The Portland daily press., 1893-12-19
GROVER And LII.
Continued from First Page.

themselves call for interference with the
completion of treaty entered upon by
previous administration, but it APP
peared from the documents accompanying
the treaty when submitted to the Senate
that the ownership of Hawaii was
rendered to US by provisional govern
ment setaup to succeed the constitutional
ruler of the island who had been de-
throned, and it did not appear that such
provisional government had the, san 1ion
either of popular revolution or suffrage.
Two other remarkable features of the
transaction naturally attracted attention.
One was as to the extraordinary haste
not to say precipitancy, charaterizing all
the transactions connected with the
treaty. 1t appeared that so-called COM
mittee of safety ostensibly the source
of the revolt against the constitutional
government OF Hawaii, was organized on
Saturday, the 18th day of January; that
ON Monday, the 10th, the United States
forces. were landed at Honolulu from a
naval vessel lying in it's harbor; that ON
the 18th the scheme of a provisional
government was perfected, and procla-
nation naming it's officers was on the
same day prepared and read at the gov
eminent building; that Immediately
thereupon the United States minister
recognized the provisional government
thus created; that two days afterwards,
on the Gth day of January, commission
ers representing such government sailed
for this country III steamer especially
chartered for the occasion, arriving in
San Francisco ON the 28th day of Janu-
airy, and in Washington on the third
day of February; that on the next day
they had their first interview with the
Secretary of State, and another on the
18th, when the treaty of annexation was
practically agreed upon, and that on the
18th it was formally concluded, and on
the 18th transmitted to the Senate.
Between the initiation of the
scheme for provisional government in
Hawaii on the 14th day OF January and
the submission to the Senate of the
treaty of annexation concluded with
such government, the entire interval was
81 days, IS of which were spent by the
Hawaiian commissioners in the journey
to Washington. In the next place upon
the face Of the papers submitted with
the treaty it clearly appeared that there
was open and undetermined an issue of
fact of the most vital Importance. The
message of the President accompanying
the treaty declared that the overthrow
OF the monarchy was not in any way
promoted by this government" and in
a letter to the President from the Secre-
tary of State also submitted to the
Senate with the treaty the following
passage occurs: Eat the time the pro-
visional government took possession of
the government buildings no troops or
officers of the United States were pres MT
or. took any part whatever. in the pro-
ceedings. No public recognition was ac-
corded to the provisional government by
the United States minister until after
the Queens abdication, and when they
were in effective possession of the govern
ment buildings, the archives, the
treasury, the barracks, the police
station, and all the potential machinery
of the government" But a protest also
accompanied said treaty, signed by the
made way for the provisional govern
ment. which explicitly stated that she
yielded to the
Superior Force of the United States,
whose minister had caused United
States. troops to be landed at Honolulu,
and declared that he would support such
provisional government. The truth or
falsity of this protest was surely of the
first Importance. If true, nothing but
the concealment of its truth could induce
the govern ment to negotiate with the
sem blance of government thus created,
or couid a treaty resulting from the
acts stated in the protest have been
knowingly deemed worthy of considera-
tion by the Senate Yet the truth or
falsity of the protest had not been in
yestigated.
I conceived it my duty, therefore, to
withdraw the treaty from the Senate for
examination and meanwhile to cause an
accurate, full sand impartial investiga-
ton to be made of the facts attending
the subversion of the constitutional gov
eminent of Hawaii and the instalment in
it's place of the provisional government.
| selected for the work of investigation
the Hon. James HI. Blount, OF Georgia,
whose service of eighteen years as "a
member of the House of Representatives
and whose experience as chairman of the
committee of foreign affairs in that body
and his consequ ent familiarity with in
ternational topics, joined with his high
character and honorable reputation,
seemed to render him peculiarly fitted
for. the duties intrusted to him. His re-
port detailing his action under the in
stru Lotions given to him and the conclu-
sions derived from this investigator ac-
company this message.
These conclusions do not rest for their
acceptance entirely upon Mr.. Blount's
honesty.and ability as man, nor upon
his acumen and impartiality as an inter-
viewer. They are accompanied by the
evidence upon which they were based,
which evidence is also herewith trans
m1UUeQ, ana from WHICH 10 seems TO me
no other deductions could possibly be
reached than those arrived at by the
commissioner.
The report, with its accompanying
proofs, and such other evidence has is
now before Congress, or is herewith SUBJ
mitted, justifies, in my opinion, the
statement that when the President was
led to submit the treaty TO the Senate
with the declaration that " the overthrow
of the monarchy was not in anyway
promoted 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.
The attempt will not be made in this
communication to touch upon all the
facts which throw light upon the pro-
gress and contamination of this scheme
Of annexation. A very brief and imper-
feet reference to the facts and evidence
will Exhibit it's character and the
incidents in which it had it's birth. 1t
is unnecessary to set forth the reasons
which in January, 1888, led a consider
able proportion of American and other
forei gn merchants and traders residing
at Honolulu, to favor the annexation Of
Hawaii to the United States. 1t is
sufficient to note the fact and to observe
that the project was one which was
zealously promoted by the minister repre-