Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1893-12-29

The President Lays the vexed Matter he
fore Conerese.

fore Congress.
The following is a synopsis OF Presi- b
dent Cleveland's Hawaiian message: ;
Though am not able 10 now report q n
definite change in the actual situation |
| am convinced the difficulties lately !
created both here and in Hawaii render :
it proper and expedient that the matter J
should be referred to the broader author !
ity and discretion of congress with full !
explanation of the endeavor thus far !
made to deal with the emergency, | :
suppose right and justice should deter {
mine the path to be followed in treating !
the subject. II national honesty is to be
disregarded and desire for territorial
extension or dissatisfaction with form ,
OF government not our own is to regulate ,
our conduct, | have entirely misappre-
hended the mission and character of our ,
government, and the behavior which the ,
conscience of our people demands OF
their public servants.
DEPARTURE FROM TRADITION.
"When the present administration en-
tered upon its duties the senate had I'M
der consideration treaty providing for
the annexation Of the Hawaiian Islands.
Additional Importance is attached to this
peculiar treaty of annexation, because it
contemplated departure from unbroken
American tradition in providing for add-
ton to our territory Of islands of the sea
more than two thousand miles removed
from our nearest coast. 1t appears from
documents accompanying the treaty
when submitted to the senate, that the
ownership of Hawaii was rendered us by
the provisional government which had
the sanction of neither popular revo-
luton nor suffrage of the people. Two
other remarkable features OF the trans |
action naturally attracted our attention. |
One was the extraordinary haste, not to |
say precpitancy, characterizing all the |
.. transactions connected with the treaty.
Between the initiation of the scheme of
the provisional government in Hawaii
r On the l4th Of January and the submits
sion to the senate of the treaty OF annex
alton there was only an interval OF thirty
two days, fifteen of which were spent by
Hawaiian commissioners journey to
Washington. In the next place upon
the face of the paper submitted with the
2 treaty it clearly appeared that there was
!. an open and undetermined issue of fact
/ OF the most vital importance. The mes
> sage Of the president accompanying the
? treaty declared that the overthrow of
e the monarchy was not in any way pro-
NOTED by this government.
:. WHY THE TREATY WAS WITHDRAWN.
g "a protest also accompanied the said
O treaty, signed by the queen and her
It ministers, which explicitly stated that
5 she yielded to the superior force OF the
a United States, whose minister had caused
United States troops to be landed at
~ Honolulu and declared he would support
!. such provisional government. The truth
or falsity of this protest WAS surely OF the
~ first importance. | conceived it to he
10 my duty, therefore, to withdraw the
n treaty from the senate for examination,
~ and meanwhile to cause an accurate, full,
impartial investigation to be made"
MIR. BLoUNT's REPORT.
70 The president then refers to the ap.
q pointment OF Blount and says his report
10 detailing his actions under instructions
"A given him and the conclusions derived
n from his investigations accompany this
n message. 1.-The conclusions do not rest
for their acceptance entirely upon
Blount's honesty and ability az a man,
Fl nor upon his acumen, and impartiality as
" an investigator. They are accompanied
u by the evidence upon which they are
O. based and from which it seems to me nc
as other deductions could possibly be
ne reached than those arrived at by the com
Gu missioner. The report with its accom-
panying proofs, and such other evidence
an as is now before congress or herewith
lis submitted, justifies, in my opinion TIM
he statement that when the president WA
Jet led to submit the treaty to the sehat
ay both the president and the senate wer
lie misled."
W STEVENS WAS TOO JEALOUS.
:. 1.-The annexation project WAS one zeal
RI ously promoted by the minister repre-
hu senting the United States in that com
q. Al. IA. hnr
ne nearly two months before the first over
ees act tending towards the subversou {
ne the Hawaiian government, he addresse
-"e long letter to the secretary of state, i
which annexation was deliberately al
to gued on moral, political and economics
Try grounds. To minister OF this tempe
a full of zeal for annexation, there SCENE
hid to arise in January, 1893, the precise OF
the portunity. We were quite prepared IL
md the exultant enthusiasm with which,
18th letter to the state department date
ce February l, 1898, he declares The III
It'll waiian pear is now fully ripe, and tn
as is the golden hour for the United State
,ec- to pluck it, As further illustration
hat the activity OF the diplomatic represent
ind tive, attention is called to the TACT that {
xty the day the above letter was write
in apparently unable to longer restrain h
pee ardor, he issued proclamation whereof
in the name of the United States
ono assumed protection of the Hawaiis
,va. Islands and declared that the said actit
= Is was taken pending and subject to n
mt gotiations at Washington or cour
,chs this assumption of protectorate W
riat promptly disavowed by our governmel
,d a but the American flag remained over t
nod government building at Honolulu, Al
forces remained on guard until April Al
after Blount's arrival on the scene, VIII
y. both were withdrawn"
= III THE QUEENS OVERTHROW.
, nas' The president then reviews the circu
was stances of the overthrow of the que
voc and the establishment OF the provision
x"oI, government. As to the landing of troo
''o the president says: "If any peril to |
and property calling for any such mart
tha' array had existed, Great Britain a
SET other foreign powers interested wo'
rev rev, not have been behind the United Sta
wiz in activity to protect their citizens. III
se1 it appears that Hawaii was taken poss
Root o,,. ,ba oonssnt or wishes NJ the COVE
81 ment of the island or of anybody el
so far as shown, except the United Sta
,bert minister. Therefore the military oc
/. o. patton OF Honolulu by the United Sta
that was wholly without justification, cit
the as occupation by consent or necessita
re- by dangers threatening American
don't and property. When our minister rec
l.