The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-12-28
THE HAWAIIAN lNCIDkN /.
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND TELLS CON
GRESS ALLABOUTl


Observation-Disclosures win,s' Instruo.
tlohs.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18.-The Presi.
dents message upon the Hawaiian
complication was sent to Congress TO-.
day. 1t is a 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
ia a synopsis of the Presidents. mes
sage.
III his opeDlLg paragraphs the Presi
dent says: "Though | am not able
now to report definite change in the
act al 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 ard statement of the con-
sideratiODS which have governed my
action. l 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 desire for territorial extension or
dissatisfaction with form of govern
ment not our own ought to regulate
our conduct. l Rave entirely misap-
pretended the mission and character
OF our government and the behavior
which the. conscience of our people de-.
mands Ct their public servants"
Mr.. Cleveland then gives history of
the situation as he found it upon TAX
ing office, the then pending treaty of
annexation, its withdrawal by himself,
and the sending of Mr.. BlOunt to in
vestigate the facts attending the nego-
ttation of the treaty and the overthrow
OF the Queens government. Mr..
Blounts 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 before the Congress or is herewith
submitted, Justilies, 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 it on that basis
both President and Senate were mis-
led"
Discussing the facts and evidence re.
latlDg to the inception of the annex
alton movement in Hawaii, Mr.. Cleve-
land observes:
'The project was one which W, 8
Zealously promoted by the minister
representing the United States in that
country. He evidently had an ardent
desire that it should become a fact ac-
cCmphshed by his agency and during
his ministry, and was not inconve.
Dlent.. scrupulouS as to the means I'm
p]oyed TO that end. On the 18Th 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 a long letter to
the itcretary of Safe, in which the
CASE Tor annexation was elabOrattlY
argued on moral. political and econOu
icaI grouDds. he refers to the loss TO
the Hawaiian sugar interests from the
operation OF the Mckinley bin, ana
the ten dtncy to still iurtner deprrcia.
Cion or sugar property unless some pos
tive measure of relief Is granted. He
strongly 1nve1ghs against The existing
Hawaiian government, and rmphati-
cally declares tor annexation. He says
In truth, the monarchy ere Is an ab.
sud anachronism. 1t has nothing on
which It logically or legitimately
stands. The feudal basis on which It
once stood no longer ,Xislug, the
monarchy now Is only an impeachment
to good government--an obstrnc ion
to the prosperity aid i! g'rSs ul tne
islands,"
quoting further and liberaly from
Minister SieVens's communication tC
the State Department, Mr., Cleveland
says:
"Those declarations certainly show
disposition and condition of mind
which may be usefully recalled when
interpreting the Significance of the
minister's conceded acts or when con.
sidnring the probabilities Of such con
duct In his part as may not be ad.
mltted
In this view the President quotes
from a letter from Stevens, dated
March q. 1892. In which Stevens asks
FOR information as to his powers and
duties in the event of a revolution oc.
curing In Honolulu; and also one dat &c
FEBRUARY l. 1893, in which Stevens de-
clares that: "The Hawaiian pear is
now fully ripe, and this Is the colder
hour for the United States to pluck
it," Z" P-""n
Mr., Stevens's protectorate inciden,
1S also referred to. The President 70
hearses the Incidents attending the
overthrow of the Queen. ana from
them gives this deduction:
"Thus 1t 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 Hon.
olulu by the United States on the day
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. 1t must be- accounted
for In some other way and on some
other ground, and its real motive and
purpose are neither obscure nor far tc
seek" ~
In further discussing these events
the President says: "When our minis
ter recognized the provisional govern.
ment, the only basis upon which If
rested was the fact that tho ,o,o -.