Rocky Ford enterprise., 1893-11-16
WOULD RESTORE THE QUEEN
Secretary Gresham Thinks that Justice
Requires that the Old Order OF
Things In the Hawaiian
Kingdom be Re-ss-

Secretary Gresham has advanced to the
president a lengthy communication on the
subject Of the government Of Hawaii. He
quotes extensively from the report Of Mr..
Blount, who was sent as special eommis-
sioner TO the islands, and also Mr.. Stevens,
the former minister. He arrives at the con-
clusion that Queen LilioukalAni would not
have been dethroned except by the aid Of
United States marines, and thinks that JUS
tice demands that she be restored to power.
He says: At An early stage Of tho negotia-
tion, II not At the beginning, Mr.. Stevens
promised the annexationists, As soon - they
gained possession Of tho government building
and there read proclamation Of tho oharac-
ter above referred to, he would Mt once rec
ognize them rs the dc tacto government and
support them by the force from our warship
then in the harbor, and he kept that promise.
This assurance was the inspiration Of tho
movement, and without II the annexatonists
would not have exposed themselves to the
consequences Of failure. They relied upon
no military force of their own, for they had
none worthy the name. The provisional gov
ernment wns established by the action Of tho
American minister and tho presence Of troops
landed from the Boston, and In sufficient
force to lead 70 the belief that the Hawaiians,
II they made an effort to overthrow, would
encounter the armed forces Of the United
States.
The earnest appeals to the American minis
ter for military protection by the officers OF
the provisional government, after It had been
organized, shows the utter nbsurdIty Of tho
claim that 1t was established by . su ccessfu
revolution Of tho people. These appeals wcre
q confession by the men who made them Of
their weakness and timidity. Courageous
men, conscious Of the strength and Justice Of
their cause, do not thus act. II is not now
claimed that majority Of the people having
the right to vote under the Legislation Of 1887
ever favored the existing authority, or annex
alton to this or any other country. They
earned what they desire-governmento Of their
choice, which should bo restored and It's In
dependence respected. Mr.. Blount says that
annexationist who expressed willingness to
submit the question TO vote OF the people,
nor did he talk with ono who did not insist
that II the islands were annexed suffrage
should be restricted so as to give complete
control to foreigners or whites, and repre-
sentative annexationists have repeatedly made
similar statements to the undersigned.
The government of Hawaii surrendered Its
authority under threat Of war until such
time only as the government Of the United
States, upon the fact being presented TO It,
should reinstate the constitutional sovereign
and tho provisional government was created
'to exist until terms Of union with the Unit
ed States Of America had been made and
agreed upon"
A careful consideration Of the facts will,
think convince you that the treaty which was
withdrawn from the Senate for further con-
sideration, should not be resubmitted for its
action thereon. Should not tho great wrong
done to feeble, but Independent state, by
an abuse Of the authority Of the United
States, be undone by restoring tho legitimate
government Anything short Of that, will
not respectfully submit, satisfy the demands OF
justice. Can the UnitedStates couscientiously
insist thi.t other nations shall respect tho In
dependence Of Hawaii while not respecting
It themselvesl Our government was the nrst
to recognize tho independence Of the Islands,
and should be the last to acquire sovereignty
over them by force and fraud.