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X4-98) Establishing the Republic 21
<br /> to give up their original to take official notice of the matter, particularly when Emmeluth,
<br /> ever, believed that such a member of the Advisory Council, refused to register.112 One of
<br /> :se and Japanese ought to the national groups that took a diffident attitude was the Portu-
<br /> ieard. Armstrong likewise guese. The Advertiser maintained that subscribing to the oath did
<br /> left to themselves [and] not naturalize a foreigner," and vet the Portuguese wanted to be
<br /> ,tson disagreed: "Asiatics sure. Upon inquiry from the Portuguese League, the Executive
<br /> shut them out; [it] must Council said that the oath was not an oath of naturalization, and
<br /> the matter to a committee, would not deprive the Portuguese of the protection of their own
<br /> h the question. Then the Government.84 Consequently, the Portuguese at a mass meeting
<br /> urston wanted them to be informed the Councils that they would take the oath to vote for
<br /> d the Provisional Govern- delegates to the convention, with the understanding that in so doing
<br /> vernment which excluded they were not abjuring their Portuguese citizenship.85
<br /> )Locker, however, said they The decision that the oath did not naturalize the taker was very
<br /> :r answered: "I believe in questionable, considering the fact that it included the words "bear
<br /> by us." Thurston summed true allegiance to the Provisional Government." For that reason
<br /> a the following way: "We many Americans were not satisfied. Willis reported a thin registra-
<br /> do with low grade voters, tion of Americans because they were afraid of losing their citizen-
<br /> Lion, instead of being too ship if they accepted the oath. He asked Gresham the status of
<br /> high."79 an American national who subscribed to it. Gresham replied that
<br /> * acceptance of such an oath would cause an American to lose his
<br /> ections were taking place. citizenship, because the United States did not believe in perpetual
<br /> ievernment were registered allegiance.8' Anne xationists were of course critical of this ruling
<br /> the following oath: because it cut down the number of desirable voters."
<br /> The oath also aroused the Royalists. The native sheet, Holomua,
<br /> years, a native of declaring that a Kanaka must "Register as a P.G. Voter, or
<br /> i said District, do sol- Starve!", called registration "The Mammoth Fraud."Be The Bul-
<br /> a ghty God, that I will letin divested itself of some "Registry reflections" as follows:
<br /> the Provisional Gov- "This is constitutional government! First, the thirteen elected
<br /> and will oppose any themselves, then they elected the electors, and then elect the
<br /> d government in any
<br /> eighteen.""' In a meeting on April 9, between two and three
<br /> Lie difficulty because there "Minutes of the Executive Council, April 2, 1894; Thurston to Hastings,
<br /> April 26, 1894, M&E.
<br /> Is. For instance, what was 'April 12, 1894.
<br /> the oath?B1 So widespread `Minutes of the Executive Council, April 16, 1894.
<br /> the Executive Council had 'EAC, April 25, 1894,
<br /> 'Sen. Ex. Doc. 85 (53 Cong. 2 Sess.) ; and enclosures in Hastings to
<br /> l5, 1894. Hatch, April 28, 1894, M&E.
<br /> 7, April 5, 1894, Despatches; "Advertiser, May 12, 1894.
<br /> 3s) 'April 3 and 23, 1894.
<br /> 'April 9, 1894.
<br /> 19, 1894, President's Files.
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