The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-20

for the annexation OF the Hawaiian islands
TO the territory Of the United States. sure
y under our constitution and laws the en-
largement of our limits is a manifestation
of the highest tribute of sovereignty,
ana, n entered upon as an eAecutlFe acL
al things relating TO the uans1ctl lons
should be clear and free from suspicion
Additional importance is attached TO this
peculiar treaty Of annexation because II
CONTEMPLATED a departure from unbrolxen
American tradition in providing for the
addition to our territory of Islands OF the
sea more than two thousand miles re-
moved from our nearest coast. These con-
iderations might not OF themselves call
~ Interference with the completion OF
'eaty entered upon by previous auinlh-
stration. But it appeared from the docu-
anents accompanying the treaty when sub
mitted to the senate, that the ownership or
Hawaii was rendered to us by a provi-
constitutional ruler of the islands who had
been dethrOned. and it did not appear that
such provisional government had the sane
ton of either popular revolution or suf-
frage.
Two Remarkable Features.
Two other remarkable features of the
transaction naturally attracted attention.
One was the extraordinary haste-n0t to
say precipitancy-char all the
transactions connected with the treaty. 1t
appeared that a so-called committee of
safety. ostenslbly the source Of the revolt
against the constitutional government of
Hawaii. was organized on Saturday, the
the 18th day of January; that on Monday,
the 10th. the United States forces were
landed al Honolulu from a naval vessel
lying in its harbor; that on the 18th the
scheme Of a provisional government was
perfected and a proclamation naming its
officers was on the same day prepared and
read at the government buildings; that
Immediately, thereupon, the United States
lr - recognized .sEG Erpvisi0pa1 garern-.
ment thus created; that two DAYS after
ward, on the 18th day Of January, COM
mlSsioners representing such government
sailed for this country in a steamer es
pecially chartered for the occasion, arriv-
ing in San Francisco on the 2sth day OF
day OF February; that next day they had
their first interview with the secretary OF
treaty anneXing the islands was pract-
cally agreed upon, and that upon the l4th
it was formally concluded, and on the 18th
transmitted 10 the senate.
Thus between the initiation of the
scheme for provisional government in
Hawaii on the 18th day of January, and
Tia ef1hp,{ecior 10 the senate of the traa ~
O. annexation, concluded with such gov
eInment the entire interval was thirty
the Hawaiian commissioners in their jour
ney to Washington. In the next place,
upon the face Of the papers submitted with
the treaty, IL clearly appeared that there
was open and undetermined, an issue OF
fact Of the most vital Importance. The
message of the president accompanying
-
the monarchy was not in any way pro-
NOTED 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 occurs:
AT the time the provisional government
took possession OF the government build
ings no troops or officers of the United
States were present. or took any part
whatever in the proceedings No Dfhlic
recognition was accorded to the provisional
government by the United States minister
until after the queens abdication, and
when they were in effective possession Of
the government buildings, the archives, the
treasury the barracks, the police station
and all the. potential machinery Of 2
government"
Protest by the Queen.
But a protest also accompanied said
treaty signed by the queen and her minis
ters at the time she made way for the
provisonaI government which explicitly
stated that she yielded to the superior
force Of the United States whose minister
had caused the United States troops to be
landed at Honolulu and declared that he
would support such provisional govern
ment The tru or falsity of this protest
was surely OF the first Importance II
true, nothing but the concealment of its
truth could induce our government to ne
gotiate with the semblance of a govern
ment thus created, nor could a treaty re-
sulting from the acts stated in the protest
have been knowingly deemed worthy of
considera ton by the senate. Yet the
truth or falsity of the protest had not been
investigated.
TO withdraw the treaty from the senate
for examination, and, meanwhile to cause
an accurate fun and impartial investiga-
ton to be made of the facts attending the
subversion of the constitutional govern
ment of Hawaii and the installment in its
place Of the provisional government. I
selected for the work Of investigation the
Hon. James II. Blount OF Georgia. whose
service OF eighteen years as a member of
the house or representative, and whose
experience as chairman Of the committee
of foreign affairs IN that body and his
consequent familiarity with interna tionaI
fopics ioined with HIS bieb cbara cfsr - "a
honorable reputation. seemed to render him
peculiarly fitted for the duties intrusted 10
him. His report detailing his action under
the instructions given him. and the con-
clusiOns derived from his Investigation ac-
company this message
President and Senate MisIed.
These conclusions do not rest for their
acceptance entirely upon Mr.. Blount's
honesty and ability as a man nor upon his
acumen and impartialty as an iavesti-
gator. They are accompanied By the evil
dence which they are based, which
evidence is also herewith transmitted. and
from which. it seems to me, no other de-
ductions could possibly be reached than
those arrived at by the commissioner. The
report. with it's accompanying proofs. and
such other evidence as is now before the
congress. OF is herewith submitted iustines
IN my opinion, the statement that when
the president was led TO submit the treaty
70 the senate with the declaration that
"the overthrow of the monarchy was not
In any way promoted by this government"
and when the senate was induced to re-
ceive and discuss II on that basis both
president and senate were misled. The at
tempt will not be made I'm this communi-
cation 10 touch upon all the facts which
throw light upon the progress and con-
summation of this scheme of annexation.
A very brief and imperfect reference to
the facts and evidence at hand win ex-
hibit its character and the incidents In
which IL had its birth. 1t Is unnecessary