The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-12-27
THE HAWAIIAN INCIDENT,
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND TELLS CON-
eRESSALL ABoUTlT.


ovsr,hrow-Mi mister Willis Instruo
tions.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S.-The Presi'
dents message upon the Hawaiian
complication was sent to Congress to.
day. It Is q document Of about Six
thousand words and the instructions
to Minister Willis, which were sent to
the Senate but not to the House, make
an additional $500 words. Following
is q synopsis of the Presidents mes
sage:
In his opening paragraphs the Presi
dent says: Though am not able
now to report definite change In the
actual situation. l am convinced that
the difficulties lately created both here
and in Hawaii, and now standing IN
the way of a solution through execu.
tive action of the problem presented,
render 1t proper and expedient that the
matter should be referred to the broad
er authority and discretion OF Con-
gress, with full explanation of the en-
deavor thus far made TO deal with the
emergency and statement OF the con-
alterations which have governed my
action. suppose that right and JUS
tice should determine the path to be
followed in treating this subject. II
national honesty is to be disregarded
and q desire for territorial extension or
dissatisfaction with form OF govern
ment not our own ought to regulate
our conduct. I tave entirely misap-
pretended the mission and character
of our government and the behavior
which th8conscience Of our people de.
mands OF their public servants"
Mr.. Cleveland then gives history OF
the situation az he found 1t upon tax
ing Office, the then pending treaty Of
annexation, its withdrawal by himself,
and the sending of Mr.. Bl0unt to In
vestigate the facts attending the nego:
tiation of the treaty and the overthrow
Of the Queens government. Mr..
Blount's report accompanies the mes
sage. 1t has been published already
Of this report, Mr.. Cleveland says:
"The report, with its accompanying
proofs and such other evidence as Is
now befole the Congress or is herewith
submitted, justifes, in my opinion, the
statement that when the President was
led to submit the treaty to the Senate,
with the declaration that the over.
throw of the monarchy was not In any
way promoted by this government,
and when the Senate was induced to
receive and discuss 1t on that basis,
both President and Senate were mis-
led"
Discussing the facts and evidence re-
lating to the inception of the annex
alton movement In Hawaii, Mr.. CleVe.
land observes:
"The project was one which Yves
zealously promoted by the minister
representing the United States in that
country. He evidently had an ardent
desire that It should become a fact &C.
complished by his agency and during
his ministry, and was not inconVe-
niently scrupulous as to the means en-
ployed to that end. On the 10th day
Of November, 1892, nearly two months
before the first overt act tending to-
wards the subversion of the Hawaiian
government and the attempted trans
fer Of Hawaiian territory to the United
States, he addressed long letter to
the Secretary of State, in which the
case for annexation was elaborately
argued on moral, political and econom-
ical grounds. He refers to the loss to
the Hawaiian sugar interests from the
operation of the Mckinley bill, and
the tendency to still further deprecia.
ton Of sugar property unless some pos
tive measure of relief is granted. He
strongly inveighs against the existing
Hawaiian government, and emphati-
cally declares for annexation. He says:
In truth, the monarchy lere Is an ab-
suId anachronism. 1t has nothing on
which 1t logically or legitimately
stands. The feudal basis on which 1t
once stood no longer existing, the
monarchy now Is OILY an impeachment
to good government-an obstruction
to the prosperity and progress of the
islands"
Quoting further and literally from
Minister Stevens's communication to
the State Department, Mr.. Cleveland
says:
"Those declarations certainly show
q disposition and condition Of mind
which may be usefully recalled when
interpreting the significance of the
minister's conceded acts or when con-
sidering the probabilities of such con.
duct Oh his part as may not be ad'
mitted."
In this view the President quotes
from letter from SteSehs, dated
March 8. 1892, In which Stevens asks
for information as To his powers and
duties in the event Of d rtTlu l0.i uc-
curing in Honolulu; and ais Uue dated
February /. 1893, In which Stevens de-
clares that: "The Hawaiian pear is
now fully ripe, and this Is the golden
hour for the UElted States to pluck
It."
Mr., Stevens's protectorate incident
3 also referred to. The President re.
hearses the Incidents attending the
overthrow of the &neen, AMI from
them gives this deduction:
"Thus it appears that Hawaii was
taken possession Of by the United
States forces. without the consent OF
wish of the government Of the islands,
or of anybody else, so far as shown, ex.
cept the United States Minister. There
fore, the military occupation of b lon
Olulu Dy tuo Oultcu SIdCcS Ou tuo udy
mentioned was wholly without justifi
cation, either as an occupation by con.
sent or as an occupation necessitated
by dangers threatening American life
and property. It must be accounted
for in some other way and on some
other ground, and its real motive and
purpose are neither obscure nor far to
seek"
In further discussing these events
the President says: "When our minis.
ter recognized the provisional govern,
ment, the only basis upon which II
roata Al waa the fact that fha com NIT