Huntsville gazette., 1893-12-23

citizens of the United States But there Is no
pretease OF any such consent on the part of the
government OF the queen. which at that time
was undisputed and was both the de facto and
the de Jure government. There is as little ba-
Sis Tor the pretense that such forces were
landed for the security Of American life aud
property II so they would have been stationed
| IN the vicinity OF such property and so as to
protect It instead of at distance, and so TO
command the Hawaiian government building
and palace
WHOLLY WITHOUT JUSTIFICATION.
Thus 1t appears that Hawaii was taken pos
session or by the United States forces without
the consent or wish of the government of the
Islands or OF any body else so far as shown ex-
| cept by the United States minister. Therefore
the military occupation of Honolulu by the
United States on the day mentioned was wholly
without justification either as an occupation
| Dy consent or rs an occupation necessitated by
dangers threatening American life and prop
| erty.
| The United States forces being now on the
scene and favorably stationed, the committee
| OF safety proceeded to carry out their original
| scheme. They met the next morning (T'ues-
day the nth and perfected the plan OF tenn
porary government Between and 9 O'Clock
they proceeded to the government building to
procialm the new government No sign of op-
| position was manifest. and thereupon an Amer
| lean citizen read the proclamation from the
| steps OF the government building almost en-
tlreiy without auditors The one controlling fac
| tor in the whole affair was unquestionably the
United States marines, who, drawn up under
| arms and with artillery in readiness only
| seVenty-five yards distant, dominated the sit
| uation.
| The provisional government thus proclaimed
! was. by the terms of the proclamation, ito
| exist until terms OF union with the United
States had been negotiated and agreed upon. -
| The United States minister, pursuant to prior
| agreement, recognized this government within
an hour after the reading of the proclamation,
and before o. clock, in answer to a n inquiry on
| behalf of the queen and her cabinet announced
| that he had done
| NEITHER DE FACTo NOR DE JURE
| .....e
| slonal government the only basis upon which
| it rested was the fact that the committee OF
| safety had, in the manner above stated de.
| clared ii to exist 1t was neither q goyernmeut
! possession of the government property and
| agencies as entitled it to recognition. Is con-
cluslvely proved by note found in the files OF
! the legation at Honolulu addressed by
| the declared head OF the provisional
government to Minister Stevens dated
ssRuory = witS IN which he
preciation the minister's recognition OF the
| provisional government, and states that it is
| not yet in the possession of the station house
| (the place where a large number OF the queens
| troops were quartered) though the same had
| been demanded OF the queens officers in
| charge. Nevertheless this wrongful recogni-
| tion by our minister placed the government OF
| the queen in position of most perilous per-
| plexity. She knew that she could not with
stand the power q the United States, but
| she believed that she might safely trust to It's
| justice. Accordingly some hours after the rec
| ogDition of the provisional government by the
| Unlued States minister, the palace. the bar
| racks and the police station, with all the mili-
| tary resources of the country, were delivered
| up by the queen upon the representation made
| to her that her cause would thereafter be re-
| viewed at Washington, and while protesting
| that she surrendered 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 the pro.
| visional government. and that she yielded her
| authority to prevent collision OF armed
forces and loss OF life ana only until
| facts being represented to it, should undo the
| action of its representative and reinstate her
| in the authority she claimed as. the constitu
| tional sovereign OF the Hawaiian islands The
| provisional government with this unanswered
| protest in its hand hastened to negotiate with
the United States for the permanent Danish
| ment OF the queen from the power and for II
| sale of her kingdom L believe that a candid
and thorough examination OF the facts will
| force the conviction that the provisional gov
/ ernment owes its existence to an armed in
vasion by the United States.
| THE CONDITIONS AS THEY STAND.
AS l apprehend the situation. we are brought
| face to face with the following conditions:
The lawful government OF Hawaii was over
| thrown without the drawing OF sword or the
| firing of shot; by a process. every step of
which, it may safely be asserted, is directly
| traceable to and dependent for It's success upon
the agency of the United States, acting through
its diplomatic and naval representatives.
! But for the notorious predictions OF the
|
| committee Of safety, which should be called
| the committee OF annexation, would never have
| existed.
| But for the landing Of the United States
| forces upon false pretexts respecting the dan
! ger to life and property. the committee would
never have exposed themselves to the pains
! ana penalties of treason by undertaking the
| subTersion of the queens government
! But for the presence of the United States forces
! in the immediate vicinity and in position to
| afford all needed protection and support, the
committee would not have proclaimed the pro-
visional government from the steps OF the gov
| ernment building.
| Finally but for the lawless occupation OF
! Honolulu under false pretexts by the United
! States forces and but for Minister Stevens
| recognition of the provisional government
when the United States forces we're its sole
| support and constituted its only military
| strength, the queen and her government would
never have yielded 10 the provisional govern
! ment even for time and for the sole purpose
] of submitting her case to the enlightened JUS
! tice of the United States
| THE TREATY WILL NOT BE RESUBMITTED.
Believing therefore, that the United States
could not. under the circumstances disclosed
| annex the islands without justly mourning the
| imputation Of acquiring them by unJuStlhable
| methods l shall not again submit the treaty
of annexation to the senate fol us cons1dera a
| tion and in the instructions to Minister Will
| lis q copy OF which accompanies this message
/ have directed him to so inform the provision
al government.
| in my opinion end with refusing to consum-
| mate this questionable transaction. 1t has
! been the boast of our government that IL seeks
| to do Justice in all things without regard TO
the strength or weakness OF those with whom
| it deals.
| By an act of war. committed with the par
/ ticipation Of diplomatic representative OF the
! United States and without authority OF con-
! gress the government of a feeble but friendly
| and confding people has been oyerthrown: a
| substantial wrong has thus been done
| which due regard for national
| character as well as the rights of the
| injured people requires we should
endeavor to repair. The provisional govern
| meut has not assumed a republican or other con-
| stitutional form. but has remained a mere
! executive council or oligarclly, set up without
| the assent Of the people, 1t has not sought 20
! find permanent basis OF popular support ana
has given no evidence OF an intention TO 90 SO
| Indeed the representatives, OF that government
| assert that the peopie of Hawaii are unit Tor
| nonIllar government and frankly avow that
| thev can be best ruled by arbitrary or despotlc
| power
| PREPARATION THE ONLY COURSE
The United States can not properly be put IN
| the position of countenanc1ng wrong alter
| its commission any more than in that OF con-
/ senting to it in advance. On that ground IL can
| not allow itself to refuse to redress an injury
| inflicted through an abuse of power by otncers
| clothed with its authority and wearing lts UNI
| form: and on the same ground, II feeple nut
! friendly state is in danger Of being roooed OF
! its independence and its sovereignty by mis-
! use of the name and power OF the Cnted
|