The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-12-23
SENT . CON GR E 3 y !
The President Transmits g Mes
sage on Hawaiian Affairs. B.

/. An i EXPLANATION.


standing III the way OF solution through ex-
ecus!ve sctton Of the problem presented render
Il proper and oxpedjent that the matter should
DO referred to the broader authority and dts.
crehon Of congress- with full explanation OF
the endeavor. thus far made to deal with the
emergency, and = sta tement Of fhe. seonsidefa-
lions which have governed his actions.
II national honesty lie to be dtsreRarded and
desire for territorial extension, or dissattsfac-
ton with . form Of government not Our own,
ought to regulate our conduct, the president
says he has entirely Inexperienced the mis-
sion and character OF our government and the
behavior which the conscience Of our people
demands Of their public servants.
Speaking OF the pending annexation treaty be.
fore congress when he entered upon his duties
% president. he says 1t appeared, from the
documents accompanying the treaty when sub
rnitted to tho senate. that the ownership OF
Hawaii was rendered to US by provisional
government set up TO succeed the constitution.
al ruler of the islands, who had been dethroned,
and II did not appear that such provisional
government had the sanction OF either popular
revolution or suffrage
He then alludes to what he char&cterizes as
the extraordinary haste marking all the trans
actions connected with the treaty, stating
that between the initiation of tho scheme fora
provisional government in Hawaii on the 18th
day OF January and the submission TO the SEN
ate Of the treaty OF annexa ton concluded with
such government, the entire interval was thir-
ty-two days, fifteen OF which were spent by
the HaY allan commissioners in their journey
to Washington.
He says upon the face OF the papers submit
ted with the treaty, 1t clearly appeared that
there was open and undetermined an issue OF
fact Of the most. vital importance The mes.
sage accompanying the treaty declared that
"she overthrow OF the monarchy was not In
NJ rod on - and
In letter from the president. to the
secretary of state, the former had stated that
at the time the provisional government took
possession of the government buildings no
troops or officers of the United States were
present or took any part whatever in the pro-
ceedfngs, and that no public recognition was &C
corded to the provisional government by the
United States minister until after the Queen'a
abdication and when they were in effective pos
session of the government buildings, the ar
chlves the treasury, the barracks. the police
station, and all the potential machinery Of tho
government
But, President Cleveland says, . protest also
accompanied said treaty, signed by the queen
and her ministers at the time she made way
for the provisional government, which explicit
" stated that she yielded to the superior force
of the United States, whose minister had
caused United States troops to DO landed at
Honolulu and declared that he would support
such provisional government
The truth or falatty Of this protest the pres
dent regarded OF the arst importance and he
conceived 1t to be his duty to withdraw the
treaty from the senate for examination and
meanwhile to cause an accurate full and Inn
partial Investigation to be m4de Of the facts at
tending the subverslon OF the constitutional
government OF Hawaii, aud the 1nstallment In
ita place OF the provisional government
He selected for The work OF Investigation
James n. Blount, OF Georgia, who seemed to him
to be peculiarly fitted for the duties tntrusted
TO him. Mr.. Blounts report, toge Their with the
evidence upon which his conclusions were
based, and which accompanied the present mes
sage, seem to the president to leave no other
deductions possible than those arrived at by
the commissioners.
The president says Minister Stevens evidently
had Az ardent desire for annexation OF the
island, and was not inconveniently scrupulous
as to the means employed to that ehd. He
cites some Of Mr. Stevens declarations on the
subject before the first overt act was com
ttted as evidences of the truth OF this assertion.
Mr.. Cleveland concludes his message as fol-
lows:
1.-THE check which my plans have thus en-
countered has prevented their presentation to
the members OF the provisional government,
while the unfortunate public misrepresenta-
stons and exaggerated statements of tho sent-
ments Of our people have obviously injured the
prospects OF successful executive mediation
II therefore submit this coanauntca ton NTH
III accompanying exhibits, embracing Mr..
Blount's report, the evidence aud statements
taken by him At Honolulu. tho instructions
given to both Mr.. Blount and Minister Willis.
aud correspondence connected with the affair
in hand
"Iu commenting this subject to the extended
pow ers aud wide discretion ct che congress. 1
desire. to add the assurance that shall be
much grAsifed 10 cooDerato In any legislative
plan which may be devised for the solution ct
tho problem bsfore ~. which II oonsistent
VIA Americas honor, integrity aald morality"