The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-18

| police station and all the potential machin-
| cry of the Government"
| But protest also accompanied said treaty,
| signed by the Queen and her ministers at the
time she made way for the Provisional Gov
| ernment which explicitly stated that she
! yielded to the superior force of the United
States, whose minister had caused United
States troops to be landed at Honolulu, and
| declared that he would support such Provis-
| ional Government.
| The truth or falsity of this protest was
| surely of the first Importance If true, moth
ing but the concealment of its truth could
induce our Government to negotiate with
the semblance of a government thus created,
nor could a treaty resulting from the acts
stated in the protest have been knowingly
deemed worthy of consideration by the Sen
ate, Yet the truth OF falsity of the protest
had not been investigated
BLoUNTS INQUIRY.
| conceived it to be my duty therefore to
withdraw the treaty from the Senate for
examination, and meanwhile to cause an
accurate, full and impartial investigation to
be made of the facts attending the
Subversion of the constitutional govern
ment of Hawaii, and the installment
in its place of the Provisional Government.
| selected for the work of investigation the
Hon. James H. Blount, of Georgia, whose
service of eighteen years as a member of the
House of Representatives, and whose expert
ence as Chairman of the Committee of
Foreign Affairs in that body and
his consequent familiarity with interna-
tional topics, joined with his high character
and honorable reputation, seemed to render
him peculiarly fitted for the duties entrusted
to him. His report detailing his action un-
der the instructions given to him and the
conclusions derived from his investigation
accompany this message.
These conclusions do not rest for their ac-
eeptance entirely upon Mr.. Blount's honesty
and ability as man, nor upon his acumen
and impartiality as an Investigator. They
are accompanied by the evidence upon which
they are based, which evidence is also here
with transmitted, and from which it seems
to me no other deductions could possibly be
reached than those arrived at by the Com
missioner.
The report, with its accompanying proofs
and such other evidence as is now before 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 1.-The over
throw of the monarchy was not in any way
promoted by this government" and when
the Senate was induced to receive and dis
cuss it on that basis, both President and SEN
ate were misled
The attempt will not be made in this. COM
munication to touch upon all the facts which
throw light upon the progress and consum-
nation of this scheme of annexation. A
very brief and imperfect reference to the
facts and evidence at hand will exhibit its
character and the incidents in which it had
its birth.
THE HISTORIC FACTS.
1t is unnecessary to set forth the reasons
in which in January, 1898, led considerable
portion of American and other foreign mer-
chants and traders residing at Honolulu to
favor the cession of Hawaii to the United
States. 1t is sufficient to note the fact and to
observe that the project was one which was
zealously promoted by the Minister
representing the United States in that coun-
try He evidently had an ardent desire that
it should become fact accomplished by his
agency and during his ministry, and was not
inconveniently scrupulous as to the means
employed to that end. On the 10Th day of
before the first overt act tend
ing towards the subversion of the
Hawaiian Government, and the attempted
transfer of Hawaiian territory to the United
States, he addressed a long letter to the Sec
retary of State in which the case for action
was elaborately argued, on moral political
and economical grounds. He refers to
the loss to the Hawaiian sugar in
terests from the operation of the Nc
Kinley bill, and the tendency to still
further depreciation of sugar property un-
less some positive measure of relief is
granted. He strongly inveighs against the
existing Hawaiian Government and en-
phatically declares for annexation.
STEVENS SELF CONVICTED.
He says
In fact the monarchy here is an absurd an
achronism. II has nothing on which it logically
or legitimately stands. The feudal basis on
which it once stood no Longer existing. the
Monarchy now is only impeachment 10 good
government an obstruction to the prosperity
and progress of the Islands.
He further says:
ass crown colony of Great Britain or a
territory of the United States the government
notifications could b5 made reality anil good
administration OF the law secured. DS,iny
and the vast future interests of the UNIFIED
States in the Pacific clearly indicate wno a no
government of these ISLANDS Under a
territorial government they could be as easily
governed as any of the existing territories of
the United States.
Hawaii has reached the parting ef the ways
She must now take the road which leads to
Asia, or the other, which outlets her in America
gives her an American civilization, and binds
her to the care of American destiny.
He also declares
One of two courses seems to me- absolutely
necessary TO be followed. either bold and vigor-
Gus measures for annexation a customs
union" an ocean caole from the Callrocaiaa
coast to Honolulu Pearl Harbor perpetaatiy
ceded to the United States with i'm pie ed but
not expressly stipulated American pro tectorale
over the islands. IGeieve the former to be the
better, that which will prove much the mo e
advantageous 10 the ISLANDS, AMI the cheapest
and least embarrassing in the end to the United
States. IL it was wise for the United
States. through Secretary Marcy thirty
expend 100000 to secure a treaty of aunexa-
tion, it certainly cannot be chimericai un-
wise to expend Sl00, 600 to secure annexation in
the near future. Today the United States has
five times tne wealth she possessed ia 1884 and
the ressons now existing for annexation are
much stronger than they were then I cannoE
refrain from expressing the opinion with em-
phass that the golden hour is near at hand.
These declarations certainly show a dis
position and condition of mind which NAV
be usefully recalled when interpreting the
significance of the Minister'S conceded acts
or when considering the probabilities of such
conduct on his part as may not be admitted.
A DAMNING LETTER.
In this view it seems proper to also quote
from a letter written by the Minister to the
Secretary of State on the Sth day of March,
1892, nearly year prior to the first step
taken towards annexation. After stating
the possibility that the existing government
of Hawaii might be overturned by an or
derly and peaceful revolution, Minister
Stevens writes as follows:
OrdAary in like circumstances, the rule seems
to be to limit the landing aud movement OF
United States forces in foreign waters and
dominion exclusively TO the proLsctia of the
United States legation and of the lives and
property of American citizeus. But as The re-
latops of the United States to Hawaii are ex-
ceptional. and in former years the United States
officials here took somewhat exceptional action
in circumstances of disorder, desire 10 know
how far the present Minister and Naval Com.
mander may deviale from established inter
national rules aud precedents in the coutin-
Indicated