Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-02-23
MORE HAWAIIAN LETTERS
THE PRESIDENT SENDS A
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS.
Minister Thurston Wanted to Know
Whether the President Intended
to Use Force-Ninister Willis Re-
fused to Attend the Anniversary
of the Provisional GoYernment.

installment of Hawaiian correspondence
The latest dispatches previously communi-
Gated were sent to Congress on February 2,
and their chief feature was letter from Min
lister Willis, dated January II. 1894. in which
he said he had received President Doles re-
ply to his letter of January l, asking specifi-
cations, at p. N. the previous day, too late
to copy the fifty pages 1t contained or to re-
ply to it prior to the sailing of the steamer
at o. m. tho next day. The date of the
correspondence transmitted comes down to
January Is, but does not include the Dole
letter or Minister Willis's reply. Its chief
features are an exposition OF the position OF
the United States Government on the ques-
ton of the employment of force to restore
the deposed Queen, AMI statement of Mr..
Willis's course in declining the invitation to
participate in the first anniversary OF the eS-
Enlistment of the present Government OF
Hawaii President Cleveland sent the dOcu-
ments to Congress, &C :ompanied by the fol-
lowing message:
To the Congress
1 transmit herewith two dispatches re-
ceived few days ago from our Minister ut
Hawaii and a reply to ona OF them from the
Secretary of State, in which a correct version
is given of an interview which occurred No
vember 18th. 1892 between the Secretary OF
State and Mr.. Thurston, representing the
Provisional Government at Washington.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, Febru-
ury 18th.
MINISTER WILLIS TO SECRETARY GRESHAM.
[Confdential.
No. %
LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES.
HONOLULU. II. l., January 10th, 1894
Hon. w. @. Gresham, Secretary of State;
S1R-In letter from the Hon. S. B. Dole,
Minister of Foreign Affairs. addressed to me
under date of January 18th, the following
statement is made:
"On November 14th Mr.. Thurston, Ha-
waiian Minister at Washington, called upon
the Secretary of State and inquired If the
above letter (yours of October 18th) was au-
thentic, and was assured by Mr. Gresham
that it was.
"Mr Thurston then said: L wish, then.
to further ask whether it is the intention OF
the United St&tes Government to carry out
its policy therein indicated by force; or, in
other words, whether if the Provisional Gov
ernmcnt decline to accede to the request Of
the United States Government to vacate in
favor of the Queen, United States troops will
be used to enforce the request|
ITO which Mr.. Gresham replied. 4 am
not at liberty at present to answerthat ques-
tion. It is matter concerning which L will
speak to the President, and talk with you
more fully this afternoon
"Inthe afternoon of the same day Mr.. Ores
ham further said to Mr. Thurston Il have
d
effect that the letter published (Secretary
Gresham to the President) was authentic
and correct statement OF the policy OF the
United States. AS to your second question,
as to whether force is to be used by the
United States to restore the Queen. all that
l am at liberty to state is, that Mr.. Willis has
no instructions to do anything which will
cause injury to life or property of any one at
the islands. Further than this am not at
liberty to state what his instructions are.
You can draw your own differences from my
statement and allay any apprehension which
may have been caused by what has been
published
''Mr. Thurston further said to Mr. Gresh-
ar. Your answer does not convey the in
formation which L requested. What l de-
sire is to obtain information which will
guide my Government in their action. Ii
they know that force is to be used by you,
their course of action will necessarily be
different from what it otherwise would be.
The definite information from me that you
intend to use force may be the means OF
preventing them from using force and caus-
ing bloodshed.'
ITO which Mr.. Gresham replied Our re-
lations in the past have been pleasant, and l
want them to continue to be SO in the future
and to be perfectly courteous to you, but
cannot at present answer you more fully than
have done
I do not know whether Mr. Tnrurston made
this statement public in the United States at
the time but do know that the first intima-
ton that this community had upon the sub
ject is contained in Mr.. Dole's letter of the
18th inst.
Had your statement to Mr.. Thurston been
made public here at the time (Nov. "a when
it was received. the excitement resulting
from the warlike preparations of the Pro-
ttvisional Government, would have been
allayed, and critical and dangerous con-
ditiOns avoided.
ALBERT S. WILLIS, E. E. and NJ. P.
! Mr.. Greshams reply to this communica
tion, giving an authentic version CT tho in
terview, was as follows:
MR.. GRESHAM TO MR., WILLIS
No. 10. DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON, d. c., February 7, 1894.
SIR have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt Of your No. 20 of January 16, in which
you refer to letter received from the Hon.
s. B. Dole, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Provisional Government, addressed to you
under date of January II, containing state
ments alleged to have been made by me in
an interview with Mr.. Thurston the Ha-
waiian Minister, on November IA last
1t is true that had two interviews with
Mr.. Thurston on the day mentioned, the
first of which was very brief. Immediately
after the second interview l dictated to a
Stenographer statement, from which the
following is quoted, it being all that relates
to the sub ject of Mr.. Doie's communication
to you:
"On the forenoon OF Nov IA the Hon. L. A.
Thurston, Minister ofthe Provisional Govern
ment of Hawaii, called at the State Depart
ment for an interview with the Secretary Of
State on the Hawaiian situation. The Minister
was informed by the Secretary that it was
about time for a Cabinet meeting AMI he was
under the necessity of requesting the Minister
to call again at O'Clock in the afternoon.
He replied he would do SO, but before leav-
ing desired to submit two questions to tho
Secretary
'First-Was the letter addressed by the
Secretary to the President about Hawaii and
the Provisional Government and printed in
the papers few days ago authentic and Off
ciaI?
''Second-If it was, and he presumed it
was, was it the Presidents intention to use
force. IT need be, against the Provisional
Government in restoring the Queen?
The Secretary replied that the letter was
authentic. but as he had not time to spend
with the Minister Just then he cOuId repeat
Ihe question on calling in the afternoon.
kThe Minister called at the appointed hour,
and the Secretary Informed him that the let
ter addressed to the President was authentic
and that no action had been or would be
taken by our Minister, Mr.. Willis which would
lmperil the lives and property of the officers
or supporters of the Provisional Government,
and that if they suffered in any way it would
be in consequence of their own acts or atti-
tude"
The interview continued,
"Minister-Mr. Secretary. That answer is
not satisfactory, and would be glad if you
would be more explicit.
'Secretary-I cannot be more explicit at
this time. You can draw your own differences
from what have said, and correct any false
impressions that may have been created by
what has been published"
answered the second question in the IN
1erscored language from slip of paper
which lay on my table in plain view before
me. I did not say in either interview that I
was not at liberty TO answer either question.
W. Q. GRESHAM.
The correspondence with regard to the
celebration is as follows:
Mr.. WILLIS TO MR.. GRESHAM.
LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES.
HONOLULU. H. l., January 16, 1894.
SIR-On last Thursday, January II, by
vote of seven to two. the 18th day of Janu-
hain khof -cS - a. u.