The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-12-19

in danger of being robbed Of its SOW
ereignty by a misuse of power the
| United States cannot fail to vindicate
its honor and its sense CT justice by an
earnest effort to make all possible rep
aratiOn.
These principles apply to the present
! cause with irresistible force when the
special conditions of the queens sur
render of her sovereignty are recalled.
/ She surrendered not to the provisional
government but to the United States
surrendered not absolutely and perma-
nently, but temporarily and cOndi-
tionally till such times as the facts
could be reviewed by The Unlted
States. Furthermore. the provisional
government acquiesced in her surrender
in that manner and on those terms, not
only by tacit consent, but through
the positive acts of some members
! of the government who urged her
I peaceable submission, not merely to
avoid bloodshed. but because she could
place implicit reliance upon the justice
of the United States. and that the
whole subject would be finally consid-
cred at Washington.
| have not, however, overlooked an
incident of this unfortunate affair
which remains to be mentioned The
members of the provisional government
and their supporters, though not en-
titled to extreme sympathy have been
led to their present predicament of re-
volt against the government of the
queen by the indefensibIe encourage
ment and assistance of our diplomatic
representative. This fact may entitIe
them to claim that in every effort to
rectify the wrong of the committee
some regard should be had for their
safety- This sentiment is strongly sec
onued by my anxiety to do nothing
! Which would invite either harsh retalfa-
! M he
lence and bloodshed in any quarter.
! In the belief that the queen, as well
as her enemies, would be willing to
ADOPT such course as would meet
these conditions, and in view Of the
fact that both the queen and the
PROVISIONAL government had at
one time apparently acquiesced in the
reference of the entire case to the
United States government, and con-
Sidering the further fact that in any
event the present government, by its
own declared the limitation was ONLY
to exist until the terms of union with
the United States of America have
peen negotiated and agreed upon, I
hopeu that after the assurance to the
members of that government that such
union could not be consummated I
inlSnt compass peaceful adjustment
/ OF the difficulty. Actuated by these de-
SlreS and purposes, and not unmindful
OF the inherent perplexities of the situa-
tlon nor the limitations upon my power
instructed Minister Willis to advise
/ the queen and her supporters of nv
desire to aid in the restoration of the
STATUS existing before the IaWIess land
ing or the United States forces at Hon
,olulu on the 10th of January last. If
Such restoration could be effected upon
/ terinS providing for clemency as well
as justice to all parties concerned.
! c-r,r
INSTRUCTIONS show a CONTEMPLATED gen
eral amnesty to those concerned in the
making up of the provisional govern
ment and the recognition of all its
bona tlde acts and obligations. In
snort they require that the past should
be buried and the restored government
should resume it's authority as If its
continuity had not been interrupted.
These conditions have not proved ac-
ceptable to the queen and though she
has been informed they will be insisted
upon, and that unless acceded to the
efforts of the president to aid in the
restoration of her government will
cease.
1 have not thus for learned that she
was willing to yield to them her
acquieSeenee. The check which my
plans have thus encountered has pre-
vented their presentation to the MEM
berS of the provisional government.
while the unfortunate public nliSrepre-
sensations of the situation and exag-
gerated statements of the sentiments
of our people have obviously injured
the prospects of successful executive
meditation.
[ therefore submit this communica-
ton with the accompanying exhibits,
embracing Blount's report, the evil
dence and statements taken by him
at Honolulu. the instructions given
hot t0
and the correspondence connected with
the affair in hand. In commencing
this subject to the extended powers
and wise discretion of Congress I de-
sire to add the assurance that I shall
be much gratif1ed to cooperate in any
legislative plan which may be devised
for the solution of the problem before
us, which is consistent with American
honor integrity and morality.
GROVER CLEVELAND,
Executive Mansion, Washington,
Dec. Is. 1898.