Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-12-21
HAWAIIAN MESSAGE.
The President Furnishes Congress
with His Views.
The NATTER MUCH TANGLED Up
TIL President Says Thai He Has with
drawn tho Treaty for Good uecause
Of Its being Due to an Alleged
Conspiracy.


preliminary work n message from tn,
president presented TO them the long
promised special message on the Hawaii
an complication, The reading Of th'
document was attended to with Tn,
closest attention In both houses and
many members made frequent notes o
the salient points
The message itself was as follows:
To the senate and house Of representatives:
In my recent annual message 10 tho congress.
fbrienT referred 10 our relations with Hawaii
and expressed tho intention VI Transmitting
further Information on the subjsot VIII add
tonai adviocs permitted. Though I am not
now ab'o 70 report n definite change In the
actual situation, m convinced that the dim
eulties lately created both here and In Hawaii
and now standing In the wBy Of a solution
through executive action u the problem pre-.
sented, render II proper and eKpoiiont that the
matter should be referred 10 the broader au.
thority and direction Of co a,ress with full
explanation OF the ondsav0r thus fAr m lde 10
deal with the emergency and 4 statement Of
the considerations which have governed action
1auppose that right and Justice should do.
termine the path TO bo followed In treating this
subject II national honesty IN 10 bg dircg lrdod
and desire for territorial extension or dissat.
isfaotion with = form Of government not our
own is 70 regulate our conduct, have entirely
misapprehsnded the mission and character OF
our government and tho behavior which the
eonssienee OF our people demands Of their pub.
uo servants
when the present administration entered
upon i,s duties tho senate had under oonsidorR.
zion treaty providing for the annexation OF
the Hawaiian Islands 10 tho territory OF the
United States Surely under our constitution
and laws the enlargement OF our limits is
manifestation Of the highest attribute OF soyer.
eighty and II entered upon rs an executive act
Al IN ha trau Han he
siear and FREQ from suspicion
Additional importance IL attached TO this
peculiar treaty Of annexation, because II con.
templated departure from unbrOten American
tradition in providing for the addition to our
territory OF islands Of the sea more than i,00I
miles removed from our no1rest coast
These considerations might not OF themselves
call for Interference with tho completion OF
treaty entered upon by n previ US Adminlstra-
Zion. BIT it appeared from the documents 40
eompanying tho treaty whom submitted 10 the
senate that the ownership OF Hawaii was ten,
dered 70 vs. by provisional government set up
70 succeed the consu utional ruler Of the iil.
Ands, who had been dothroned, and II q "a not
appear that tho provisional government had
the sanction Of either popular revolution or suf-
fraga
Two remarkable features Of the transaction
naturally attracted attention One was the OK.
traordinary hasto-not 10 saw preolpitaney-
eharaeterining NIL tho transactions connected
with the treaty. II appeared that o so.calied
COMMITTEES OF safety, ostonsibly tho source OF
the revolt against tho constitutional govern
ment OF Hawaii, was organize on Saturday, tho
18th day Of January that on Monday the 10Th
the United States forces were landed at
Honolulu from naval vessel lying In Its har
Dor; that on the lTth the scheme OF provisional
government was perfected, and q proclamation
naming It's ofiieer' was on the same das prepared
and road nt tho government buildings; that i'm.
nedistoiy thsreupon tho United States minister
vecognirod the provisional government thus Gre.
atsd that two days AftorwArd, on tho 10Th day
OF January, commissioners reproHen tina such
government 80 led for this country In q steam.
or especially chartered for tho occasion Arriv.
ing In San Francisco on the Ssth day OF Janu.
ary and In Washington on the ID day OF Febru.
ArE hat next day they had their first inter.
view with the secretary of state and another
on the iith when the treaty Annexlng the
Islands vAs practically agreed upon, and that
on the 18th IL was formally concluded and On
the ibth transmitted TO tho senate
Thus botween tho initiation Of the scheme
for provisional government In Hawaii on the
i.ih OF January and the submission TO tho sou.
ete OF the treaty OF annexation concluded with
such government tho entire interval was thlr.
trtwo days, fifteen Of which were spenl by the
Hawaiian commissioners in their journey to
Washington
In tho noxt place, upon the face OF the papers
eubmltts with tho treaty, Il clearly appeared
that there was open and uudetermlned an issue
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 b this government, a" and
In q letter 10 tho president from the secretary
OF state hs submittol 10 the senate with the
treaty tho following passage occurred;
AT the time the provisional government took
possession OF the government buildings no
troops or oincers OF tho United States were
n ri "a hn Ia
ceodinga No public recognition was accorded
10 the provisional government by tho United
States minister until after tho queens abdlea.
uon aud when they were In effective possession
OF tho government buildings, the archives tho
treasury the barracks, To police station and all
the potential machinery OF tho government"
But protest also accompanied saIa treaty,
signed BY the queen aud her ministers at tho
nme aha made way 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 10 be landed at Honolulu and declared
that he would support such provisional govern.
nenL
The truth or fAlsiiy OF this protest was surely
OF the nrst importance II true, nothing but
the eoneoalment Of Its truth could induce our
government 10 negotiate with the samblance OF
agoyernment thus created. nor could u treaty
resulting from the acts stated In the protest
have been knowingly deemed worthy Of cOnsid.
grafton by the senate. Yet the truth or falsity
Of the pro est had not been estigated.
conceived II TO be my duty. therefore, to
withdraw tho treaty from tho senate for exam.
tnation aud meanwhile 70 cause an accurate
fuil and impartial investigation To DO made OF
the fao,s attending tho aubversion OF the con.
sututional government OF Hawaii and the iu.
stallmont In Its place OF tho provisional gov
ernment l selected for the work OF inveAti-
CATION Hon. James IL BlounL OF Georaia
whose service OF eighteen years as u member
OF the house OF representatives and whose
experience as chairman Of the committee on
foreign anAirs In shat body and his consequ uent
familiarity with international topics Joined
with In high character and honor bio roputa
tion. seemed 10 render him peculiarly ntled for
the duties inruated 70 him. His report detail.
Ing his aotion under tho Instructions given to
him and the conclusions derived from his In.
veaiigation accompany this message
These conclusions do not rest for their &C.
ceptance entirely upon Mr.. Blounts honesty
and ability as man nor upon his neumen and
impartiAlity ~ on Investigator They are 40.
eompaniod by tho evidence upon which they
are based. which evidence Is also herewith
transmitted. and from which it seems 70 me no
other deductions could possibly bo reached
than those arrived at by the commissioner
Tho report with Its accompanying proofs
and such other evidence as IL now before the
congress or is herewith submitted. iustnes in
my opinion. tho statement THAT when the presi.
dent was led 10 submit tho treaty TO the senate
with tho declaration that the overthrow OF the
monarchy was not In any way promote BY
this government" and when tho senate was In.
ductd 10 receive and discuss II on that basia
both president and senate were mlaled
Events that occurred during the tern,
of Mr. stsvena as minister arc here
related Tor the purpose OF upholding
the presidents position that armed
forces OF the United States had been