The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-01-05
MINISTER WILLIS SPEAKS.
Full Text of His Famous Demand
Upon the Provisional Government.

THE following u the text of III,
address which Mr.. Willis made t
the Executive Council on Drcem
her 18Th, enbodying the demand
that they should step down AND
give place 10 Mrs. Domiui-.
Mr. President and Gentlemen: ~,
/ President uf the United States has
very much regretted the delay in the
/ Hawaiian question. hut 1t has been
| unavoidable. So much of it as has
| occurred since my arrival has been
| due TO certain conditions precedent,
| compliance with which was required
| before | was authorized to confer with
| you The President also regrets, as
most assurediy do I, that any secrecy
should have surrounded the inter
change of views between our two
Governments. | may say this, how
ever, that the ;, crecy thus far observ-
ed has been in the interest and for the
safety OF all your people. / need
hardly premise that the Presidents
action upon the Hawaiian question
has been under the dictates OF honor
and duty; it is now and has been
from the beginning absolutely free
from prejudice and resentment and
entirely consistent with the long
established friendship and treaty ties
which have so closely bound together
our respective Governments.
The President deemed it his duty to
withdraw from the Senate the treaty
of annexation which had been signed
by the Secretary of State and the
agents of your Government. and to
dispatch a trusted representative to
Hawaii to impartially investigate the
cause of your revolution and to ascer-
tain and report the true situation in
these Islands. This information was
needed the better to enable the Presi-
dent to discharge delicate and inn
portant duty.
Upon the facts embodied in Mr..
Blount's reports, the President has
arrived at certain conclusions and de-
termined upon a certain course of
action with which ii becomes my
duty to acquaint you:
The Provisional Government was
not established by the Hawaiian
people or with their consent or acqui-
essence, nor has it since existed with
their consent.
The queen refused to surrender her
powers to the Provisional Govern
ment until convinced that the Minis
ter of the United States had recog-
nized it as the de facto authority, and
would support and defend it with the
force of the United States,
and that resistance would precipitate
a bloody conflict with that force.
She was advised and assured by her
ministers and leaders of the move
ment for the overthrow of her govern
ment that if she surrendered under
protest her case would afterwards be
fairly considered by the President of
the United States.
The queen finally yielded to the
armed forces of the United States then
luartered in Honolulu, relying on the
good faith and honor of the President
when informed of what had occurred
to undo the action of the Minister and
her and the authority which
she claimed as the constitutional
sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands.
After a patient examination of Mr..
reports, the President is salts
led that the movement against the |
Iueen, if not instigated, was encour- |
lged and supported by the representa-
i've of this Government at Honolulu; |
hat he promised IN advance to aid her
enemies in an effort to overthrow the |
Hawaiian Government and set up by |
orce a new Government in its place,
md that he kept this promise by caus-
ng detachment of troops to be
anded from the Boston on the 18th of
anuary, 1898, and by recognizing the
Government the next day,
when it was too feeble to defend itself,
nd the Constitutional Government
vas able to successfully maintain its
against any threatening
)rce other than that of the United
tates already landed.
The President has therefore deter
lined that he will not send back to
be Senate, for its action thereon, the
realty which he withdrew from that
ody for further consideration on the
th day of March last.
In view of these conclusions l was
by the President to take
ivantage of an early opportunity to
form the queen of this determine
on and of his views as to the respOn-
bility of our Government. The Presi- {
ent, however, felt that we by our
-iginal interference had incurred
,sponsibility to the whole Hawaiian
and that it would not be
Ist to put one party at the mercy of Z
le other. l was therefore instructed Z
the same time to inform the queen
lat when reinstated, that the Presi- Z
snt expected that she would pursue 9
magnanimous course by granting 3
ii amnesty to all who participated ;
the movement against her, includ- I
q persons who are or who have been I
ficially or otherwise connected with .
lie Provisional Government, depriv-
g them of no right or privilege
hich they enjoyed before the revolu- |
On of last January, and that all OBJ l
cations created by the Provisional z
1vernment in due course of admins d
alton should be assumed. 5.
In obedience to the command of the 4
/ have secured the queens :
reement to this course and now :
liver a writing signed by her and ;
ly attested, a copy of which l will i
va xu1th Won I will road noyy tbof