Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-12-22
CLEVELAND ON HAWAII.
HIS MESSAGE TO CONGRESS ON
THAT PROBLEM.
Speaks of the Overthrow of the Monarchy
as a Conspiracy Participated i'm by
American Citizens and OhicIaIs. Part
of the Instructions to Minister willis.

President Cleveland, in his message 70
congress on the Hawaiian question, says
that difficulties which have arisen over
the solution of the problem make it expe-
dent that IL be referred to congress. JUS
tice and right should be followed In the
treatment of the matter. When the pres
ent administration entered upon its duties
the senate had under consideration
treaty providing for the annexation Of the
Hawaiian Islands.
Additional Importance is attached to the
treaty of annexation because it contem-
plated a departure from unbroken Amer
lean tradition in providing for the addi-
ton TO our territory Of islands of the sea
more than two thousand miles removed
from our nearest coast. These considera-
tions might of themselves call for inter-
ference with the completion of a treaty
entered upon by previous administra-
ton But II appeared from the documents
accompanying the treaty when submitted
to the senate, that the ownership of Ha-
wall was rendered to us by a provisional
government set up to succeed the consti-
tutional ruler of the Islands, who had
been dethroned, and it did not appear
that such provisional government had
the sanction Of either popular revolution
or suffrage.
Two other remarkable features of the
transaction naturally attracted attention.
one was the extraordinary haste-not to
say precipitancy-charac all the
transactions connected with the treaty;
only 80 days converting from the initiation
of the scheme for a provisional govern
ment until the submission TO the senate
of the treaty of annexation. In the next
place, upon the face OF the papers sub
mitted with the treaty II clearly appeared
that there was open and undetermined an
issue of fact of the most vital Importance.
The message of the president ACCOmDanN
ing the treaty declared that the over
throw of the monarchy was not in any
way promoted by this government
But a protest also accompanied said
treaty, signed by the queen and her minis
tiers at the time she made way for the
provisional government; which explicitly
stated that she yielded to the superior
force of the United States, whose minis
ter had caused United States troops TO be
landed at Honolulu, and declared that he
would support such provisional govern
ment. The truth or talsity of this pro-
test was surely of the first Importance.
If true. nothing but the concealment OF
negotiate with the semblance OF a govern
ment thus created nor could a treaty
resulting from the acts stated in the pro-
test have been knowingly deemed worthy
of consideration by the senate. Yet the
truth or falsity of the protest had not
been investigated.
] conceived it TO be my duty therefore,
to withdraw the treaty from the senate
for examination, and meanwhile to cause
an accurate, full and impartial investiga-
ton to be made of the facts attending
the subversion Of the constitutional gov
ernment of Hawaii and the installment
in it's place of the provisional government.
/ selected for the work Of investigation
the Hon. James II. Blount, of Georgia.
His report, with its accompanying proofs,
and such other evidence as is now before
the congress or is herewith submitted,
justihes. in my opinion, the statement
that when the president was led TO sub
NIT the tTQqtV 70 the senate both nTeSi-
dent and senate were misled.
1t is unnecessary TO set forth the rea-
sons which in January, 1898, led a con-
siderable portion of American and other
foreign merchants and traders residing
at Honolulu to favor the annexation Of
Hawaii TO the United States. 1t Is sutfi'
cient TO note the fact and TO observe that
the project was one which was Zealously
promoted by the minister representing
the United States in that country. He
evidently had an ardent desire that It
should become a fact, accomplished by
his agency and during his ministry, and
was not inconvenienuy scrupulous as to
the means employed to that end. on the
18th day of November, 1892. nearly two
months before the first overt act tend
ing towards the subversion of the trans
fer of Hawaiian territory to the United
States, he addressed long letter TO the
secretary of state, In which the case
for annexation was deliberately argued
on moral, political and economical grounds.
He refers to the loss to the Hawaiian
sugar interests from the operation of the
Mckinley bill and the tendency TO still
further depreciation of sugar property un-
less some positive measure of RELIEF Is
granted. He strongly inveighs against
the existing Hawaiian government. and
emphatically declares for annexation.
In this view II seems proper TO quote
from a letter written by the minister to
the secretary of state on the Sth day of
March, 1892 nearly year prior to the
first step taken toward annexation. After
government of Hawaii might be over
turned by an orderly and peaceful revo-
luton. Minister Stevens writes as follows:
Ordinarily, in like circumstances, the
rule seems to be to limit the landing
and movement of the United States forces
in foreign waters and dominion exclusive
ly to the protection of the United States
legation and of the lives and property of
American citizens. But as the relations
of the United States to Hawaii are excep-
tional and in former years the United
States officials here took somewhat evcep-
tional action In circumstances OF disor-
der, / desire to know how far the pres
ent minister and naval commander may
deviate from established international
rules and precedents in contingencies in
dicated in the first part Of this dis
To a minister of this temper, full of
zeal for annexation, there seemed to arise
in January, 1893, the precise opportunity
for which he was watchfully waiting,
and we are quite prepared for the eXult-
ant enthusiasm with which in a letter TO
the state department, dated February !,
1893 he declares: THE Hawaiian pear Is
now full ripe and this is the golden hour
for the United States to pluck It," AS n
further illustration of the activity of this
diplomatic representative, attention is
called to the fact that on the day the
above letter was written, apparently un-
able longer to restrain his ardor, he issue
proclamation whereby I'm the name OF
the United States" he assumed the pro-
lection of the Hawaiian islands and de-
clared that said action was taken nend-
ing and subject to negotiations at Wash
ington."
A brief statement of the occurrences
that led to the subversion of the con-
stitutional government will exhibit the
true complexion of that transaction. on
Saturday January II, 1893, the queen OF
Hawaii, who had been contemplating the
proclamation of q new constitution, had,
in Difference TO the wishes and remon-
strances of her cabinet renounced the
project for the present at least. Taking
this relnqushed purpose as a basis OF
action so or 100 alien citizens OF Homo
lulu met in a private office and selected
a so-called committee Of safety, which had
in view nothing else than annexation
to the United States, and between Sat
turday, the 18th, and the following Mon
day, the 18th of January, they were In
communication with the United States
minister. on Monday morning the queen
and her cabinet proclaimed that any
changes in the constitution would be
sought only in the methods provided by
that instrument. Nevertheless, the COM
i ~ hold Meeting 70