St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-05-19
AN OPEN LETTER.

full follows: f
AN OPEN LETTER.
Hon. Cushman K Davis, United
States Senator from Minnesota-Sir:
We who now address you through
this medium share with you the fact,
and claim a share of the privileges of
American citizenship. We are among
those who have lately been exiled from
the Hawaiian islands for our political
opinions by government which,
while masquerading under republican
label. is the veriest despotism of
modern times. Our attention has been
called to an article of your contribu-
tion to the March, 1895, issue of the
North American Review, wherein,
under the caption of 1.-TWO Years of
Democratic Diplomacy" you attack
the administra ton by President Cleve-
land and his secretary of state of the
foreign affairs of the country Our
concern with the article in question is
confined to that portion thereof which
purports to deal with matters per-
tanning to Hawaii. and there, it is
obvious to all who are informed in the
premises, your information of your
subject is painfully at fault. We can
not assume that a gentleman of your
character statesman of your repu-
tation-would willfully misrepresent
the facts involved. We are, therefore,
driven to the conclusion that YOU have
been deceived as to those facts, and,
whatever the cause of your errors
the conclusion is palpable to all who
know the truth. that you
ARE NOT QUALIFIED
to teach others in the premises. You
begin with the dictum that ''the pro-
ceedings of the present administra ton
respecting Hawaii form a composite of
blunders, cruelty and usurpation"
These are strong words, and the ac-
cusations they imply are serious and
should be supported by definite and
we'll authenticated facts. Can you or
can any one. else produce those facts?
We respectfully submit that, so far
from an ability to produce sustaining
facts for your accusations, you would,
should you cast aside party partisan
prejudice long enough to candidly and
temperately investigate the events
which have led to the deplorable con-
ditions existing in Hawaii, be forced
to conclusions exactly the opposite of
those you have, with such confidence,
expressed in your article mentioned.
Conspicuous among the misstatements
which characterize your essey are the
following:
When Mr. Cleveland entered upon
his present term there was absolutely
no question between the United States
and Hawaii excepting that of annexa-
ton under the treaty which had been
negotiated during the administration
of Mr.. Harrison, and which was then
under consideration by the senate
The royal government of Hawaii had
been overthrown by a successful revo-
luton. That success had been so COM
plete, and its processes so unexcep-
tionable to all the representatives of
foreign nations at Honolulu that each
of tho.e officials recognized the
provisional government Immediately
after it's installation.
That no question other than anneXa-
ton existed between the two countries
at the. juncture mentioned, may be
judged of by any intelligent and can
did reader, when we point out and
positively affirm that the movement
by you described as Successful rev.
olution,'' whereby monarchy was over
AIOWIl, was COilC0lNG Gu anu CdTTISu Out
by the American minister, Mr.. Stew
ems, acting in concert with a small
group of resident conspirators, and
supported by the
ARMED FORCE
of the American cruiser Boston. That
the accredited representative Of this
government to a feeble, friendly and
confiding state, should be permitted to
assume the role of revolutionary lead
er, and employ the moral and physical
force of the powerful American repub-
lie to overthrow the existing repre-
sentative government of Hawaii, sub
stituting therefore confessed oligar-
chy, without at the least calling for
the most searching investigation on the
part of the state department at Wash
ington, is most startling PROPOSE
ton, and one that you seem to have
overlooked or ignored when you as
serted there was n question between
the United States and Hawaii except
annexation" So far from deserving
your accusation of cruelty and usurpa-
ton, Mr.. Cleveland promptly set his
face against SO much Of those vices as