Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-02-02
LETTERS FROM HAWAII.
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS WITH
THE CORRESPONDENCE.

Willis Asked to ExplaiE-PreSiden
Dole Wants to Know Whether He
Intends to Enforce His Demands
With Arms-WiIIis Says Dole tn
suited President Cleveland.
President Cleveland, in a brief note Of
transmittal. sent to Congress the latest cor
respondence relating to Hawaii. 1t COM
prises some brief notes of Minister Willis to
Secretary Gresham, which are unimportant.
but the chief features of it are letters passing
between Minister Willis and President Dole
in one Of which the Minister COM
plains of an utterance OF Prest-
dent Dole as rejecting on the President of
the United States. and letter from Presi-
dent Dole, in which he specifically inquiries
if Minister Willis's instructions aUthOriZ3i
the use of force. Both these matters appear
to have been settled by the receipt of the
last message of the President 20 Congress
and the last instructions of Secretary Gres-
ham to Minister Willis.
The interest felt in Hawaiian affairs was
manifested i'll q striking manner when Pres
dent Ceveland's message, Transmitting the
latest diplomatic correspondence on the sub
ject was laid before the House of Repre-
sentativeS.
The House insisted on hearing all the cor
respondence read-a most unusual thing
and every word was heard in the remotest
corner of the hall, so absorbed was every one
in listening to the clerk as he read.
The following is the letter of transmittal
'To the Congress
II transmit herewith dispatches received
yesterday from our Minister at Hawaii, with
certain correspondence which accompanied
the same, including a most extraordinary
letter, dated December o. 1898 signed by
Sanford B. Dole. Minister of Foreign Affairs
oithe Provisional Government. and addressed
to our Minister. Mr.. Willis, and delivered to
him a number of hours after the arrival at
Honolulu of copy of my message to Con-
gress on the Hawaiian question, with copies
of the instructions given to our Minister
"GROvER CLEVELAND
Executive Mansion, January 20, 1894
The letter of December 81. to which the
President refers was sent to Minister Willis
by Mr.. Dole, and part OF tho language is
herewith presented:
Il desire to call your Excellcncy's most
serious consideration to the dangerous and
critical condition of this community, arising,
I must respectfully submit, out of the at
titude which you have assumed. and the
language which you have used in public,
and in communications to the Government,
and also out of the published letter of the
Secretary of State of the United States and
the Presidents message on the subject Of the
restoration Of the Monarchy.
This Government has most earnestly
sought from you and through our represcn-
tative at Washington, from your Govern
ment, some assurance that force will not be
used, and has failed to obtain it. Your ac-
ton has unfortunately aroused the passions
of all parties and made it probable that dis
turbances may be created at any moment.
II am informed by military authorities
that while the force at your command is suf-
ficient to destroy this city. it is insufficient
to suppress any general rising and conflict
Of armed forces and instructions, or to pre-
wont the loss of life anI property.
This Government is reluctant to believe
that this condition of affairs was contemplate
ed or expected by yourself or by the Presi-
dent of the United States.
II have therefore to ask you to inform me,
with the least delay, whether you hold in
structions to enforce your policy with the use
Of arms in any event.
Minister Willis was more than surprised at
receiving such a letter, and in reply asked
the charges so unj justly put forward should
be made more specific. TO this Mr.. Dole an
swered that the special message Of the Pres
ident of the United States had rendered any
further correspondence on the subject I'M
necessary.
Believing that the charges, whether so in
tended or not, reflected upon the President.
Mr.. Willis again insisted that the desired
specifications be furnished as soon as con
venient, but up to the time of the steamers
departure, no answer had been received In
Il letter to Secretary Gresham, Mr.. Willis
says:
''Ihis delay in answering is q great sur
prise and regret. l am fully prepared to
show that every step taken by the reprcsen-
tatives Of our Government has been in the
direction of peace and good order. and that
the military preparations of the Provisional
Government were in progress at the time of
my arrival"
The remainder of the correspondence ron
sists ofthe full text of the letters of which
the material portions have been quoted.