Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-02-18
DIDN'T APPROVE STEVENS ACTION.
He Was Too Rapid in Declaring Protecto-
rate in Hawaii.

ne was Too Rapid in Declaring Protecto-
rate in Hawaii.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1S-The correspon-
dence sent into the senate by the president
to accompany the Hawaiian treaty con-
tains the text Of Secretary Fosters dis
patch OF Feb. II, an abstract of which went
out by the last mails to Honolulu, dis
avowing Mr. Stevens protectorate. This
dispatch first acknowledges the
receipt of Stevens cipher, and refers to the
Geographic newspaper reports, concerning
the declaration Of United States protec-
torate, saying: "The precise character and
scope OF the act thus announced by you do
not appear from this brief recital The
press, however, prints full details of the
occurrences of the 1st inst, as telegraphed
from San Francisco on arrival of the mail
steamer Australia at that port on the
morning of the 9th" He then quotes the
declaration of protectorate by Stevens.
Proclamation Went Too Far
Secretary Foster then writes to Stevens:
The phraseology of your proclamation in
announcing your action in assumption of
protection of the Hawaiian islands in the
name of the United States would appear to
be tantamount to the assumption of pro-
tectorate over those islands in behalf of the
United States with all the rights and obi
cations which the term implies To this
extent it goes beyond the necessities of the
situation and the instructions heretofore
given you. Your existing instructions.
and those under which the commanders of
naval vessels of the United States acted,
We're and are ample to provide all legiti-
mate material protection in case of need,
either in your disc retiOn or at the request
of the duly constituted authorities of the
Hawaiian islands.
Stevens Mixed Things Somewhat.
The accordance of such measures of
protection, or the uns olicited taking of the
needful precautions to those ends, is, how
ever, not TO be confounded with the estab-
lishment of protectorate, which is, in
fact, the positive erection of paramount
authority over or IN place of the duly con-
stituted local government and the assump-
ton by the protector of the special respon-
sibilities attached to such formal protec-
ton. 1t IS not thought probable that the
provisional govern ment of the Hawaiian
Islands, in soliciting protection, contem-
plated more than the cooperation of the
moral and material forces of the United
States to strengthen its own authority and
power, as recognized sovereign govern
ment, for the protection of life and prop
erty, as stated IN your proclamation.
Communication and DisavowaI.
$50 far as your aotion amounts to accord
ing at the request Of thee facto sovereign
government of the Hawaiian islands, the
cooperation of the moral and material
forces of the United States for the pro-
lection of life and property from appre-
hended disorders, your action is common l.
ed. But so far as it may appear to over
step that limit by setting the authority and
power of the United States above that of
the government of The Hawaiian islands,
in the capacity of protector. or to impair in
any way the independent sovereignty of
the Hawaiian government by substituting
the flag and power Of the United States as
the symbol and manifestation of para
mount authority, it is disavowed."