Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-14
HAW ALAN 7 AL X.
Mr.. Vest Surprises the Senate by
Some of His Utterances.
NOT An ADMINISTRATION DEFENDER.
To Restore the Queen by Force an
Act of War.
MR.. STEVENS KED.
MR.. STEVENS ATTACKED.

=
The speech Of Mr.. Vest in the Senate yes
terday afternoon was not what has come of
late to be known as a cuckoo speech" by
any means. 1t was very evident from the
way in which the Senator from Missouri
took the floor to reply to Senator Frye that
he was not talking by the card. and that
his address was in the nature Of a surprise,
If not a disappointment, to the regular de-
tenders Of the administration. As soon as
Mr.. Frye had concluded, both Senators
Vest and Gray were on their feet. and
there was a pause of some moments before
the large man from the little state gave
way to the little man from the large state.
There was such a lack of concerted action
on the part Of the democratic Senators that
1t was rather In the nature of a surprise to
hear Mr.. Vest attack ex-Minister Stevens.
But he carefully defined his position at the
outset as not being that Of a defender Of
the administration. He confined himself
almost exclusively to a sectional arraisn-
ment of Mr.. Stevens and his friends, and
he went so far into the question of his mo-
tives that he accused him Of having fiaunt-
ed the traditional bloody shirt in Hawaii.
Incidentally. Mr.. Vest did a good deal Of
waving of that unpleasant garment him
self. and 1t is thought he thus paved the
way for some red-hot sectional speeches in
the future
Stealing Senator Gray's Thunder.
Senator Gray was perceptibly disturbed
when Mr.. Vest produced a document from
which he proceeded to draw a number of
so-called precedents for the appointment
OF Commissioner Blount. The Senator from
Delaware had provided himself with this
ammunition and had gone to the Capitol
primed with the purpose of defending the
administration from the charge of uncon-
stitutionality. and II was not pleasant for
argument that he had secured. The docu-
ment was Senate Miscellaneous 100. 1855,
the minority report Of the committee on for
eign relations. signed by Senators Morgan,
salisbury. Brown and Payne. in support of
the manner Of President Cleveland in his
negotiation Of the fisheries treaty. A list
OF some AS persons who had received COM
missions from the President and the Secre-
tary of State was therein given to carry
out the contention that those officials have
authority to appoint diplomatic agents with
out the consent Of the Senate.
Nor was the succeeding part OF Mr.. Vests
speech any more soothing to the soul of the
Senator from Delaware. Mr.. Vest qualified
his support of the administration to such
an extent that he practically condemned IL
under certain HYPOTHESIS that are pretty
WOuld ko4 -0oseoRe- the -ouoen ~
Force.
He said: Il do not understand that Mr.
Gresham, the Secretary Of State, meant that
armed force would be employed. He is an
eminent 1urist. He has just come from the
bench. After stating his profound convic-
ton. in which share, that the provisional
government Ia the result of a mercenary
conspiracy on the part Of few adventures
and that a majority of the people of the
Hawaiian Islands do not participate in it.
he simply puts a hypothetical question,
whether under the plainest principles of
equitable jurisdiction 1t would be our duty
as a great people to redress the wrong IL IL
had been committed and restore the status
quo. When the papers come in answer to
the resolution of the Senator from Massa-
chusetts We shall know. 1 trust. what in
structions were given to Mr.. Willis II IL
shall turn out that those Instructions were
to restore the queen by armed force no one
will deprecate II and no one will resist the
self.
That Would be an Act Of War.
II repeat that It would be an act of-war:
and 1t seems to me impossible that the Sec
rotary Of State and the President of the
United States should have come to the con-
clusion that without the action OF Congress
Il
derstand the position Of the administration
now as given In the instructions to Mr..
Blount. which I have read IT is simply a
repetition and Affirmation of the time honor
ed doctrine OF our country in every admin
istration. that We should not interfere I'm
the domestic affairs Of other people but
content ourselves with the plain right Of
every nation to protect the property and
persons OF its citizens who are RESIDING in
foreign country for legitimate ends.
Let Them Settle 1t Themselves.
IF I had the power 1 would withdraw
every shadow Of United States authority
from the Hawaiian Islands, except in so far
as it was necessary to protect under inter-
national law the property and persons of
American citizens legitimately residing
there l would leave the opposing factions
TO settle the question OF sovereignty for
themselves. There can be no solution of
this question SO absolute and Discriminate as
that which would then be had between the
adherents of Queen Liliuokalant and the
provisional government The doctrine of the
United States through all our history has
been that the people should determine their
own government-not the educated peonle
not the titled people, not the opulent people
but, under God, the people, rich and poor
high and low. / would leave 1t to the people
of those islands Of all classes who are legiti-
mate residents there and citizens to defer
mine this question for themselves Four our
government now to put back this woman
upon the throne, II the provisional govern
ment be de facto, Is an act of war and /
Will not believe that the President has con-
templated II. For us to take part with the
provisional government is to give proof that
the military authority of this government
Is to be used in doubtful issue By turning
the scales against an overwhelming popular
majority Of the people.
Let the Queen Look Out for Herself.
Either horn of that dilemma would de-
stroy our prestige as a great republic.
Either course would strike down the doc
trine Of popular sovereignty upon which our
government is established and upon which IL
must stand. II the queen have behind her
enough Of her people to put her back upon
the throne then the government of the
United States should recognize that as the
government de facto and de jure Of the
Hawaiian Islands. II she has not that pow
er then let her go down before the decree
Of the great tribunal to which all true
Americans bow In this land, and for which
the people pray throughout the world"
At the conclusion of Mr.. Vests remarks
Mr.. Gray made an abridged reference to the
document from which Mr. Vest had draw