The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-01-17
The Hawaiian Correspondence.

withheld " from considerations relating
to the public welfare"
The first document submitted is the
letter from Mr.. Willis to Secretary
Gresham, dated November IS, which
was one of the dispatches withheld
when the president sent in his first
special message on Hawaiian affairs.
Mr.. Willis gives an account of his in
terview with Queen Lilioukalani in
which he made known to her the presi-
dents desire and purpose in the matter
of reinstating her upon her throne.
The minister then said to her:
" The president expects and believes
that when reinstated you will show for
eiveness and magnanimity, that you will
wish to be the queen of all the people,
both native and foreign born, that you
will make haste to secure their love
and loyalty and to establish peace,
friendship and good government"
To this she made no reply. After
waiting a moment, / continued:
"The president rot only tenders you
his sympathy, but wishes to help you.
Before fully making known to you his
purposes, | desire to know whether you
are willing to answer certain questions
which it is my duty to ask"
She answered, 81 am willing"
l then asked her. "Should you be
restored to the throne, would you grant
full amnesty as to life and property to
all those persons who have been, or who
are how, in the provisional government,
or who have been instrumental in the
overthrow of your government"
She hesitated a moment, and then
slowly and calmly answered: There
are certain laws of my government by
which shall abide. My decisions
would be, as the law directs, that such
persons should be beheaded and their
property confscated to the govern
ment."
l then said, repeating very distinctly
her words: Z" 1t is your feeling that
these people should be beheaded and
their property confiscated?"
She replied, 1t ISL
then said to her: " Do you fully un-
derstand the meaning of every word
which you have said to me, and if so,
do you still have the same opinion?"
Her answer was: 81 have under
stood and mean all that [ have said, but
l might leave the decision of this to my
minister's"
To this replied: "Suppose it was
necessary TO make a decision before
you appointed any ministers, and that
you were asked to issue royal procla-
nation of general amnesty, would you
do iL?"
She answered, 81 have no legal right
to do that, and l would not do it,"
Pausing a moment, she continued:
" These people were the cause of the
revolution and constitution of 1887.
There will never be any peace while
they are here. They must be sent out
of the country or punished and their
property confscated."
This practically ended the interview.
The minister expressed the conviction,
from the developments recited above
and from others, that there would be a
concerted movement in the event of
restoration for the overthrow of the
constitution of 1887, which would mean
the overthrow of constitutional and
limited government.
December 16, a second interview
with the queen was had, in which she
persisted in her purpose to punish the
leaders in the revolution of year ago,
intimating, however, that she might
exercise cemency and Danish the
leaders, their children and families, in b.
stead of beheading the leaders.
December Is, at a third interview,
she yielded her full assent to the terms
of the pr sident and issued proclama-
ton promising amnesty and recogni-
ton of the acts of the provisional gov
eminent. Mr.. Willis, meantime, re-
ceived note from President Dole ask
ing him if it were true that he was in
communication with the ex-queen with
view to restoring her TO her throne.
Upon the queens yielding full assent
to the requirement of President Cleve-
land, the minister complied with his
instructions and demanded the abdica-
ton of the provisional government.
To this demand President Dole made
spirited reply. He accepted as con-
elusive for the present the decision of
President Cleveland declining further
to consider the annexation proposition,
but expressed the conviction that this
was not the final decision of the Amer
lean people. This conviction was en-
phasized by the favorable impression of
American statesmen.
President Dole resents with spirit
the interference of the president of the
United States in the domestic affairs of
Hawaii, and discusses at length his
right to so interfere Such a right
could only be conferred by the Ha-
waiian government or acquired by con-
quest. He denies that the queens cas-
was referred TO Washington. On this
point President Dole says: " infer
that conversation which Mr. Damon,
then a member of the advisory council,
is reported by Mr., Blount to have had
with the eX.queen on January II, and
which has been quoted in the news
papers, is the basis of this astounding
claim of the president of the United
States of his authority to adjudicate
upon our right as a government TO
exist. Mr.. Damon, on the occasion
mentioned, was allowed to accompany
the cabinet of the former government
who had been in conference with me
and my associates, to meet the ex-
queen; he went informally, without
instructions and without authority to
represent the government or to assure
the eX.queen that if she surrendered