The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-12-19
washington. D. G. Dec. IS. 1sa8

Washington. D. c.. Dec. IS. 1898.
To the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives:
In my recent annual message to Con-
gress, briefly referred to our relations
with Hawaii. and expressed my inten-
ton of transmitting further informa-
ton On the subject when additional
advices permitted.
Though 1 am not able to now report
a definite change in the actual situa-
ton. I am convinced the difficulties
lately created, both here and in Hawaii,
and now standing in the way of solu-
ton through executive action of the
problem presented, render it proper
and expedient that the matter should
be referred to broader authority and
the discretion of Congress, with full
explanations of the endeayor thus far
made to deal with the emergency and
statement of the considerations which
have governed my action.
National Honesty.
1 suppose right and justice should de-
termine the path to be followed in
treating this subject If national
honesty is TO be disregarded and a de-
sire for territorial extension, or dis
satisfaction with the form of govern
ment not our own is to regulate our
conduct, 1 have entirely misapprehend-
ed the mission and character of our
government and the behavior which
the conscience of our people demands
OF their servants. When the present
administration entered upon its duties,
the Senate had under consideration a
treaty providing for the annexation of
the Hawaiian islands to the territory
OF the United States. Surely, under
our constitution and laws, the enlarge
ment of our limits is q manifestation
of the highest attribute of sovereignty,
and il entered upon as an executive
act, all things relating to the tranSac-
lions should be clear and free from
suspicion. Additional Importance is
attached to this peculiar treaty of an
DexatiOn, because it contemplated the
departure from an unbrolen American
tradition in providing for the addition
to our territory of the islands of sea,
more than 1000 miles removed from
CUR nearest coast. These considera-
tions might not, of themselves, call for
interference with the completion of the
treaty entered upon by the previous
administration; but 1t appeared from
documents accompanying that treaty,
when submitted to the Senate, that the
ownership Of Hawaii was rendered US
by provisional government set up to
succeed the constitutional ruler of the
islands, who had been dethroned, and
it did not appear that such provisional
government had the sanction of either
the popular revolution or suffrage.
Two other remarkable features of
transaction naturally attracted atten-
tion-One was the extraordinary haste
mot TO say ncy-characteriZ-
ing all the transactions connected with
the treaty.
Dethroning the Queen.
1t appeared, a so-called committee
of safety. ostensibly the source of the
revolt against the constitutional gov
eminent Of Hawaii, was organized on
saturday. the 14th day of January;
that on Monday, the 10th. the United
States forces were landed at Honolulu
from a naval vessel lying in its har-
Dor: that on the 18th, the scheme of
the provisional government was per-
fected and a proclamation naming its
officers was on the same day prepared
1hereupon the United States minister
recognized the provisional government
thus created; that two dorC after
wards, on the 18th day of January, the
commissioners representing such gov
eminent sailed for this country in q
steamer especially chartered for the
occasion, arriving in San Francisco on
the 18th day of January, and in Wash
ington on the Ord day Of February;
that the next day they had their first
interview with the secretary of state
and another on the nth, when the
treaty annexing the islands was practi-
cally agreed upon. and that on the 14th
it was formally concluded, and on the
18th transmitted to the Senate. Thus,
between the initiation of the scheme
for a provisional government IN Ha-