Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-12-28
THU MESSAGE ON HAW All
THE HAWIIAN NATTER NOW IN
THE HANDS CT CONGRESS-.
The President Gives an Ixha astive
Review of the Situation in Hawaii
"A Recital Of the Facts in the Case
Based ON DlOunt'n RepOrt-A Brief
Synopsis of the Messag.


Synopsis of the Messag.
Washington Dec. 1S.-When congress
met ut noon to-day the presidents mes
sage in regard to the Hawaiian difficulty
was received and read. 1t was as fol
lows:
10 the Senate and House of Represent
ativeS: In my recent annual message to
the congress 1 briefly referred to our re-
latiOns with hawaii and expressed the i'll
tentlon OF transmitting further informa-
vices permitted. Although l am not able
to now report u definite change in the
actual situation, l am convinced that the
difficulties lately created, both here and in
Hawaii, and now standing in the way OF
solution through executive action Of
the problem presented, render it proper
and eXpCdlent that the matter should De
referred to the broader authority and
direction OF Congress-.
with full explanation of the cndcavor
thus far made to deal with the emergen-
cy and statement of the considerations
which have governed my action
l suppose that right and justice should
determine the path, to be followed in
treating this subject If national homes
ty is to be disregarded and desire for
territorial extension, where dissatisfaction
with Il form of government not our own Is
10 fcSulIlc our COlluuCt, nave culiIclS
Inexperienced the mission and charac-
ter of our government and the behavior
which the conscience of our people de-
mands of their public servants.
When the present administration on
tered upon it's duties the senate had I'M
der consideration !; treaty providing for
the annexation of the Hawaiian islands
to the territory of the United States.
Surely, under the constitution and laws,
the enlargement of our limits is Il mani
fcstation of the highest attribute Of SOY
creignty. and if entered upon us an exec
utive act, all things relating to the trans
action should be clear and tree from sus-
picior.
Additional Importance is attached to
this peculiar treaty of annexation be-
cause it contemplated a departure from
unbrokcn American tradition i'll pro.
viding for the addition of territory Of
islands of the sea more than 1000 miles
removed from our nearest coast.
These considerations might not of
themselves call for interference with
the completion of a treaty entered upon
by a previous administration. But it
appeared from the documents accom-
panying the treaty when submitted to
the senate that the ownership of
Hawaii Was rendered to Us
by provisional government set up to
succeed the constitutional ruler of the
islands, who had been dcthrOned, and
did not appear that such provisional gov
eminent had the sanction Of either pop
ular revolution of suffrage. Two other
remarkable features of the transaction
naturally attracted attention. One was
the extraordinary hhStc-not to say prccl-
lions connected with the treaty. 1t APP
I'rarrd that Il so-called committee of
safety. oStensibly the source of the re-
volt against the constitutional govern
mrnt of Hawaii. was organized on Sac
urday. the 14lh day Of January: that On
Monday. the 10th. the United States
forces were landed at Honolulu from
on the 18th the scheme Of Il provisional
government was perfected, and Il procla-
nation naming its officers was on the
same day prepared and read at the gov
eminent buildings: that Immediately
1hcrrupon the United States minister
recognized the provisional government
thus created; that two days aftcrward.
Oh the 18th day Of January. commission
crs representing such government sailed
for this country i'll It steamer especially
chartered for the occasion, arriving in
San Francisco on the 18th day Of .lanu-
AIRY. and in Washington on the I'd day of
February: that next day they had their
first interview with the secretary of
state and another on the 11,h. when
practically agreed upon. and that on the
18th it was formally concluded. and on
the 10Th
Transmitted to the senate
Thus between HE initiation Of the
scheme for The provisional government
in Hawaii on the 18th Of january and
the submission TO the senate Of the
entire treaty Of annexation. concluded
with such government. the entire inter
val WAS thirty-two days. fifteen Of
which We're spent by the Hawaiian com
InisSoncrs in the journey to Washington.
In the next place. upon the face Of the
papers submitted with the treaty. il clear
" appeared that there was open and de-
termined an issue Of The NEST vital i'm
pOrtancc. The Ines-Iy" Of the president
accompanying the treaty declared that
''the overthrow IF the monarchy was not
in any way promoted by this govern
mcnt," and in q letter from the president
from the secretary Of state. also sub
United to the senate with the treaty, the
following passage occurred:
'At the time the provisional govern
ment took possession Of the government
buildings no troops or officers Of the
United States We're present or took any
part whatever in tn" prorec iings.
No Public Recognition.
was accorded to th. provisional govern
lnent by the American minister until
after the queens abdication. and when
they were in effective possession OF the
government buildings. til. archives, the
treasury. the barracks. the police sta
ton and all the potential machinery Of
the government.
But a protest also accompanied said
treaty, signed by the queen and her
ministers at the time she made way
for the prov isional government. which
explicitly stated that she yielded TO The
superior force Of the United Safes.
whose minister had caused United
States troops to h. landed at Honolulu.
and declared that he would support
surf provisional government.
The truth or falsity of this protest
was surely of the first Importance If
true. nothing but the c6nccalMcnt of its
truth could induce our government to
negotiate with the serblanc' Of a gov
| eminent thus created. nor could 4 treaty
resulting from the acts stated IN the pro-
test have been knowingly decmc', worthy
of consideration by the senate. Yet the
truth or falsity of the protest had not
| been investigated. I conceived it my
duty. therefore. to withdraw the treaty
from the senate for examination. to
cause an accurate. full and impartial in
vestigation TO he made Of the facts at
| tending the subyersion of the rOnstitu-
| tional government Of Hawaii aud the in
| stallment in its place of the provisional