St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-31
Small Fry Of the House For
eign Affairs Committee
NOW AIR THEIR GRIEVANCES.
Cleveland's Action in the Ha-
Waiian Throne Muddle
CONDEMNED BY REPUBLICANS.
Contrary to the Policy and
Tradition Of the Republic,
AID 1T rs "RC G00D, R0E0M. ="

WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. 30.-The
Republican members of the foreign at
fairs committee have completed the mi
nOrity report or the resolutions present
ed by Chairman McCreary on the day
congress adjourned, as substitute for
the Hit resolution. The report was
prepared by Mr.. Storer. of Ohio, and is
signed by Messrs. Hit, Harmer, Blair,
Draper and Van Forhis, of New York
it is very voluminous. and goes in detail
Into the whole history OF Mr.. Blount's
appointment as commissioner para
mount and the course of the admins.
tration.
When President Cleveland was inau-
Eurated March 4, 1893. says the report,
the Hawaiians were under the sover-
elgn control of republican govern
ment already recognized not only by
the United States, but by every civil
lied nation. This government was in
name provisional, but in fact was to
remain in existence for an indefinite
period, until the time when terms of
union with the United States should
have been agreed upon. The minister
plenipotentiary Of the United States to
Hawaii was in person at his post, and
the senate of the United States was in
session. The president sent to the sem
ate the name of Mr.. Gresham as secre-
tary OF state. and that body on March
confirmed the appointment. 1t was at
that time publicly stated, though as yet
not officially known. that James M.
Blount started from Washington on
March on a mission to the Hawaiian
islands with verbal
SECRET INSTRUCTIONS
from the president. If this be true, his
subsequent written instructions, not
made public until November last, must
have been forwarded to Mr.. Blount
after his departure from Washington,
as they bear date March II. The treaty
sent TO the senate by the outgoing ad-
minislratlon on Feb. II was withdrawn
by the president on March 9. between
the time of Mr.. Biount's departure and
the date of his written instructions.
Then follow copies of the instructions
to Mr.. Blount, with Mr.. Cleveland's
greeting TO President Dole. The narra-
tive then proceeds to relate Mr.. Blount's
action in hauling down the American
flag and the Investigation which he
made. 1t then discusses at length the
Presidents power to appoint q diplo-
matte officer armed with powers given
TO Mr.. Blount without the consent of
the senate.
This, the report says, covers all that
is needed to show how the president
Ignored the plain language of tine con-
stitution. He has assumed to appoint
of his own volition, without the advice
of the senate, diplomatic officer
WITH PARAMOUNT POWERS.
To try to argue that Mr.. Blount was
not diplomatic officer of the United
STATES. but only "my special commits
Bioner," is idle. That would be to
sacrifice substance to form; to make the
bare title everything and the real facts
nothing. The powers assumed to be
granted constitute the real test of the
character of an agent. The minister of
the United States at that ime at Ha-
waii mad been appointed under the con-
Btitutiou by the president and confirmed
by the senate. He had never been re-
moved. Leaving our minister nominally
in charge of the routine functions, the
president sends high diplomatic officer,
Belected by himself alone. Should
the advocates of the presidents
policy try to defend his action by
claiming that MIR. Blount was only a
personal agent, and not public officer,
they must ignore the fact that Mr..
Blount was given supreme command of
both our navy and our flag. Can any
one say,that either of these was the
presidents own property, or that he
could delegate any personal power over
them? If Mr.. Blount was only the
presidents personal representative he
was not protected by the rights of am
bassadorS. What would have been the
result had Mr.. Blount, while in Hawaii,
been arrested and imprisoned? Would
any man now seeking under this sub
terfuge to be the presidents apologist
have refrained from claiming that the
United States
HAD BEEN OUTRAGED
In the person of q diplomatic repre-
sentative? The president left entirely,
tD the words of his instructions, to 1.-THE
good Judgment and wise discretion'' of
MI. Blount the details of execution of
his delicate and confidential mission" )"
MI Willis, a diplomatic officer duly
confirmed by the senate. was ''to be
guided largely by his own good judg-
ment." If there be any difference in
this granting OF powers so as to leave
Mr.. Blount personal representative
and Mr.. Willis diplomatic minister, it
is only that the widest powers are
granted to that agent in whose appoint
ment the senate has not been consulted.
The appointment by the president alone
of commissioner with diplomatic DOW
erS, as i'll the present case, if it be justi-
fed or allowed by the constitution.
oughtto have many precedents. Our
diplomatic history is full Of critical
times,.o delicate questions, of response
bilities brayely accepted. No precedent
for such an appointment has been
pointed out. and prolonged research on
our part fails to find one that can iustify
the presidents action.
Then follows a discussion of the
precedents cited in Justification of Mr..
Cleyeland's course. covering practically
the same ground traversed by Senator
Hoar III his speech in the senate on the
came subject.
NO PRECEDENT EXISTS
Tor a president alone to appoint