Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-12-21
HAWAII AGAIN.
Special Message Of the President
to Congress.
The Whole Hawaiian Question Referred
to That Body How the Queen Was
Dethronei and the Provisional
Cover. Established.
The Presidents special Message.

president presented to them the long
promised special message on the Hawaii
an complication, The reading of the
document was attended to with the
closest attention in both houses and
many mem berS made frequent notes of
the salient points.
The message itself was as follows:
To the senate and hJus of representatives:
In my recent annual message to the congress
briefly referred TO nur relations with Hawaii
and expressed the inteation of transmitting
further information on the subject VIII addi
tonal advices permitted Though 1 am not
now alb to report a dcfnite change in the
actual situation, M convinced that the diff
culties lately created both here and in Hawaii
and now standing in the way of a solution
through executive action of the problem pre-
sented ren!er it proper and expedient that the
matter should be referred to the broader
thority and direction of congress. with full
eXpianl tion OF the endeavor thus far made to
deal with the emerg gsncr and statement Of
the considerations which have governed action
suppose that right and Justice should de-
termine the path to be followed in treating this
sutject. If nLtional honesty is to be direg arded
and desire for territorial extension. or dissat-
isfaction with a form OF government not our
own is to regulate our conduct, have entirely
m1Sapprehended the mission and character or
our government and the behavior which the
cons, ,ience of our people demand, of their pub
lie servants
When the present admins tration entered
upon it's duties the senate hai under conSidera-
tion a treaty providing for the annexation of
the Hawaiian islands to the territory of the
United States. Surely under our constitution
and laws he enlargement of limits is
manifestation of the highest attribute of sover-
eigntv and If entered upon as an executive act
all things relating to the transaction should be
clear and free from suspicion
Additional importance is attached to this
peculiar treaty Of annexation because it con-
tradition in providing for the addition to our
territory of islands of the sea more than 2,00j
miles removed from our nearest coast
These considerations might not of themselves
call for interference with the completion Of
treaty entered upon By a previ administra-
tion. But it appeared from the documents ac-
compan ling the treaty when submitted to the
senate that the ownership OF Hawaii was ten
dered to US by provisional government set up
to succeed the consti utional ruler of the ISL
ands, who had been dethroned, and it did not
appear that the provisional government had
the sanction OF either popular revolution or suf-
frage.
Two remarkable features of the transaction
naturally attracted attention. One the
traocd!nary haSte-not to preoipitancy-
charac tcrizing all the trans ictions connected
with Ihj treaty. II appeared that so-called
committee of s3fetV, oStensibly the source of
the revolt against the constitu ional govern
M mt of Hawaii, was organize on Saturday, the
18th dav OF Jauuar.'; that Monday, the 10Th.
the United States forces landed at
Honolulu from u naval vessel lying in it's har-
Dor: that on The 18th the scheme of provisional
government was perfected, and proclamation
nam ing its officer on the same da prepared
and re ID At the government buildings: that i'm
mediately thereupon the United States minister
recognized the provisional government thus cre-
atej. that two DAYS afterward, on the 10Th day
of January, commissioners representing such
government led for this country in steam
er especially chartered for the OCCASION arriv-
ing in San Francisco on the 18th day of Janu-
ary and in WASHINGTON the d day OF Febru-
ary; hat next daY they had their first in ter
view with the secretary of state and another
the llth when the treaty annexing the
islands was practically agreed upon. and that
on the 18th it formally concluded and on
the 10 h tran m tied to the senate
Thus between the initiation of the scheme
for provisional government in Hawaii on the
18th of ia uary and the submission TO the sem
ate OF the treat of anneXat on concl ded with
such .verement the entire interval was thir.
ty-two dAvs, fifteen OF which were srenl by the
Hawaiian commissioner, in their journey to
Wash ugton
II The next place, upon the face of the papers
suSinil.e with h treaty, it clearly appeared
thai tht re was open and undet termined an issue
of the most vial importance The message of
the president accompanying the treaty declared
that ''the ogerthrow of the monarchy was not
III any promoted this government" and
in y letter o the president from the secreJarg
OF state * su5Eit'c the senate with the
treaty the following passage occurred:
AT the time the provisional government took
possession OF the government buildings. no
troops or officers OF the United States were
present or took anv art whatever in the pro-
cee0ings NJ pubic recognition was accorded
10 the provisional government by the United
States minister until after the queens abdica-
tion aud when they were in effective possession
of the government buildings, the archives, the
treasury, the barracks. to police station and all
the potential machinery of the government"
But protest also accompanied SAID treaty,
signed by the queen and her ministers at the
time she made for the provisional govern
ment, which explicitly stated that she yielded
10 the superior force of the United States,
whose minister had caused United States
troops to be iAnied at Honolulu and declared
that he would support such provisional govern.
menL
The truth falsfty of this protest was surely
of the first importance If true, nothing but
the concealment of its truth could induce our
government to negotiate with the semblance OF
government thus created, nor could treaty
r,saliing from the acts stated in the protest
have been knowing gly deemed worthy OF consid
GRAFTON b the senate Yet the truth or falsi y
of the pro est had not been investigated.
1 conceived it to be nv duty, therefore, to
withdraw the treaty ffo m the senate for exam
inaiion ani me awhile u cause IN accurate
fu and impartial investigation TO be made OF
the facts attenting the subversion of the con
siitutional government OF Hawaii and the in
stallment in its place OF the provisional gov
ernment selected for the work Of investi
gauon Hon. James H BIount, of Geore la
whose service of eighteen years as a member
Of the house of representatives and whose
exp rierce chairman of the committee OF
foreign affair. in that body and his consequent
familiarity with international topics Joined
with is high character and honor BILE reputa
Ii, n se,. med render hun peculiarly fitted fol
the dutie $ intrusted to him His report detail
ing his action under the instructions given Il
him and the conclusions derived from h in
vestigAtion accompany this message
These conclusions do not rest for their &C
ceptanee entirely upon Mr.. Blounts honest.
and ability as a man nor upon his acumen ant
impartiality as an investigator They are &C
are based, which evidence is also herewith
other deductions could possibly be reache
than those arrived at by the commissioner.
The report, with its accompanying proof
congress or is herewith submitted. iustifes, Il
dent was led 10 submit the treaty to the senat
wi h the declaraj ajion THAT the overthrow of tn
monarchy net in any way promote b.
this government " and when the senate was IL
duce to receive and discuss it on that basi
both president ana senate were misled
Events that occurred during the tern
OF Mr.. Stevens as minister are her
related Tor the purcose OF uphoidin,
the presidents position that arme