its contents even the much vaunted interior of the Congressional Library will have to look to its honors.

The public will not see this often, but after the formal opening tomorrow night the gallery will be as usual open all week and on the usual terms.

The committee under whose management the affair of last night was given was composed of Mr. S. H. Kauffman, Mr. Walter S. Cox, Mr. Fred B. McGuire, Mr. Charles C. Glover, Mr. Edward Clark, Mr. Calderon Carlisle, Mr. Matthew W. Galt, Mr. Wilham Corcoran Eustis and Mr. Thomas Hyde.

2. Calvin Coolidge leaves White House to visit the Corcoran; Nobody notices

Calvin Coolidge (Wikipedia)

Poor silent Cal. He never gets any recognition or acknowledgement (read this post and you’ll know what I’m talking about).

A brief Washington Post article from January 5th, 1925 mentions the impromptu visit by the president and his wife.

Unheralded and almost unnoticed, President and Mrs. Coolidge, accompanied by three secret service men, slipped out of the White House yesterday afternoon and visited the Corcoran Gallery of Art to view the Willard Metcalf and daniel Chester French exhibits on display there.

Only the usual Sunday afternoon visitors were in the gallery when the President and Mrs. Coolidge arrived. They were greeted by C. C. Glover, president of the gallery’s board of trustees, and C. Powell Minnigerode, director of the gallery. Few noticed the presence of the presidential group as it went quietly from picture to picture or from marble to marble, and after three-quarters of an hour slipped out the students’ side entrance and returned to the White House.

…

The President and Mrs. Coolidge attracted little attention as they left the White House. They preferred to walk the short distance and left the White House car behind. There were few people on the streets and only here and there persons recognized the President as the group walked quietly along Seventeenth street.

…

The party returned almost unnoticed to the White House.

How many times does the article have to say the group went unnoticed? Poor Cal. Check out the photo of Calvin and Grace Coolidge leaving the gallery, secret service in tow.

Calvin and Mrs. Coolidge leaving the Corcoran. Nobody is noticing. – 1925 (Library of Congress)

3. Bronze statue stolen in 1885 mysteriously reappears in the gallery 15 years later

This is a bizarre story. I found this in the Washington Post, dated December 17th, 1900.

Two or three days ago a wooden box, carefully sealed and with express charges prepaid, was received at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, which, on being opened, revealed a statue of a bear. It was thought for a time that it was a contribution, but when one of the old employes happened to see it he recognized the bronze as one which had mysteriously disappeared from the Old Gallery of Art at Seventeenth street and Pennsylvania avenue, about fifteen years ago.

Frederick B. McGuire said the statue was taken in 1885, when William McCloud was curator, and although and investigation was made, no clew [sic] to its whereabouts could be obtained. It is a small statue weighing eight or ten pounds, and could have been carried off under a heavy overcoat or cloak. It is valued at $200, but as it was one of the gifts of the late W. W. Corcoran, it was highly prized.

The box was expressed from Boston, Mass., but otherwise there is no clew to the person who has held possession of the statue all these years, and probably no action will be taken to ascertain his or her identity.

The figure has been placed on a small table in the main hall of the gallery, where it attracted much attention yesterday.

Bizarre right? They never did find out who stole the bear.

Corcoran Gallery of Art between 1910-1925 (Library of Congress)

If you liked this post, share it with your friends on Facebook or Twitter.

Related articles

• Corcoran Gallery Thinking of Selling Building and Moving (dcist.com)
• If Walls Could Talk: Chateau Bonaparte on K Street (ghostsofdc.org)
• Calvin Coolidge, Vermont Native and Our 30th President (ghostsofdc.org)
• Corcoran Gallery May Relocate After 115 Years (blogs.nytimes.com)
• Corcoran Gallery to test market for sale of landmark building (washingtonpost.com)

The post Three Random Facts About the Corcoran Gallery appeared first on Ghosts of DC.

I love Hawaii (who doesn’t?) and over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to spend a number of vacations in the islands with family. I’m quite fond of the place and have some great memories from my visits.

Queen Liliʻuokalani (Honolulu Advertiser)

Being the history nerd that I am, I’m intrigued by their unique past, especially the more recent history of the islands, from the original western name of the “Sandwich Islands”, to unification under King Kamehameha, to the overthrow under Queen Liliʻuokalani.

Hawaii has a fascinating history, and it’s one that has a unique and, in my mind, a fascinating connection with Washington, D.C. During the 1890s, the islands saw major upheaval, coups and battling interests for control over the precious resources of the island. The woman charged with protecting the interests of her people and her island nation Lydia Kamakaʻeha Pākī, formally known as Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last monarch of Hawaii.

We all know that, in the end, Queen Liliʻuokalani was unable to maintain Hawaiian sovereignty. Hawaii was eventually annexed by the United States under the McKinley Administration and became our 50th state about 60 years later.

What most people likely do not know is that she made a well-publicized trip to the mainland — using a passport from the Republic of Hawaii — to make one last effort at maintaining Hawaiian self-determination.

This post is about her time in the our city.

Queen Liliuokalani, last royal ruler of Hawaii (1917)

Queen Lil makes an unexpected stop in Washington

The deposed Hawaiian Queen was in Boston in 1897, visiting her American cousins, when she left for Washington, without letting anyone know her travel plans.

She arrived in the city on January 24th on the night train and went to the Shoreham Hotel at 15th and H St. NW, where she had registered an apartment (read a good post on the Shoreham at Streets of Washington).

The Baltimore Sun reported on her Washington arrival and below is an excerpt from the article.

Very little information as to the object of Liliuokalani’s visit here can be ascertained. Mr. Palmer said she was traveling in private and he believed she would decline any official attentions. Whether she would call on President Cleveland he did not know.

It is believed that Liliuokalani will remain until after the inauguration of President McKinley. Her visit is supposed to be based on the hope that the government of the United States will try to secure a large pension for her from the government of Hawaii.

With the exception of the time during which she attended divine services the ex-Queen remained in her apartments at the Shoreham today. In the morning, accompanied by her Hawaiian attendants, she went to St. John’s Protestant Episcopal Church, within two blocks of the hotel. United States Treasurer Morgan was her only caller during the day. He came to pay his respects and to invite the ex-Queen to inspect the gold and silver vaults in the Treasury building.

By the way, Mr. Palmer was Captain Julius A. Palmer, her private secretary. They met in Boston and had no prior acquaintance until her stay there. He had a distant connection through mutual family friends that brought them together and she felt he was trustworthy.

Well, she did end up visiting the President at the White House, only a few blocks from her hotel. And don’t forget, back then the inaugural ceremony was held in March. Take a look at video of the inauguration (the first one ever captured on film). Also, you can watch film of the McKinley second inauguration on Ghosts of DC, which I posted earlier this month.

Shoreham Hotel at 15th and H St. NW

A friendly visit with President Cleveland

Liliʻuokalani had a good relationship with Grover Cleveland and was hopeful that he would be able to aid in restoring her to her rightful place. She made a visit to the White House on January 25th, 1897, in the waning months of Cleveland’s term as President and this was the newspaper report of the meeting.

The President greeted the ex-Queen in the most kindly fashion, expressing pleasure at her call and stating that he should have felt disappointed had she refrained from making him a visit while she was in Washington. He caused her to be seated, and, while the others stood in the background, the President and Liliuokalani chatted with evident interest on both sides for twenty minutes.

The ex-Queen asked for Mrs. Cleveland and the President responded that she would be glad to see his visitor, but a messenger sent to Mrs. Cleveland to summon her to the Blue Room returned with the news that Mrs. Cleveland had gone out walking.

In all of the talk there was no reference to politics, save a brief expression of thanks by Liliuokalani in behalf of the Hawaiian race for this action in withdrawing the annexation treaty, which was pending before the Senate when the President assumed his office four years ago. Not a word was said about “restoration,” either past, present or future.

President Grover Cleveland (Wikipedia)

The ex-Queen greets several hundred in Washington

The day after her visit to the White House, Liliʻuokalani held a reception to greet the residents of Washington. This was reported in the Baltimore Sun and an excerpt from the article is below.

WASHINGTON, Jane. 26.–Washington is accustomed to receptions given by the highest officials of this government and the representatives of foreign governments, but the spectacle of a queen, although a dethroned one, giving an audience to a number of people has never been seen here before.

When Queen Liliuokalani announced yesterday that she would meet the Washington correspondents this afternoon it was expected that a number of people not invited would gratify an idle curiosity and call. The reception was intended to be merely an “unofficial and informal” meeting, but probably five hundred women called, bowed to her “ex-Majesty” and left with whisperings of delight at the idea of having been presented at “court.” The number of men present was so small as to attract attention.

Liliuokalani talks English with ease, and has a command of language that surprised her listeners. She shows, furthermore, a knowledge of affairs she has not been given credit for, and on the whole impresses some with being a fairly educated and well-meaning person.

…

She wore no earrings or jewels of any kind. Ladies who came to see her far outshone the Queen in brilliancy of attire.

…

To all she spoke of the weather here as compared to that in Hawaii. The Queen evidently fell into the habit of people in this country of discussing the weather when possibly at loss for something else to say. She is not so large a woman as she has been represented. While of a commanding figure, she is not obese and possibly does not weigh over 175 pounds.

D.C. weather is like Hawaii? I highly doubt that, but thanks for not rubbing Hawaiian weather in the face of Washingtonians, who likely never would set foot on the islands. Second, did the paper really comment on her not being obese and pegged her weight at less than a buck seventy-five? I hope she didn’t read the article.

The last Washington visit by a royal that I can dig up was one in 1860 by Edward, Prince of Wales (i.e., eventually King Edward VII). This was the first ever visit by a British heir to the throne, and likely the first visit to Washington and the U.S. by a member of any royal family. So, this was a huge deal since it almost never happened.

The former Queen moves into the Cairo

Interesting … the Cairo building on Q St. NW was the residence of the former Hawaiian monarch back in 1897. She lived there for about five months on the 10th floor.

Previously, she had stayed close to the White House at the Shoreham, but moved into the Dupont Circle hotel in February of 1897. Below is the mention of it in the Washington Post on February 16th, 1897.

Liliuokalani, ex-Queen of Hawaii, and her retinue have moved from the Shoreham to apartments in the Cairo. The change was made yesterday, and the reason given by Capt. Palmer, the spokesman of the party, was that her ex-majesty was anxious to secure permanent quarters before inauguration. The rooms she occupied at the Shoreham had been engaged by others for inauguration week. How long the party intends remaining in Washington can only be conjectured. Capt. Palmer says he has not been confided in, but it is known that Liliuokalani declined to engage her apartments at the Cairo by the month.

The Cairo Hotel (Library of Congress)

The ex-Queen had quite a favorable opinion of the building and wrote of it in her memoir.

…on or about the 14th of February, I moved with my party to the large thirteen-story building on Q Street, N. W., known as “The Cairo.” Its newness and immaculate cleanliness impressed me favorably at once. My rooms were in the southwest corner, from which I had a glorious view over the country and down the Potomac; and although unused to being on the tenth story of any building, yet, when I became accustomed to the height, it ceased to worry me. Everything was done by the owner, Mr. Schneider, and his lovely wife, as well as by the manager, Mr. Sherman, and his amiable wife, to render the stay of our whole party agreeable to us.

So if you, or anyone you know, lives in the Cairo’s 10th floor, southwest corner apartment, they now have a really cool story about their place … and your property value probably just went up.

A royal’s affinity for Washington

The ex-Queen shown great hospitality in Washington and commented that her visit to the city was one of the most delightful she had ever experienced. Below is another excerpt from her book.

Time would fail me to speak of the countless new friends who vied in making my visit to Washington one of the most delightful seasons I ever passed. It was my custom to give a reception about every fortnight; to receive callers at eight to nine any evening, and often at other times. Both houses of Congress were well represented at my receptions, if not always by the gentlemen themselves, by their wives or daughters. Although all were presented through Captain Palmer by name and by card, yet it will be seen that, when there were seldom less than two hundred callers, and my largest reception numbered nearly five hundred persons, it was not possible for me to return all calls.

…

Governor Perkins received me on my first visit to the Senate Chamber, where I went with my party simply to watch the deliberations; he provided us at once with seats in the gallery reserved for the personal friends of the senators, but subsequently he did a greater and more conspicuous kindness than this. On Friday noon, the 26th of February, I informed Captain Palmer that I had great curiosity to see the inauguration of the President of the United States, if it were possible to get seats. He said that it was rather late to make the proper arrangements. I requested him to communicate my wish to Governor Perkins. So, at two o’clock of that day he went to the Capitol, was welcomed by Senator Perkins, introduced to the members of the committee, and leaving the matter in their hands, he returned to the hotel.

Queen Liliʻuokalani was able to attend McKinley’s inauguration ceremony as well as some festivities afterwards, however she lamented regretfully was unable to attend the formal evening balls due to her fatigue. It was a spectacle for reporters to see the ex-Queen in the Senate gallery as well as being in attendance at the new president’s inauguration.

Reception by the former Queen of Hawaii

William Lee (Wikipedia)

The May 7th, 1897 Baltimore Sun reported in their social column that the Liliʻuokalani gave a reception in honor of Mrs. William Lee, held in the ballroom of the Cairo Hotel (1615 Q St. NW).

Mrs. Lee was the wife of William Lee, a prominent book dealer, publisher in Boston and partner in Lee & Shepard. She was visiting the Lee family in Boston before her arrival in D.C.

Below is an excerpt from the article.

WASHINGTON, May 6.–Liliuokalani, ex-Queen of Hawaii, gave a reception this afternoon at the Cairo in honor of Mrs. William Lee, of Boston, who is a relative by marriage. The large ballroom where the reception took place was brilliantly lighted and decorated with palms and roses.

The hostess received in a gown of handsome velour of an electric blue shade, the bodice trimmed with superb lace. At her throat she wore a handsome design in diamonds. Upon the corsage was a large Masonic design.

Mrs. Lee, who stood at her left, was gowned in grayish blue brocaded velvet and satin of a striking flower design; diamonds glittered upon the corsage and in her hair.

A mandolin orchestra played Hawaiian music and a feature of the occasion was the singing of a “Prayer and Serenade,” composed by the ex-Queen, sung by Miss Myra Lura Mason.

Among the several hundred guests were Sugeon-General Wyman, Representative and Mrs. Binger Hermann, Miss Lee and Mr. Isaac Townsend Smith, consul for the King of Siam.

The former Queen of Hawaii appeals to President to withdraw the treaty

WASHINGTON, June 17.–About 3 o’clock this afternoon ex-Queen Liliuokalani filed a protest in the office of the Secretary of State. It was delivered into the hands of Secretary Sherman by Mr. Joseph Heleluhe, representing the native Hawaiians. Mr. Heleluhe was accompanied by Capt. Julius A. Palmer, the American secretary of Liliuokalani. Mr. Sherman treated the bearers most courteously, but gave no indications of his action in the matter. The former Queen’s protest is as follows:

I, Liliuokalani of Hawaii, by the will of God named heir-apparent on the tenth day of April, A. D., 1877, and by the grace of God Queen of the Hawaiian Islands on the 17th day of January, A. D., 1893, do hereby protest against the ratification of a certain treaty which, so I am informed, has been signed at Washington by Messrs. Hatch, Thurston and Kinney, purporting to cede those islands to the territory and dominion of the United States.

Francis M. Hatch was from Portsmouth, NH, educated at Bowdoin and was a practicing attorney in Hawaii. Lorrin A. Thurston was a lawyer and politician, born in Hawaii to American parents, who was instrumental in overthrowing the Hawaiian monarchy and advocating for the U.S. annexation of the islands. William A. Kinney was born in Hawaii to American parents, attended the Punahou School (President Obama’s alma mater) and was a lawyer and local politician.

All three of these American men were strong supporters of annexation by the United States.

I declare such treaty to be an act of wrong toward the native and part-native people of Hawaii, an invasion of the rights of the ruling chiefs, in violation of international rights both toward my people and toward friendly nations with whom they have made treaties, the perpetuation of the fraud whereby the constitutional government was overthrown, and finally an act of gross injustice to me.

Because, the official protests made by me on the 17th day of January, 1893, to the so-called provisional government was signed by me and received by said government with the assurance that the case was referred to the United States of America for arbitration.

Because, that protest and my communications to the United States government immediately thereafter expressly declare that I yielded my authority to the forces of the United States, in order to avoid bloodshed and because I recognized the futility of a conflict with so formidable a power.

Because, the President of the United States, the Secretary of State and an envoy commissioned by them reported in official documents that my government was unlawfully coerced by the forces, diplomatic and naval, of the United States, and that I was at the date of their investigations the constitutional ruler of my people.

…

Therefore, I, Liliuokalani of Hawaii, do hereby call upon the President of that nation to whom alone I yielded my property and my authority, to withdraw said treaty (ceding said lands) from further consideration. I ask the honorable Senate of the United States to decline to ratify said treaty, and I implore the people of this great and good  nation, from whom my ancestors learned the Christian religion, to sustain their representatives in such acts of justice and equity as may be in accord with the principles of their fathers. And to the Almighty Ruler of the universe, to Him Who judgeth righteously, I commit my cause.

Done at Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, this seventeenth day of June, in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-seven.

(Signed)
LILIUOKALANI.

JOSEPH HELELUH,
WEKEKI HELELUHE,
JULIUS A. PALMER,
Witnesses to Signature.

This is a powerful and compelling appeal from a woman desperate to restore the self-determination of her country. But, the momentum to annex the island nation was unstoppable. American business and strategic interests were the priorities of the McKinley Administration and the American Territory of Hawaii was just around the corner.

By the way, the treaty she speaks of — Secretary of State Sherman, Hatch, Thurston and Kinney — was never ratified by the Senate, but Newlands Resolution was passed by both houses of Congress, effectively annexing the Republic of Hawaii, making it the United States Territory of Hawaii a year later, in July of 1898.

President McKinley meets with ex-Queen in the East Room

Here’s an interesting one which mentions her brief meeting with the President. This article was in the Washington Post on July 27th, 1897.

Ex-Queen Liliuokalani was represented at the White House yesterday by Mr. Julius Palmer, of Boston, and her chamberlain, Mr. Joseph Heleluii, who presented memorials from the three great patriotic societies of Hawaii. While they were not made public, it is understood that the memorialists represented themselves as being opposed to any policy that touched the Queen’s sovereignty.

Later in the day Liliuokalani herself had a short interview with the President. She arrived in town Saturday night, and finding that the  President’s regular public reception occurred yesterday afternoon, she entered a carriage with Mr. and Mrs. Heleluii and Mr. Palmer and was driven to the White House. Their cards were sent up, and they were requested to wait at one end of the East Room, apart from the crowd of callers. This they did, the Queen being seated. The President requested that she wait until he had shaken hands with the public, and then he had a short talk with her, saying that he regretted the condition of Mrs. McKinley’s health alone prevented her from meeting Liliuokalani.

The ex-Queen is comfortably quartered at  the Ebbitt, and the length of her stay here has not been determined.

After her stay at the Cairo, it appears that she made a final move over to the Old Ebbitt Hotel (near the current Old Ebbitt Grill).

President McKinley in the White House Treaty Room (1900)

Her visit to the Capitol was merely one of etiquette

The former Queen of Hawaii was not having very much luck convincing policy makers during her time in Washington. She visited the Capitol on June 30th, 1897 to meet with senators and representatives.

Capt. Julius A. Palmer, private secretary to ex-Queen Liliuokalani, yesterday said the [sic] was positively no truth in the rumor that a monster petition was being forwarded here from Hawaii by the ex-Queen’s subjects in her favor.

“The people in Hawaii,” he said, “have as yet learned nothing about the treaty having been signed. We were not expecting such an act on the part of the administration, so a petition of, the kind mentioned was not deemed necessary. Communication is bad between the islands. It is not as it is in this country, and even after the news reached there it would take several days to circulate it among the people.”

“I wish to state, also, that the visit of the Queen to the Capitol Tuesday, was wholly without political significance. It was merely in the nature of a social call. It was only natural that, as Congress will shortly take its adjournment, and the Senators and REpresentatives leave Washington for the summer, as well as the Queen, she should pay the visit. She is a great stickler after etiquette, and desired to make the call on this account.

It sounds like this was an attempt at some relationship building to identify any potential allies to help her in her cause … albeit, a fruitless effort.

Queen Liliuokalani, Princess Kaiulani, Prince David Kawananakoa shuttered up in Washington Place mourning on the day of the flag of Hawaii was lowered down for the last time after the Annexation of Hawaii to the United States - August 12, 1898 (Wikipedia)

The poor deposed ex-Queen of the Hawaiian Islands came all the way to Washington, spent several months here meeting countless members of the Cleveland and McKinley administrations, Senators, Congressmen as well as the influential elite of Washington. Alas, she was unsuccessful in her mission to reestablish Hawaii sovereignty as she was unable to overcome the powerful business and strategic interests of the expansionist United States. She would live out the rest of her years in the Territory of Hawaii.

She filed a lawsuit against the United States, entering a claim of $450,000 loss of property and valuables as a result of losing her throne. She failed in this claim in 1905 and 1907, and tried yet again in 1910. The last time she claimed breach of her Fifth Amendment rights. She failed at this attempt as well. She did receive a nominal pension from the Territorial Government of Hawaii of $4,000 annually as well as income from her family sugar plantation.

Queen Liliʻuokalani would spend her final years living in the aptly named Washington House (named for George Washington). She died as the result of a stroke in 1917. She was 79 years old and the last Queen of Hawaii.

Related articles

• President William McKinley’s Second Inauguration (1901) (ghostsofdc.org)
• William McKinley and the American Century (lifereference.wordpress.com)
• Jan. 17, 1893 | Hawaiian Monarchy Overthrown by America-Backed Businessmen (learning.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Hawaii’s lost kingdom (features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com)
• Review: Lost Kingdom (tammydotts.wordpress.com)
• Gaellen Quinn, The Last Aloha (mostlyhistoricalfiction.wordpress.com)
• Proclamation by the Cabinet of Ministers of Queen Liliuokalani, 1893. (nupepa-hawaii.com)
• Hawaiian Flag from Iolani Palace, 1918. (nupepa-hawaii.com)

The post Hawaiian ex-Queen Liliʻuokalani Comes to Washington appeared first on Ghosts of DC.

Chalk this up to our incredible Library of Congress. A silent film by Thomas Edison, shot on March 4th, 1901 at the Capitol. This one is quite blurry, but this is over a hundred years ago. It’s pretty amazing and even older than the last one I posted of Teddy Roosevelt. Thank you Library of Congress.

Here’s a portrait of the 25th President of the United States. He looks a little rigid and quite unfriendly. Do not anger this man.

President William McKinley portrait

Related articles

• Spanish – American War: “The Splendid Little War” (post #1) (mfox227.wordpress.com)
• William McKinley, Friend of Tariff Reform… (geoffcain.blogspot.com)
• William McKinley and the American Century (lifereference.wordpress.com)
• President William McKinley’s Second Inauguration (1901) (ghostsofdc.org)

The post President William McKinley’s Second Inauguration (1901) appeared first on Ghosts of DC.