The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-01-04
upon the question of the standing of a

Government?
In view therefore OF all the facts in
relation>to the question of the Presi-
dents authority to interfere ami con-
corning which the members Of the
Executive were actors and eye-wIt-
nesses, I am able to assure Your Ex-
cellency that by no action of this
Government on the 18th day of Janu-
airy last or since that time, has the
authority devolved upon the Presi-
dent of the United States To interfere
in the internal affairs of this country
through any conscious act or express
sion of this Government with such an
intention.
You state in your communication:
"After patient examination of Mr..
Blonnt's reports, the President is sat
isfied that the movement against the
queen if not lnstigated was encouraged
and supported by the representative
of this Government ut honolulu; that
he promised in advance 10 aid her enc
mics in an effort to overthrow the Ha-
waiian Government and set up by
force a new Government in its place;
that he kept his promise by causing
detachment of troops to be landed
from the Boston on the 10Th of Janu-
airy, 1898, and by recognizing the Pro-
visional Government the next day,
when it was too feeble to defend itself
and the constitutional Government
was able to successfully maintain its
authority against any threatening
force other than that of the United
States already landed"
Without entering into discussion
of the facts, beg to state in reply
that am unable to judge OF the COR
which the Presidents conclusions were
drawn, as have had no opportunity
of examining such report. But L de-
sire to specifically and emphatically
deny the correctness of each and every
| one of the allegations of fact contained
| in the above.quoted statement; yet, as
the President has arrived at positive
opinion in his own mind in the mat
| ter, I will refer to it from his own
| standpoint.
NV position is briefly this: If the
American forces illegally assisted the
reyolutionists in the establishment of
the Provisional Government, that
| Government is not responsible for
| their wrong doing. 1t was purely a
private matter for discipline between
the United States Government and its
own officers. There is, submit, no
precedent in international law for the
theory that such action of the Ameri-
can troops has conferred upon the Uni
ted States authority over the internal
affairs of this Government. Should 1t
be true, as you have suggested, that
the American Government made it
self responsible to the queen, who, it
is alleged, lost her throne through
such action, that is not a matter fol
me to discuss, except to submit
that, if such be the case, it is matter
for the American Government and bel
to settle between them. This Govern
ment, a recognized sovereign power
equal in authority with the United
States Government and enjoying per-
feet diplomatic relations with it, can
not be DESTROYED by it for the sake O.
discharging its obligations to the ex
queen.
Upon these grounds, Mr.. Minister
in behalf of my Government, re
specially protest against the usurpa
ton of its authority as suggested by
the language of your communication
1T is difficult for stranger like your
self, and much more for the Pres1de4
of the United States with his pressing
RESPONSIBILITIES, his crOwding cares
and his want of fa niliarity with The
condition and history of this country
and the inner life of it's people, to OBJ
tain a clear insight into the real STATE
of affairs and to understand the socia
currents, the race feelings and thu
! customs and traditions, which all con
, tribute to the political outlook. We
{ who have grown up here or VINO nav
adopted this country as our home, ar
[ conscious of the difficulty of maintain
ing stable government here. A com
m1nity which is made up of five races
| of which the larger part but dimly ap
preciates the significance and value Q
: representative institutions, offers poll
, tical problems which may well tax tn
wisdom of the most experienced states
man.
For long years large and inhuen
tiaI part of this community, includ
, ing many foreigners and native Ha
( waiians, have observed with deep re
: gret the retrogressive tendencies Q
? the Hawaiian monarchy, and hav
!, honorably striven against them, an
T have sought through legislative worE
! the newspapers, and by personal az
) peal and individual influence to sup
port and emphasize the representativ
! | features of the monarchy, and to ere
/. ate a public sentiment favorable there
= to, and thereby to avert the catastr6
: phe that seemed inevitable If sue
s tendencies were not restrained. Thes
f efforts have been met by the last tw
1 sovereigns in a spirit of aggressiv
8 hostility. The struggle became 6
Il length Wen ueHHeu ISSUE Uo'"oo
d royal prerogative and the right of rel
1 resentative government and most bi
D terly and unscrupulously has it bee
e carried on in the interests of the form
e er. The Kings privilege of importin
n goods for his own use without payln
: the duties thereon, was abused to tn
extent of admitting large quantitie
i of liquors with which to debauch tn
: electorate. He promoted the electio
l. of Government officers, both exect
t tive and judicial, to the Legislativ
), Assembly, and freely appointed to o
K flee elected members thereof. In tn
e Legislature of 1885, of which was
e Government was largely in the majo
: ity, and nearly every member of sue