The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-12-22
THE PRESIDENTS HAWAIIAN MES
SAGE.

SAGE.
On Monday, President Cleveland sub
mitted to Congress his promised mes
sage on the affairs of the Sandwich Is
lands. We give synopsis of what he
has to say:
The president is not able to report a
definite change in the actual situation,
but is convinced that the Hawaiian mat
ter should be referred to Congress with a
full statement of facts.
If national honesty is to be disregarded
and desire for territorial extension or
dissatisfaction with form of govern
ment not our own ought to regulate our
conduct, he says he has entirely misun-
derstood the mission and character of
our government and the duties of it's
servants.
1t had happened that the Constitu-
tional ruler of Hawaii had been de-
thronged without the sanction of revolu-
ton or suffrage. Extraordinary haste
and precipitancy characterized all the
transactions connected with the submis-
sion of the Harrison treaty of anneXa-
tion.
He recapitulates the circumstances of
the { rmation of the Provisional Govern
ment and the dispatch of the treaty to
Washington.
The statement of President Harrison
that this government did not aid in the
Queens overthrow is cOntroverted by
the ex-Queen's statement that she
yielded to the superior force of the
United States under orders of the United
States minister, who had declared that
he would support the Provisional Gov
ernment.
So he withdrew the treaty and sent
Mr.. BiOunt 70 make an impartial investi-
CATION. His report accompanies the
message.
This and the evidence upon which it is
based, in President Cleveland's opinion,
shows that both President Harrison and
the Senate were misled in saying that
the United States government did not
participate in the overthrow of the mon
archy.
He says Minister Stevens has always
been an ardent annexationist.
The assumption of Protectorate was
disavowed and the American flag hauled
down.
He charges that mostly resident
Aliens" acting on the basis of the
Queens temporary REIMBURSEMENT of a
plan for FORMULATING new constitution,
formed the Committee of Safety"
Seven of its thirtt members were for
eign subjects. This committee aimed to
bring about nothing less than annexa-
ton, and between January IA AMI Janu-
ary l6 they were in communication with
the United States Minister
The landing of the armed forces from
the Boston was an act of war, against
the protest of the Constitutional Govern
ment, there being no basis for the pre-
tense that it was for the security of
American life and property.
| Admiral Skerrett said that the location
of troops was inadvisable for that pur-
pose. Besides, Great Britain and other
| interested Powers took no such action.
The military occupation being COM
! plete, the committee took possession of
the Government buildings, and an Amer
lean citizen read the proclamation from
the steps, almost wholly without audi
tors at first.
Minister Stevens is said to have recog-
nized the new government pursuant TO a
! prior agreement within an hour. The
Queen could have dealt with ''the insur-
| gents" but could not withstand the
power of the United States allied with
| her enemies.
The country was in danger of occupy
! ing the position of having set up tenn
porary government on foreign soil for
the purpose of ultimately acquiring it,
This procedure is given an unpleasant
name in private transactions. The lla-
waiian government was not overthrOwn
by the people of that country.
While sympathizing with all efforts to
establish republican form of govern
ment, it is the policy of the United
| States 10 COncede the same freedom and
independence to people of foreign coun.
tries in managing their own affairs as it
demanded for itself.