The Globe-republican., 1893-12-22
HAWAII AGAIN.
Special Message of the President
to Congress.
The Whole Hawaiian Question Referred
to That Body How the Queen was
Dethroned and the Provisional
Government Established.

The Presidents Special Message.
! WASHINGTON, Dec. 19-As soon as
I both houses of congress had completed
preliminary work a message from the
| president presented to them the long
promised special message on the Hawaii
an complication, The reading of the
document was attended to with the
closest attention in both houses and
many members made frequent notes OF
the salient points.
The message itself was as follows:
To the senate and hous. OF representatives:
In my recent annual message to the congress
briefly referred TO our relations with Hawaii
ard expressed the intention OF transmitting
further Information on the subject when add
tional advices permitted Though I am not
now abe to report a definite change in the
actual situation m convinced that the dim
culties lately created both here and in Hawaii
and now standing in the way Of a solution
through executive action Of the problem pre-
scented. render it proper and expedient that the
matter should be referred to the broader au-
thority and direction of congress, with full
explanation of the endeavor thus far made to
deal with the emergency and a statement OF
the considerations which have governed action
suppose that right and Justice should de-
termine the path to be followed in treating this
subject. If national honesty is to be diregarded
and desire for territorial extension. or dissat-
isfaction with form OF government not our
own IS to regulate our conduct, have entirely
misapprehended the mission and character Of
our government and the behavior which the
conscience Of our people demand, of their pub
lie servants
When the present administration entered
upon its duties the senate hal under considera-
ton treaty providing for the annexation Of
the Hawaiian islands to the territory of the
United States Surely under our constitution
and laws the enlargement Of our limits is a
manifestation OF the highest attribute of sover-
eighty and if entered upon as an executive act
all things relating to the transaction should be
clear and free from suspicion
Additional Importance is attached to this
peculiar treaty Of annexation. because it con-
tradition in providing for the addition to our
territory of islands OF the sea more than :,OoJ
miles removed from our nearest coast
These considerations might not Of themselves
call for interference with the completion OF o
treaty entered upon b. previ US adminiStra
tion. But it appeared from the documents &C
companying the treaty when submitted to the
senate that the ownership OF Hawaii was ten
dered to US by q provisional government set up
to succeed The consti ;utional ruler OF the ISL
ands who had been dethroned, and it did not
appear that the provisional government had
the sanction of either popular revolution or suf-
frage.
Two remarkable features of the transaction
naturally attracted attention. One was the ex-
traordnary haSte-nOt 10 say precipitancy-
characteriZing all the trans actions connected
with the treaty. 1t appeared that so-called
committee of safety. ostensibly the source OF
the revolt against the constitutional govern
ment of Hawaii, was organize on Saturday, the
1ith dav of January; that on Monday, the 10Th,
the United States forces were landed at
Honolulu from naval vessel lying in its har
Dor: that on The 18th the scheme of a provisional
government was perfected. and a proclamation
naming its officer, was OF the same dar prepared
and read at the government buildings; that i'm
mediately thereupon the United States minister
recognized the provisional government thus Gre
ated: that two days afterward, on the 18th day
Of January, commissioners representing such
government sd led for this country in i steam
er especially chartered for the occasion. arriv-
ing in San Francisco on the cSth day Of Janu-
airy and in Washington on the ID day OF Rebru
airy: hat next daT they had their first inter
view with the secretary OF state and another
on the llth when the treatv anneXing the
islands was practically agreed upon. and that
on the 18th it was formally concluded and on
the 18th ira nSmitted to the senate
for provisional government in Hawaii on the
18th of January and the submission 10 the SEN
ate Of the treaty of anncXat. on conclu ded with
such government. the entire interval was thir
ty-two days, fifteen of which were spent by the
Hawaiian commissioners in their Journey to
Washington.
In the next place, upon the face of the papers
submitte with The treaty, it clearly appeared
that there was open ard undetermined an issue
Of the most vital Importance The message of
the president accompanying the treaty declared
that 1.-THE overthrow of The monarchy was not
in any way promoted b this government" and
in q letter TO the president from the secretary
Of state Is Submit,e 10 the senate with the
treaty the following pas sage occurred:
'.At the time the provisional COVE rnment took
possession of the government buildings no
troops or officers OF the United States were
present or took any part whatever in the pro-
ceedings- No public recognition was accorded
to the provisional government by the United
States minister until after the queens abdica-
ton and when they were in effective possession
Of the government buildings, the archives, the
treasury. the barracks, to police station and all
the potential machinery Of the government"
But a protest also accompanied SAID treaty,
signed by the queen and her ministers at the
time she made wav for the provisional govern
ment, which explicitly stated that she yielded
to the superior force Of the United States,
whose minister had caused United States
troops to be landed at Honolulu and declared
that he would support such provisional govern.
ment
The truth or falsity of this protest was sureI- :
OF the first importance II true, nothing but
the concealment Of It's truth could induce our
government to negotiate with the semblance Of
government thus created. nor could a treaty
resulting from the acts stated in the protest
have been knowingly deemed worthy of consid-
Grafton by the senate. Yet the truth or falsiiy
Of the pro est had no, been investigated.
l conceived IL 10 be- nv duty. therefore, to
withdraw the treaty from the senate for exam
ination and meanwhile to cause an accurate
full and impartial investigation to be made OF
the facts attending the subversion OF the con-
stitutional government Of Hawaii and the iu-
stallment in its place of the provisional gov
eminent l selected for the work of investi-
cation Hon. James H Blount OF Geor,ia,
whose service of eighteen years as a member
OF the house of representatives and whose
experience as chairman of the committee on
foreign affairs in that body and his consequent
familiarity with international topics Joined
with IS high character and honor BILE repu,a-
ton. seemed to render him peculiarly fitted for
the duties intrusted to him His report detail.
ing his action under the instructions given 10
him and the conclusions derived from b: S in
vestigation accompany this message
These conclusions do not rest for their az.