The record-union., 1893-12-19

CATION, accompany this message. These
conclusions do not rest for their accept
ance entirely upon Blounts honesty and
ability as a man, nor upon his acumen
and impartiality as an investigator. They
are accompanied by evidence upon which
they are based, which evidence IS also
herewith transmitted, and from which 1t
seems to me no other deductions could
possibly be reached than those arrived at
by the Commissioner.
PRESIDENT AND SENATE 1IsLED.
The report, with its accompanying
proofs, and such other evidence as is now
before Congress or herewith submitted,
lustlteS, in my opinion, the statement
that when the President was led to sub
NIT the treaty to the Senate with the dec
laratiOn that 1.-The overthrow of the mon
archy was not in any way 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.
An attempt will not be made in this
communication to touch upon all the facts
which throw light upon the progress and
consummation Of this scheme of annex
alton. Very brief and imperfect refer
ence to facts and evidence at hand will
exhibit it's character and the incidents in
which it had its birth. 1t is unnecessary
to set forth the reason which, in January,
1898, led a considerable portion of Ameri-
can and other foreign merchants and
traders residing in Honolulu to favor the
annexation of Hawaii to the United
States.
1t is sufficient to note the fact and OBJ
serve that the project was one Zealously
promoted by a Minister representing the
United States in that country. He evil
IDENTIFY had an ardent desire that 1t should
become fact accomplished by his agency
and during his Ministry, and was not in
conveniently scrupulous as to the means
employed to that end.
On the 18th day of November, 1892.
nearly two months before the first overt
act tending towards the subversion of the
Hawaiian Government, and the attempt
ed transfer of Hawaiian territory to the
United States, he addressed long letter
TO the Secretary of State, in which the
case for annexation was elabOrately ar
gued, on moral, political and economical
grounds. He refers to the loss to Ha-
waiian sugar interests from the operation
of the Mckinley bill, and tendency to a
still further depreciation of sugar prop
erty unless some positive measure of re-
lief is granted. He strongly inYeighs
against the existing Hawaiian Govern
ment, and emphatically declares for an
neXation. He says:
'In truth, monarchy here is an ab-
surd anachronism. 1t has nothing on
which it logically or legitimately stands.
The feuda. basis on which it once stood
no longer existing, the monarchy is now
only an impediment to good government,
and an obstruction to the prosperity and
progress Of the islands,"
He further declares: LAS a Crown col
ony of Great Britain or Territory of the
United States Government. notifications
could be made readily and good admin
istration OF the law secured. The destiny
and vast future interests of the United
States in the Pacific clearly indicate who,
at no distant day, may be responsible for
the government of these Islands. Under
Territorial Government they could be
as easily governed as any existing Terri
tories of the United States. Hawaii has
reached the parting of the ways. She
must now take the road which leads to
Asia or the other which outlets her in
America, gives her American civiliZa-
ton and binds her to the care of Ameri-
can destiny"
He also declares: lone of two courses
seems TO me absolutely necessary to be
foIlowed-either bold and vigorous meas
ures for annexation or a customs union,
an ocean cable from the California coast
to Honoiulu, Pearl Harbor Derpetually
ceded to the nited States with an i'm
piled out not expressly stipulated Amer
lean protectOrate over the islands. ! De-
lieve the former to be better-that which
viii prove much more advantageous to
the islands and the cheapest and least
embarrassing in the end to the United
States. II it were wise for the United
States, through Secretary Marcy thirty
eight years ago, to offer to eXpend $780,
600 to secure a treaty of annexation, it
certainly cannot be chimerical or unwise
to expend 100000 to secure annexation
in the near future. To-day the United
States has five times the wealth she pos
sessed in 1854, and the reasons now exist
ing for annexation are much stronger
than they were then. I cannot refrain
from expressing the opinion with empha-
sis that the golden hour is near at hand" "
SIGNIFICANCE OF STEVENS ACTS.
The declarations certainly show dis
position and condition of mind which
may be usefully recalled when interpret
ing the significance of the Minister'S con-
ceded acts, or when considering the prob
abilities of such conduct on his part as
may not be admitted. In this view, it
seems proper to also quote letter writ
ten by the Minister to the Secretary of
State on the Sth of March, 1892, nearly a
year prior to the first step taken toward
annexation. After stating the possibility
might be overturned by an orderly and
peaceful revolution, Minister Stevens
writes as follows:
"Ordinarily, in like circumstances, the
rule seems to be to limit the landing and
movement of United States forces in for
eign waters and dominion exclusively to
the protection of the United States Lega-
ton and of the lives and property Of
American citizens; but as the relations OF
T,,Tf cd Sf1fn TO liQy
tional and in former years the United
States officials here took somewhat ex-
ceptional action in circumstances of dis
order, l desire to know how far the pres
est Minister and Naval Commander may
deviate from established international
rules and precedents in contingencies in
dicated in the first part of this dispatch" /"
To Minister of this temper, full OF
zeal for annexation, there seemed to
arise, in January, 1888. the precise oppor-
tunity which, by timely deviation from
established international rules and pre-
cedents, might be improved to successfully
accomplish the great object in view, and
we are quite prepared for the eXultant
enthusiasm with which, in q letter to the
State Department, dated February l, 1893,
he declares:
''The Hawaiian pear is now fully ripe
and this is the golden hour for the United
States to pluck it,"
As further illustration of the activity
of this diplomatic representative, atten-
ton is called to the fact that on the day
the above letter was written, apparently
unable longer to restrain his ardor, be
issued proclamation whereby, ''in the
name of the United States" he assumed
protection of the Hawaiian Islands and
declared that said action was taken
pending and subject to negotiations al
Washington"
OF course this assumption of a protect
crate was promptly disavowed by our
Government, but the American flag re-
mained over the Government building at
Honolulu and the forces remained on
guard until April and after Bloun's ar
rival on the scene, when both were re-
moved.