The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1893-12-22
SPECIAL MESSAGE.
The President Reviews the Ha-
waiian Question.
The Whole Matter Laid Before Congress
Minister Stevens Was Too Anxious
for Observation-Disclosures
Alleged Wrongs.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19-As soon as
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 house of representatives:
In my recent annual message to the congress
briefly referred to our citations with Hawaii
and expressed the intention Of transmitting
further information on the subject when addi
tional advices permitted. Though 1 am not
now abe to report definite change in the
actual situation, L m convinced that the diff
culties lately created both here and in Hawaii
and now standing in the way OF o solution
through executive action Of the problem pre-
sented render il proper and expedient that The
matter should be referred to the broader
thority and direction OF congress. with a full
explanation OF the endeavor thus far made to
deal with the emergency and statement Of
the considerations which have governed action
suppose tha. right and Justice should de-
termine the path to be followed in treating this
subject. II national honesty is to be diregarded
and q desire for territorial extension. or dissat
fsraction with q form of government not our
own is to regulate our conduct, 1 have entirely
misapprehended the mission and character of
our government and the behavior which the
conscience Of our people demands Of their pub
lie servants
When the present administration entered
upon its duties the senate had under considera-
tion treaty providing for the annexation Of
the Hawaiian Islands to the territory OF the
United States. Surely under our constitution
and laws the enhancement Of our limits is
manifest alton Of the highest attribute OF sover-
eighty and IL 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-
templated departure from unbroken American
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 a
treaty entered upon by previ us administra-
tion. But it appeared from the documents ac-
companying the treaty when submitted to the
senate that the ownership of Hawaii was ten
dered to US by provisional government set up
to succeed the consti iutional ruler Of the ISL
. ands, who had been dethroned, and 1t did not
appear that the provisional government had
the sanction OF either popular revolution or suf-
fra0,
rwo remarkable features of the transaction
naturally attracted attention One was the ex-
traordnary haste-not 10 precpitancy-
characteriZing all the transactions connected
WIN @tne trcdty. II appeared tuht u SOCdil
committee of safety, ostensibly the source of
the revolt against the constitutional govern
ment of Hawaii was organize on Saturday. the
nth day Of January; that on Monday, the 10Th,
the United States forces were landed at
Honolulu from q naval vessel lying in its har-
bor: that on the l7th the scheme of a provisional
government was perfected, and proclamation
naming its officer was on the same da: prepared
and read at the government buildings that inn
mediately thereupon the United States minister
recognized the UrOyiSiOnal government thus
ated; that two days afterward on the 10Th day
OF January, commissioners representing such
government 81 led for this country in a steam
especially chartered for the occasion. arriv-
ing in San Francisco on the 18th day OF Janu-
ary and in Washin ton on the ID day OF Febru-
airy; hat next day they had their first inter
view with the secretary of state and another
on the llth when the treaty annexing the
islands was practically agreed upon and that
on the lith 1t was formally concluded and on
the 18th transmitted to the senate
Thus between the initiation of the scheme
for a provisional government in Hawaii on the
l4th Of January and the submission 10 the SEN
ate OF the treaty OF anneXat. on concl uded 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, IL clearly appeared
that there was open and undetermined an issue
of the most vital Importance The message Of
the president accompanying the treaty declared
that "the overthrow Of the monarchy was not
in any way promoted this government" and
In q letter to the president from the secretary
Of state lis submitte TO the senate with the
treaty the following passage occurred:
AT the time the provisional government took
possession Of the government buildings. no
troops or officers of the United States were
present or took any part whatever in the pro-
weddings. No public recognition was accorded
TO the provisional government b. the United
States minister until after the queens abdica-
tion 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 saio 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 SURELY
of the first importance II true, nothing but
the concealment of It's truth could induce our
government to negotiate with the semblance OF
agovernment thus created, nor could treaty
resulting from the acts stated in the protest
have been knowingly deemed worthy Of consid-
Grafton by the senate Yet the truth or falsity
Of the pro est had not been Investigated.
I conceived it to be my duty, therefore, TO
withdraw the treaty from the senate for exam
fnation aud meanwhile to cause IN accura te,
full and impartial investigation to be made OF
the facts attending the subversion OF the Con-
stitutional governm ent Of Hawaii, and the IN.
stallment in its place OF the provisional gov
ernment selected for the work OF investi-
cation Hon. James H Blount. OF Georsia,
whose service Of eighteen years as 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 bic reputa-
tion, seemed to render him peculiarly fitted FOR
the duties intruS ted to him His report de tail
ing his action under the Instructions given 10
3 him and the conclusions derived from his in
vestigation accompany this message
These conclusions do not rest for their &C
ceptance entirely upon Mr.. Blounts honesty
and ability q man NOR upon his acumen and
impartiaiit5 as an investigator They are &C
companied by the evidence upon which they
transmitted. and from which it seems to me nc
other deductions could possibly be reached
than those arrived At by the commissioner
. The report, with its accompanying proofs
and such other evidence as is now before the
congress or Is herewith submitted justife& II
my opinion, the statement that when the presf
dent was led to submit the treaty 70 the senate
with the declaration THAT the overthrow OF tbs
monarchy was not in any way promote By
duced to receive and discuss IL on that bas1i
both president and senate were misled
Events that occurred during the term
Of Mr.. Stevens as minister arc herr
related for the purpose OF upholding
the presidents position that srmsd
<oprox AZ cha Tynifad 9tntan had banz