The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-11-22
A TALK WITH Mr.. STEVENS.
The Ex-Minister as Quoted by Bosto
Paper

Paper.
Boston, November 21.-A despatch to
the Boston Globe from Biddeford quotes
ex-Minister John L. Stevens on the
Hawaiian question, Mr.. Stevens having
talked with a Globe correspondent on
the train while going to West Somerville,
Mass, where he will deliver an address
tomorrow evening. He said
"The treaty Of annexation was in line
with the Democratic policy for fifty
years. This is something that seems I'd
have been overlooked, but is fully
brought out in documents ordered
printed last winter. s's
I when the late William L. Marcy was
Secretary of State there was an attempt
made to bring about the annexation of
the islands, the effort being in line with
the Democratic policy. A commissioner
ations with the king and the chiefs
There were then a great many chiefs.
They are mostly dead now and the COM
missioner was inStrucd to extinguish
their title to the country and was author
lied to offer them together with the
king 100000 for full and complete re-
linquishment of their rights.
nc was luIuucT luSbIuCtcu W prOVIQc
for the admission of the islands into the
union as territory.
From the first obstacles were thrown
in his way. How or why was not then
understood, but after the fall of the gov
eminent of the Queen. papers were
placed in my hands fully explaining the
whole matter.
The then king had for a minister of
foreign affairs an old Scotchman named
Willie. He has been dead for very many
years, but in his time must have been
very able and adroit man. He
had great influence with the king, and
through him with his chiefs
"The internal politics of the United
States raised the first barrier against the
commissioner.
"The slavery question was then all i'm
portant and with it the question of the
admission of territories as states with or
without slavery.
The Hawaiian people were strongly
opposed to slavery, and the missionaries
and religious people agreed with Willie
that, if annexed at all, they must come
into the union as state.
That point, although in doing so he
exceeded his instructions, the commis-
sioner was obliged to agree to
1.-THE next step taken by Willie was to
induce the king and the chiefs to in
crease their demands for money. Step by
step this was done, until the treaty sub
mitted to Secretary Marcy provided for
the payment of $500, 600 and the admission
of the island as a state.
The State Department cid the COM
missioner to the letter of his instructions
and the treaty was rejected.
Mr.. Stevens then touched on. the present
state of things in the islands and on his
famous act OF ordering the landing of
U nited States marines.
He said that even had no request been
made to him by the head of the pro-
visional government, the marines would
have been landed to save the city from
the danger of fire and plumber.
3 He acted under the last. instructions
touching on that subject issued by the
State Department, the letter of Secretary
Bayard to the then minister, holding the
minister and the commodore of the
United States feet there responsible not
only for the preservation OF American
property and the safety of American citi-
zens, but for the good order of the city. D
Have you seen any. occasion to change
your opinion as to the course you took?"
II have not" said Mr.. Stevens.
He said he shouldssstand by what he
said in his address before the San Fran
cisco Chamber of Commerce his address
to his fellow-citizens after his return to
Augusta and his recent short note to the
Secretary of State.