The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1896-12-08
Continued from LIST Paee)

bias, or prejudice and endeavor to
take broad and comprehensive ma
tional view of the subject at issue
We are the jury selected by the
American people to try Mr. Stevens
on an indictment drawn against him
by the Committee on Foreign Re-
lation of this House for misconduct
while Minister OF the United States
accredited to friendly foreign
power. We are also to say by our
vote whether or not we, as the rep
resentatives OF the people, approve
OF the policy adopted by Mr.. Cleve-
land to relieve our Government of q
very embarrassing complication.
Upon these two propositions, Mr..
Speaker, apprehend the whole
question hinges. First, whether or
not Mr.. Stevens, our Minister to
Honolulu, aided or encouraged the
subjects OF the Queen in organizing
revolution against her established
government, friendly power, to
which he was accredited by the
United States.
Second, did the President violate
either che express or implied power
vested in him by the Constitution,
in sending Mr.. Blount to Hawaii
with paramount powers without the
advice or consent OF the Senate.
These, | apprehend, are the only
two questions at issue, for / don't
suppose that it will be seriously con-
tended that we have any right to be
dissatisfied with "form OF govern
ment not our own" or that we have
desire for territorial extension, uu-
less by purchase or by the consent
of the owners OF the territory to be
coded.
| shall now, Mr.. Speaker, address
myself to the first proposition. This
involves the question OF the estab-
lished foreign policy of the
United States with other nations.
Mr.. Jefferson announced our policy
in the early part OF this century, and
at the very threshold OF our national
existence, to be "peace, commerce,
honesty and friendship with all ma
tions, entangling alliances with
none," and we have always subscrib-
ed to the following distinctively
American doctrine, that "Govern-
ments are instituted among men de-
irving their just powers from the
consent OF the governed"
Mr.. Stevens also had specific writ
ten instructions from his Govern.
ment directing his conduct in all
matters pertaining to the official re-
lations, not only with the Hawaiian
Government, but with the people
Of that country.
| will read that part of the instruc
tions from the State Department
pertinent to the question at issue:
at is forbidden to diplomatic
agents abroad to participate in any
manner in the political questions in
the country where they reside. They
are directed especially to refrain
from expressions of opinion upon
local or political questions arising
within their jurisdiction"
In 1929, in note from Mr.. Van
Buren, to Mr.. Moore, who was then
our consular agent to Hawaii, he
said:
"Your business is solely with the
actual government Of the country
where you are to reside, and you
should studiously endeavor, by a
frank and courteous department, to
conciliate its esteem and secure its
confidence"
Mr.. Buchanan wrote in 184S:
"The plain duty of the diplomatic
agents Of the United States is
scrupulously to abstain from inter
fering in the domestic politics of the
countries whore they reside"
Mr.. Seward, in writing to Mr..
Culver. in 1862, said: