The Portland daily press., 1894-02-27

dhu DiCdCu OI nef SOl6Hu oooH W
observe and support it, and it was only
after she had made a demand
upon her native subjects ior
support in this movement, when
they would not give her, that she for
the time postponed her determination 70
carry this revolution into effect, anu
made known her determination to 90 so
as soon as she could feel that she had the
power to sustain the movement. But
the President of the United States,
giving attention to Llliuokalanl's claim
that this government had alarmed her,
by the presence of it's troops, into tne
abdication of her crown, believed that III
was proper and necessary, in: vlndlca-
tion of the honor of the United States,
80 appoint commissioner to HaWall
who would make careful investigation
into the facts and send the facts and his
conclusions to the President for his IN
formation.
The commissioner, Mr.. Bount, went to
Hawaii under circumstances OF extreme
EN- barrassment, and executed his In
structions with impartial care to arrive
at the truth, and he presented sincere
and instructive report to the President
of the United States touching the facts,
the knowledge of which he thus ac-
quired.
In the agitated state of opinion and
feeling in Hawaii at the time, it was
next to impossible to obtain full, fair
and free declaration in respect OF the
facts which attended this revolution,
and particularly was this difficult to
obtain from the persons who actively
participated in the movement.
The evidence submitted by the COM
mittee, in addition to that whichs was
presented by Mr.. Blount, having been
taken under circumstances more favor
able to the development of the whole
truth with regard to the situation, has,
in the opinion of the committee, estab-
lished the fact that the revolutionary
movement in Hawaii
Originated With Liliuokalani,
and was promoted, provided for, and, as
she believed, secured by the passage OF
the opium bill and the lottery bill
through the legislature, from which she
expected to dsxive a revenue sufficient
to secure the ultimate success of her pur-
pose, which was distinctly and maturely
devised, to abolish the constitution of
1887, and to assume to herself absolute
power, free from constitutional restraint
of any serious character.
A question had been made as to the
right of the President of the United
States to dispatch Mr.. Blount to Hawaii
as his personal representative for the
purpose of seeking the further informa-
ton which the President believed was
necessary in order to arrive at just
conclusion regarding the state of affairs
in Hawaii. Many precedents could be
quoted to show that such power has
been exercised by the President on
various occasions without dissent on the
part of Congress or the people of the
United States .These precedents also
show that the Senate of the United
States, though in session, need not be,
consulted as to the appointment OF such
agents, or as to the instructions which
the President may give them. r
In the public act by which the pro-
visional government of Hawaii was
established, there was a disanct declara-
tion that that government was to con-
tinue until Hawaii was annexed to the
United States That declaration, apart
from every other consideration, would
have justified the United States in an
interference for the protection of the
PROVISIONAL government which would not
have been tolerated under other circum-
stances That declaration created an in
timacy of relationship between the
United StaJes and the recognized govern
ment of Hawaii, which is entirely ex-
ceptional and which placed within the
reach and control of the United States
very largely. if not entirely, the disposal
of those questions collateral to that of
annexation, which might have inter
fered with the peaceful and appropriate
solution of any difficulty which might
arise in it's execution. So that the pro-
visional government of Hawaii, having
thus thrown itself into the arms OF the
United States in the first declaration OF
it's existence, cannot justly complain
that the United States should scrutinize,
under the authority thus given, all it's
pretensions of right thus to dispose of an
entire country and people.
Therefore, your committee conclude to
report that the President of the United
States has not in this particular in any
way, been party to any lrreguiarlty or
any impropriety of conduct in his high
Office.
The committee also find nothing
worthy of criticism in the negotiation of
the treaty of annexation with the pro-
visional government of Hawaii.
In the opinion of the committee, based
upon the evidence which accompanies
this report, the lly substantial lrregn-
larity that existed in the conduct of any
officer of the United States or agent of
the President, during or since the time
of the revolution of 1893, was that of
Minister Stevens in declaring protec-
torate of the United States over Hawaii
and in placing the flag of our country
upon the government building in Homo
lulu. NO dCG Ol udTul IcSuloou lIOu bulS
unauthorized act, but as precedent it
is not to be considered as being justified.
In the Testimony
which accompanies the report, Mr..
Blount denies that he had any fixed
opinion as to Hawaiian matters when ne
was appointed commissioner or that he
knew the views of the President or what
was expected of him. When Mr.. Blount
was asked if he had information from
the United States government before
he left Hawaii of any .pu pose to restore
the Queen. he replied: Il never dreamed
of such thi ing as the reinstatement OF
Liliuokaiani. l never heard it suggested
until my return to the United States.
had talk with the Secretary of State
and the inclination OF his mind was that
the circumstances created moral obll-
cation on the part of the United States
to reinstate ner. gathered from the
Secretary of State that the President had
not any opinion and was thinking the
matter over" Minister Stevens, in the
course of his hearing, said that after he
had been in Honolulu year he came TO
the conclusion that the annexation OF
the islands was inevitable ana that the
existing condition of things could not