The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-12-23
SATURDAY, DECEMBER %. 1888.
THE SPECIAL MESSAGE.

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER g. 1885
THE SPECIAL MESSAGE.
. Last Monday, in fulflment Of bis
promise, President Cleveland sent to the
Senate and House Of Representatives 9
special message on the Hawaiian inn
broglio in which he reviews the whole
question and leaves Congress to solve
the problem. The President exposes the
tactics employed by Minister Stevens in
ioverthrowing the constitutional govern
ment of Hawaii, and reveals in scathing
language the plottings Of that meddle-
some individual. He shows that Stevens
and considerable portion of American
and other foreign merchants and traders
at Honolulu favored the annexation Of
the islands to the United States, and
that Stevens promoted the project Of de-
posing the queen and establishing pro-
visional government under the protection
OF the American flag. ''He evidently"
says the President, chad an ardent desire
that the annexation should become q fact
accomplished by his agency and during
his ministry, and was not inconveniently
scrupulous as to the means employed to
that end.'' This is severe arraignment
of the representative in Hawaii of the
Harrison administration, but Mr.. Cleve-
land quotes from Stevens letters to the
Secretary OF State, in one OF which he
said that the monarchy was an absurd
anachronism and had nothing on which
it logically or legitimately stood. "Des-
tiny and the vast future in the Pacific, :
said Stevens, ''clearly indicate who ut no
distant day must be responsible for the
government Of those islands. Under 9
territorial government they could be as
easily governed as any Of the existing
territories of the United States. =
BY similar quotations from the letters
of Ministec Stevens it is clearly demon-
strated that he exceeded his legitimate
province of an American minister and
espoused the cause of the opponents OF
the dusky Equeen Of the islands. In g
letter to the state department, dated
February l, 1893, Minister Stevens de-
clared that 1.-THE Hawaiian pear is now
fully ripe and this is the golden hour for
the United States to pluck it." On that
same day he issued q proclamation in the
name of the United States, assuming the
protection OF the islands pending and
subject to negotiations at Washington.
The Stars and Stripes we're then hcisted
and United States marines from man.
of-war were landed at Honolulu, the seat
of government. Thus the lawful gov
eminent was overthrow by the active
interference OF Minister Stevens and his
troops. But for the landing OF these
troops, the committee Of safety would not
have undertaken the subversion OF the
queens government, says the President,
and no provisional government would
have been proclaimed from the steps OF
the government building had not the
troops been present to overawe the
queens party Finally = says the Presi-
dent, ''but for the lawless occupation of
Honolulu ,under false pretexts by the
United States forces, and but for Minis
ter Stevens recognition Of the provisional
government kwhen the United States
forces were it's sole support and consti-
tuted it's only military strength, the
queen and her government would never
have yielded to the provisional govern
mont even for q time and tors the. cole
purpose Of submitting her case to the
enlightened justice Of the United States. Z
The President then declares that the
government of feeble but friendly eco
pie has been oyerthrowa BY an act Of war
committed with the partioip patton Of the
American minister and without authority;
Of Congress, and that ! due regard for
our national character % we'll as the
rights Of an injured people require that
the United States should repair the
wrong commit ted in it's name. The Presi-
dent IS in favor Of allowing the people Of
The ialand to have any form Of govern.
mont which the majority sc ii en- desire
He instructed Minister " Ills 81 ssekst
bring shout some anicable arrang ement
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