The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-12-19
CbEVELAND'S HAWAIIAN MESSAGE.

eminent the entire interval was of
thirty-tWo days. fifteen of which was
spent by the Hawaiian commissioners
in their journey to Washington
In the next place, upon the face of
the paper submitted with the treaty,
it clearly appeared there was open and
undetermined in issue a fact of the
most vital Importance. The message of
the president accompanying the treaty
declared that the overthrow of mon
archy was not in any way promoted
by this government" and in a letter
to the president from the secretary of
state, also submitted to the Senate
with the treaty, the following passage
occurred:
"At the time the provisional govern
ment took possession of the govern
ment building, no troops or officers of
the United States were present, or took
any part whatever in the proceedings.
no public recognition was accorded TO
the provisional government by the Unit
ed States minister until after the
queen abdication. and when they were
in effective possession of the govern
ment buildings. the archives, treasury,
barracks, police station and all poten-
tial machinery of the govel nment."
But a protest also accompanied the
said treaty, signed by the queen and
her ministers, at the time she made
which explicitly stated she yielded to
the superior force of the United States.
whose minister had caused the United
States troops to be landed at Homo
lulu, and declared he would support
such provisional government. The
truth or falsity of this protest was
surely of first Importance. If true,
nothing but the concealment of its
truth could induce our government to
ia Ia f11a hi 1f
eminent thus created. Nor could a
treaty resulting from the acts stated
in protest have been knowingly deemed
worthy Of consideration by the Senate.
1t Needed Investigation.
Yet the truth or faIsity of THE pro-
test had not been investigated. I con-
ceived it to be my duty, therefore, to
withdraw the treaty from the Senate
for examination and meanwhile TO
cause an accurate, full, impartial in
vestigation to be made of the facts
attending the subversion of the con-
Stitutional government of Hawaii, and
the installment in its place of a pro-
viSiOnal government l selected for
the work of investigation, Hon. James
Ii. Blount, Of Georgia, whose service
Of eighteen years as a member of the
experience as chairman of the commit
tee on foreign affairs in that body, and
his consequent familiarity with inter
national topics, joined with his high
character and honorable reputation
seemed to render him peculiarly fitted
for the duties entrusted to him. His re-
port detailing his action under the in
StructionS given him, and the conclu-
sions derived from his investigation &C
company this message. THESE conclu-
sions do not rest for their acceptance
entirely upon Blount's honesty anA
ability as man, nor upon his acumen
and impartiality as an investigator.
They are accompanied by evidence up
on which they are based, which evil
7ence is also herewith transmitted, and
from which it seems to me no other
deductions could possibly be reached
than those arrived at by the commits
sioner.
The report with its accompanying
proofs, and such other evidence as is
now before Congress are herewith sub
nitted, justify, in my opinion, the
statement that when the president was
lead to submit a treaty to the Senate
with the declaration that the overthrow
of the monarchy was not in way pro-
NOTED by this government" and when
the Senate was induced to receive and
discuss it on that basis, both the
president and the Senate were misled
An attempt will not be made, in
this communication, 70 touch upon all
the facts which throw light upon the
progress and conSumma ton of this
scheme of annexation; very brief and
imperfect reference TO the facts and
the evidence at hand will exhibit its
character and the incidents in which
it had it's birth.
1t is unnecessary to set forth the
reason which on January, 1893, led a
considerable portion Of the American
and other foreign merchants and
traders residing at Honolulu to favor
the annexation of Hawaii to the United
States. It is sufficient to note the
fact and observe that the project was
one zealously promoted by the minis
ter representing the United States in
that country. He evidently had an
ardent desire that it should become
a fact accomplished by his agency, and
during his ministry, and he was not
inconveniently scrupulOus as to the
means employed to that end.
Stevens Pleads for Sugar.
On the 18th day of November, 1892,
nearly two months before the first
overture, tending towards the subver-
sion OF the Hawaiian government, and
the attempted transfer of the Hawaiian
territory to the United States, he adj
dressed long letter to the secretary
of state, in which the case for an
nexation was deliberately argued, on
moral, political and economical
grounds. He refers to the loss to the
Hawaiian sugar interests from the
operation of the Mckinley bill and the
tendency to a still further depreciation
of sugar property unless some posi-
tive measure of relief are granted.
He strongly inveighs against the ex-
listing Hawaiian government and
emphatically declares for annexation.
He says: In truth. monarchy here
is an absurd anachronism. II has
nothing on which it logically or legiti-
mately stands. The feudal basis on
which it once stood, no longer existing,
monarchy now is only an impeachment
to good government and an obstruc-
ton to the property and progress OF
the islands.
He further says: "As a crown colony
of Great Britain, or territory of the
tons could be made readily and good
administration of law secured. The
destiny and vast future interests of the
United States in the Pacific clearly in
dictate who at no distant day may be
responsible for the government OF
these islands. Under a territorial
government they could be as easily
governed as any of the existing terri
tories of the United States. Hawaii
has reached the parting OF the ways
She must now take the road which
leads to Asia or the other which out
lets her in America Give her Ameri-
can civilization and bind her to the
care of American destinyr' He also
declares: Zone of two courses seems tC
me absolutely necessary to be followed
Either bold and vigorous measures
for annexation, or customs union, an
ocean cable from the California coast
to Honolulu, Pearl harbor perpetuaIly