Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-12-28
EX-MINISTER STEVENS
Replies to President rCleveland's
Structures on His Conduct
Contained In tho Message to Congress
Transmitting the Hawaiian Core
am spondence-He Does Not
NIince Matters.
MINISTER STEVENS REPLY.

Mince Matters.
MINISTER STEVENS REPLY.
AUGUSTA, Me-, Dec. 21.-Following i!
the answer of ex-Minister John L. Stew
ems to President Cleveland's statement
regarding his official conduct at Homo
lulu:
Human government in its best form some
times fails to serve all the just objects To-
which it has been created. No one who ha.
studied the doings OF the remarkable body O
men who framed the constitution of the United
States has failed to observe what care and ef
fort were exercised to create an executive
power which would be not abused for purpose:
of usurpation and tyranny. The extra
ordinary abuse of power by George Ill
had caused the American colonies to re
volt and to establish a new government
in the interests of civil liberty and the people
In creating the office of president it was i'm
possible to provide against all contingencie:
of usurpation by that officer. The provision
for Impeachment was the best safeguard tina
the trainers of the constitution could insti
tute. Only once in Our political history has
majority of the congress OF the United State:
solemnly resolved in favor OF impeaching the
occupant OF the executive chair. Perhaps il
was we'll that the effort to remove Andrew
johnson from his office was arrested just or
the brink of success
THE GREAT RELUCTANCE OF THE CoNsERvA
TIVE MEN
of the country to remove the chief executive
for abuse of power seems to have encouraged
President Cleveland to resort to the extraor
binary measure of overturning the provisional
government OF Hawaii, while as much as pos
sib1e concealing his arbitrary design from the
American congress and the American people
We look at the historic facts dispassionately
an mr. will hat ha NJ
tion and injustice on which the president and
secretary of state have acted since the 18th Of
March last. coupled with the exparte, par
tisan course of Commissioner Blount rel
alive to the accepted testimony OF
Lilioukalani's fallen. corrupt ministers
are more sweeping and more hostile te
the Anglo-Saxon liberty than the acts OF
George III. and the Lord North ministry. which
drove the American colonies to successful re-
volt. There Is nothing in American history
that IS more shameful in its scope of tyranny
than the attempt of President Cleveland and
Secretary Gresham to crush out civil liberty
and American interests in Hawaii by the
threat to restore the extinct Hawaiian mon
archy by force OF arms, or by diplomatic Chi
canery and pressure more infamous If posi-
BILE than those of ball and bayonet. Even the
atrocious attempt years ago, to force the
slavery Lecompton constitution on the peo
pie OF Kansas by federal bayonets, which
SO Signally failed Of accomplishment, seems
diminutive in contrast with the astounding
proposition and avowed purpose to overturn
the provisional government Of Hawaii, back
of which stands that noble American colony
around which is crystalliZed the interests OF
American Christian civilization in that ad
vanced and invaluable American outpost in
the North Pacific.
President Cleveland's recent special mes
sage, in which he so severely criticises the
course OF the recent American minister at
TT 81, MI tat
perticial report of Commissioner Blount and
the statement of Secretary Gresham, previ-
eusly published
I'm MY ANSWER TO BLoUNTs REPORT
extensively published in the United States !
showed conclusivelv. as Mr.. Thurstou and
other thoroughly responsible witnesses have
shown. that the allegations in that report
against the official conduct Of Capt. Wiltze
and myself are grossly untrue. President
Cleveland's grossly untrue and shamefully I'M
just allegations against myself and the naval
commander rest entirely on the statements OF
the four VIGOROUSLY corrupt ministers OF the
fallen queen; of Wilson, the Tahitian half
white immoral favorite, and other thoroughly
discredited testimony.
sHAMLT-CoNCoCTED TESTIMONY.
/ will not in this paper go over the conclu-
sively, overwhelming testimony OF all respect
able men of the American colony. persons Of
the highest character for intelligence and in
tegrity, who know and witnessed the events
when the Hawaiian monarcy fell, who contra
dict expressly the shamly- collected testimony
of Commissioner Blount. 1 only repeat here
what has been amply verified time and time
again, neither by force advice or action of
mine, was the fall of the monarchy precipi-
tated. From the hour on which I entered on
my duties at the head of the United States le-
CATION to the termination of my official re-
sponsibilty maintained the determination to
call on the naval commander for aid only in
the event that American life and property were
in danger. Cautiously. but firmly, perhaps
sometimes too silently made this my fixed
rule of action. not only to the representative OF
the queen. but to the leaders Of the parties
who saw no safe alternative for the welfare OF
the islands but in the total adjustment of
HAD ADVOCATED ANNExATIoN.
President Cleveland sees fit to make point
against my official conduct that months before
the events of last January had advocated an
nexation. He deliberately and purposely con-
ceals that what l said in my dispatch in No
vember. 1892. was confidential statement to
the department OF state of the condition OF at
fairs in Hawaii report OF facts which by the
rules and practice of diplomacy
was in duty bound to make known to my gov
TON.
held that both in Honolulu and in California it
was believed that the American minister was
averSe to annexation. For months prior to the
late of this dispatch there had been a con-
tinual struggle between the legislature and the
queen as to their respective rights regarding
the constitution and responsibility of the cabi-
net Ministry after ministry had been ap-
pointed in defiance of the votes of the legfs-
ators and responsible public opinion.
The queen and her immoral favorite,
and the lottery ring openly
efie6 the legislators and property holders of
the islands. Only the remarkable self-poSses-
sion of the respectable and the response BILE
men of the islands prevented an outbreak and
the overturn of the monarchy at an earlier
date. The self-possession and forbearance of
the men thus defied by the monarchy and it's
parasites were remarkable. considering that
they were enduring abuses and scandals whi CHI
no American city or state would tolerate
thirty days.
A FALSE SECURITY.
But when the queen and her favorite, Will
son. called for the appointment of the Jones'
Wilcox cabinet men of the highest respecta-
bility and responsibility, three of them wealthy,
wishing not for Office, I confidently reached
the conclusion. as the close of the legislature
was near that this ministry would be able to
carry on the government safely for the follow
Ing eighteen months. and until the election of
D new legislature. In this belief left Homo
lulu In the United states snip BOSTON, Janu-
ary 4, on u trip to Halo, $50 miles from Homo
lulu. the first time for many months when L
had deemed it safe to leave Honolulu. In the
ten days of my absence from the legation I
had known no more OF what had been tran
spring in Honolulu than though had been at
that time in Washington.
COMPLETELY TAKEN BY SURPRISE
When Capt. Wiltze and m yself in the Boston
arrived in the harbor Of Honolulu. in the fore
moon of January a. was completely taken by
surprise at what the queen, the palace associ-
ates and the lottery gang had accomplished in
ten days. The remonstrances of the chamber
of commerce. OF the Numerous petitions of