The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-16
KAssON CANNOT BELIEVE 1T.
Armed Intervention to Restore the
Queen Would Be an Act of Piracy.

Armed Intervention to Restore the
Queen Would Be an Act of Piracy.
Washington Post.
There is one man in Washington who is
qualified to discuss international relations.
law and usages on a par with any man in
public life. 1t is Hon. John A. Kasson. OF
Iowa He has been in public life for nearly
forty years, and has represented the Unites
States at both Vienna and Berlin, besides
serving for years on the committee on for
eign affairs In the House. Owing to the
warm personal relations which exist be-
tween himself and Secretary Gresham he
Is more guarded In his expressions on the
Hawaiian trouble than he otherwise might
be, but he spoke to a Post reporter as fol-
lows:
II cannot accept the hypothesis of the
press as correct that the President has or
dered armed intervention to restore the de-
posed monarchy TO the Hawaiian throne.
| cannot believe il to be true. Such an
act would be worse than a declaration of
war. 1t would be an act of piracy.
In the first place Secretary Gresham's
letter to the President contains charges
OF hypocrisy, deceit and wrong doing
against not merely the preceding admin
tstratiOn, but against the American gov
eminent as represented by that adminiStra-
ton. In international matters it is an un-
written law, and is in line with the usage
of nations, that there are no parties. No
foreign government ever condemns in such
manner the international acts and policy
of its preceding administration, for in
so doing 1t is attacking its own govern
ment. The Secretary's letter at least should
have been kept from publication.
But to refer to the hypothesis that the
President has ordered armed Intervention;
there are several plain reasons why I am
compelled to regard it as untenable. First,
1t would be doing exactly what Secretary
Gresham'S letter accuses the previous adj
ministration of doing. namely, interfering
by force to overthrow a friendly govern
ment. 1t is denied by Present Harrison,
Minister Stevens and others in p 'siti0n TO
konw that the Queen was deposed by Amer
contention that force was used to over
awe her supporters by the presence OF the
American marines; 1t IS clear beyond ques-
ton that the President would be doing the
very thing his Secretary condGmns so
strongly in the preceding administrators
Secondly, the hypothesis supposes that
Congress. would declare war against a
friendly power and in a manner which
al usage. 1t is a declaration of inteTna-
tional law, only violated by Savages or in
dealing with barbarians, that q declara-
ton OF war must precede the overt act Of
hostility, that 1t must be made TO the rep
resantative of the power to be attacked at
the capital of the attacking nation, and that
he be given time to settle his affairs and
turn over the interests of his legation and
the citizens OF his country to the represen-
tative Of some friendly government. as was
done by the German minister at Paris on
the declaration of war, when German in
terests were confided to the American min
lister. No such declaration has been made.
The accredited and accepted representative
of the Hawaiian government has received
no notice Of this runlored act of hostility
in time 10 inform his government. In fact,
the whole theory p-TeSuppoSeS d most vio-
lent and unprecedent5d act of aggression.
1T should be borne in mind that, what
ever may nave been the means adopted to
remove the Queen from the throne, the in
ternationa! status of the provisional gov
eminent is established beyond question. 1t
has received the recognition not only of the
foreign governments, but its representatives
have been received by us and ours b. il.
1t has all the rights of the most powerful
government on the face of the earth. If
there should be an attempt to land the
armed forces of the United States at Homo
lulu il would not only be the right but the
duty of the provisional government to draw
up it's forces at the landing place and at
tempt to arrest, seize and hold them. 1t
would be the unquestioned right of the pro-
viSional government to seize the person of
the Queen as an ally of the United States,
hold her as a hostage against aggression,
and, II they deemed 1t necessary, to put her
to death.
"I am not prepared to believe that the
President would either declare war without
the consent of Congress in violation Of the
Constitution or commit such an act OF
piracy as attacking and endeavoring to
overturn a friendly power without due and
formal notice to it's representatives"