The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1898-02-07
tContinued from LIST page.)

stolen kingdom" for annexation to
the United States.
1t has been alleged that President
Harrison had previous knowledge OF
the intended movement. At any
rate, be was ready to support and
recommend an Annexation Bill,
which he Immediately presented to
Congress. But his term OF office ex
PRED before the transaction could
be completed, and when President
Cleveland was installed few weeks
later he took different view OF the
matter. One OF his first acts was to
withdraw his predecessors treaty Of
annexation from the Senate; and,
later, he sent special Commissioner
to Hawaii to ascertain the true state
OF affairs. This gentleman, the Hon
James Il. Blouut, OF Georgia, after
several months OF diligent and pa
tient investigation, recommended
that the Queen and her Government
should be restored. In order to give
effect to this conclusion Mr.. Cleve-
land then sent the Hon. Albert S.
Willis as Special Commissioner to
Honolulu. After an interview with
the dethroned Queen, Mr.. Willis re-
quested the attendance of the mem
bers OF the Provisional Government,
to whom he delivered an address, in
the course OF which he declared:
"The Provisional Government was
not established by the Hawaiian
people or with their consent or &C.
quiescence, nor has it since existed
with their consent. 4 After
patient examination Of Mr..
Blounts reports the President is
satisfied that the movement against
the Queen, if not instigated, was en-
couraged and supported by the re-
preventative OF this Government at
Honolulu; that he promised in ad-
vance to aid her enemies in an effort
to overthrow the Hawaiian Govern
ment, and set up by force new
Government in its place, and that
he kept this promise by causing a
detachment Of troops to be landed"
Mr.. Willis also stated that the
Queen had consented to proclaim
an amnesty for all who took part in
the revolution.
The President OF the Provisional
Government claimed a few days
consideration for his reply, the ma
ture of which may be inferred from
the following extracts:
"We do not recognize the right of
the President of the United States
to interfere in our dome site affairs.
Such right could be conferred upon
him by the act OF this Government,
and by that alone; or it could be- ac-
CURED by conquest. 4 This
Government recognized sovereign
power, equal in authority with the
United States Government, and en-
Toying perfect diplomatic relations
with it, cannot be destroyed by it
for the sake Of discharging its obi.
cations to the Queen"
In short, the answer of the Pro-
visional Government amounted to
this:-"You have been our confeder-
ates in this wrong doing, and are
not clean handed enough to turn
round upon us; we, therefore defy
you" Subsequent events proved
that the Provisional Government of
Hawaii had shrewdly counted upon
the support OF their countrymen in
America, the Press of which-with a
few notable excsptions-declined to
sanction under any circumstances
the possible spilling of American
blood for the purpose of restoring a
native queen and monarchical form
of government. President Cleve.
land Notwithstanding his desire to
repair wrong, felt it politically in
expedient to press matter which
was soon afterwards taken out of his
hands entirely by the recognition
which the United States Senate &C.
corded to the Republic of Hawaii"
In the meantime the Provisional