This King may be said to have helped to cause the revolution that made Hawaii a republic. In 1887 he was persuaded by the white residents, largely Americans or the sons of Americans, to give the country a new constitution that took away a great deal of his power.
"It may be asked," the Queen writes, "Why did the King give them his signature? I answer without hesitation, because he had discovered traitors among his most trusted friends, and knew not in whom he could trust; and because he had every assurance, short of actual demonstration, that the conspirators were ripe for revolution, and had taken measures to have him assassinated if he refused.
"His movements of late had been watched, and his steps dogged, as though he had been a fugitive from justice. Whenever he attempted to go out in the evening, either to call at the hotel or visit any one of his friends' houses, he was conscious of the presence of enemies who were following stealthily on his track.
"But, happily, Providence watched over him, and thus he was guarded from personal harm.
"He signed that constitution under absolute compulsion. Details of the conspiracy have come to me since from sources upon which I can rely, which lead to the conviction that but for the repugnance or timidity of one of the executive committee, since risen very high in the counsels of the so-called republic, he would have been assassinated.
"Then they had planned for the immediate abrogation of the monarchy, the declaration of a republic, and a proposal for annexation to be made to the United States.
"The constitution of the republic was actually framed and agreed upon, but the plot was not fully carried out—more moderate counsels prevailed.
"They therefore took the very constitution of which I have spoken, the one which had been drafted for a republic, hastily rewrote it so as to answer their ends, and forced Kalakaua to affix thereto his official signature."
In 1891 Kalakaua died and Liliuokalani succeeded him. Not long afterward she determined to try to get back the power for the monarchy that had been taken away.
This soon caused the revolution. Her enemies brought a number of charges against her, and to the chief of these she replies in her book.