Connecticut western news., 1893-12-21
MESSAGE ON HAWAII.
THE PRESIDENT GIVES CONGRESS
 FULL DETAILS OF HIS POLICY.
Says He Tried to Restore the Queen Be- cause She Had Been Deposed by the Ef- forts of Ex-Minister stevens-Liiiuoka- lani Refused-Congress Asked to Act.

forts of Ex-Minister stevens-Liliuoka-
 lani Refused-ConRress Asked to Act.
 WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.-The presidents Hawaiian policy, with all the accompany ing correspondence since March 4, 1889, with special message, was spread before congress. The message in vigorons man. ner presents to congress the basis for the presidents belief that the overthrow of the queen was the result of the active ef- forts of ex-Minister Stevens. Having as- serted that the United States was respon- sible for the revolt, the message then deals with the moral obligation of this govern ment to right what it finds to be a wrong. In forcible terms MT. Cleveland says he much mistakes the wishes of the American people if they desire international questions settled in any other than the highest stand ards of morality and justice.
 The president then outlines the steps which he regarded as essential in pursuing this course of justice. In doing so he dis closes for the first time the exact nature of the instructions given to MT. Willis. The latter was instructed to advise the queen that this country desired to repair the wrong done her by restoring her to the throne, but Mir. Willis was cautioned to be explicit on the fact that the restoration
 
 of those who had taken part in the revolu- tion and in the formation of the provision al government, or by the repudiation of the governmental obligations regularly made by the provisional authorities. This lastfeature of the message clears up the mystery of the long delay in Minister Willis action, and it also makes public for the first time that Queen Liliuokalapi has been the obstacle in the way of the accom- plishment of MT. Cleveland's purpose. The message states that the queen declined to l accede to the condition of amnesty. She was repeatedly informed that it was the only basis of interference on the part of this government, and that unless she ac- ceded all efforts toward her restoration | would be abandoned. But MT. Cleveland says that as yet he has no information that | she will accept the terms. Mir. Willis Instructions The confidential instructions to Minister Willis under date of Oct. IS, which eluc- date the presidents position, go carefully | into the grounds upon which the adminis- tratioa decided that the revolution of Jan 1 uary was accomplished by the intervention | of the armed force of the United States and the efforts of MT. Stevens, and that nation | al honor demands that reparation shall be | made by the restoration of the statu quo | existing prior to the revolution. He is in- | structed to inform the queen that the an nexation treaty withdrawn by Mir. Cleve- land from the sOate on March will not be again sent to the senate, and that Mr. | CleVeland regrets the reprehensible con- duct of the American minister which made the revolution possible. /
 | MT. Willis, however, is instructed to | make the granting of a general amnesty to the members and supporters of the provi- | sional government and the assumption of the obligations of that government a con- | dition precedent to her restoration. Hav- ing secured the acquiescence of the queen to this condition, the provisional govern ment was to be informed that it was ex- pected to relinquish to the queen her con- stitutional authority. In case the queen refused to accept the condition or the pro- | visional government declined to retire, MT. Willis was instructed to report the facts and await further directions. The | general tenor of the instructions indicates | that the president seemed confident that | no such contingencies would arise. No in- | structions to use force are included in this l letter, the only discretionary power lodged | with the minister being in the concluding sentence, which tells Mir. Willis that in the | execution of his instructions he must be ed'largely by his own good judgment. The letter of Nov. 16, in which Minister Willis reports the condition of affairs which he found existing upon his arrival and the difficulties which beset the path of restoration, is not included in the corre- spondence, MT. Cleveland deeming the pub l lication of that letter incompatible with the public interest. The message proper concludes as follows:
 "An Armed Invasion."
 The message says on this point:
 I believe that 8 candid and thorough exami- nation of the facts will force the conviction that the provisional government owes its ex- l istence to an armed invasion by the United States. But for the notorious predilection of the United States minister for annexation the | committee of safety, which should be called the committee of annexation, would never have | existed. But for the landing of the United States forces upon false pretexts respecting the | danger to life and property the committee would never have exposed themselves to the pains and penalties of treason by undertaking the subversion of the queens government | But for the presence of the United States forces in the immediate vicinity and in posi- l tion to afford all needed protection and sup port the committee would not have pro | claimed the provisional government from the steps of the government building. and, finally. but for the lawless occupation of Honolulu | under false pretexts by the United States forces, and but for Minister Stevens recogni- ton of the provisional government when the ! United States forces were its sole support and constituted its only military strength, the queen and her government would never have yielded to the provisional government even for time and for the sole purpose of submitting her case to the enlightened justice of the United States.
 Feeling. therefore, that the United States could not under the circumstances disclosed annex the islands without justly mourning the imputation of acquiring them by unjustifable methods, shall not again submit the treaty of annexation to the senate for its consideration, and in the instructions to Minister Willis, a copy of which accompanies this message, have directed him to so inform the provisional | government.
 But in the present instance our duty does | not, in my opinion, end with refusing to con- sunmate this questionable transaction. It has | been the boast of our government that it seeks to do justice in all things without regard to the strength and weakness of those with whom it
 deals. mistake the American people if they favor the odious doctrine that there is no such
 thing international morality; that there is one law for strong nation and another for a
 weak one, and that even by indirection a strong power may with impunity despoil weak one
 of its territory.
 By an act of war, committed with the par
 ticipation of & diplomatic representative of
 the United States and without authority of
 congress, the government of a feeble but
 friendly and confiding people has been over
 thrown.
 The Queen Declined.
 This fact may entitle them to claim that in
 every effort to rectify the wrong of the com-
 mfttee some regard should be had for their
 safety. Actuated by these desires and pur-
 poses, and not unmindful of the inherent per
 plexities of the situation nor of the limitations
 upon my power, l instructed Minister Willis to
 advise the queen and her supporters of my de-
 sire to aid in the restoration of the status ex-
 isting before the lawless landing of the United
 States forces at Honolulu on the 18th of Janu-
 uary last, if such restoration could be effected
 upon terms providing for clemency well as
 Justice to all concerned. The conditions sug-
 gested, as theSinstructions show, contemplate
 general amnesty to those concerned in set
 ting up the provisional government and a rec
 ognition of all its bona fide acts and obliga-
 tions
 In short, they require that the past should be
 buried, and that the restored government
 should reassume its authority as if it's continu- 1 fly had hear inte ed