Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1894 — REPORT ON HAWAII. [ARTICLE]

REPORT ON HAWAII.

MINORITY CHARGES VIOLATION OF THE CONSTITUTION. The Republican Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee Say President Cleveland Overstepped His Powers Tariff Will Precede Other Legislation. Unworthy the Nation. Washington correspondence: The minority report cn the resolutions presented by Chairman McCreary on the day Congress adjourned as a substitute for the Hitt resolutions has been finished. It was prepared by Mr. Storer of Ohio, and isgigned by Messrs. Hitt, Harmer, Blair, Draper, and Van Vorhis of New York. It is very voluminous, and goes in detail into the whole history of Mr. Blount's appointment as commissioner paramount and tho churse of the administration, it reads in part: When President Cleveland was inaugnra’ed. March 4. lsox. the Hawallans were under the control of a republican goveri ment recognized, »ot only Dy the United States but by every civilized nation. This government was in name provisional, but was, in fact, to rtirnin In existence for an Indefinite period, until the time when terms of union with the United States shou’d hive been agreed npon. The Minister Plenipotentiary of the Un ted States to Hawaii was In person at his post and the Senate of the United Mates was in session. The President sent to the Senate the name of Mr. Gresham as Secietsrv of State, and that body, March 5, confirmed the appointu ent* It wrs at that t Ime publicly stated, though as yet not officially known, that James M. Blount started fio:u Washington March 7 on a mission to the Hawaiian Islands with verbal secret Instructions from tho President. If this be trne, his snbscquent written Instructions, not made public until November last, must have been forwarded to Mr. Blount after his departure from Washington. aB they bear date March 11. The treaty sent to the Senate by the outgoing administration Feb. 14, was withdrawn bv the President March it, between the time of Mr. Blount’s departure and the date of his wrltt n Instructions. Then follow copies oT the instructions to Mr. Blount, with Mr. Cleveland s greeting to President Dole. Tho narrative then proceeds to re ate Mr. Blount's action in hauling down the American flag and the investigation which he made. It then discuses at length tho President s power to appoint a diplomatic officer arme 1 with powers given to Mr. Blount without the consent of tho Senate. The report goes on: This covers all that is needed to show how the President Ignored the plain language of the constitution. He has assumed to appoint of his own volition, without the advice of the senate, a diplomatic officer with paramount powers. To try to argue that Mr. Blount was not a diplomatic officer of the United States, but only “my represmtative, is Idle.” There Is no ground of debate now whether the present Hawaiian Government was rightly or wrongly established nearly twelve months ago. The Issue Is directly before the House whether to api rove and commend the course of the present administration as db-closed by himself. If a President, without the consent of the Senate, can send a paramount diplomatic officer to supersede a minister, leaving the latter only routine duties, he may do It in Great Britain or In Germany as well as in the Hawaiian Islands. That officer, according to the President’s apologists, is only the "President’s commissioner” and not an officer In the diplomatic services of the United States. The san- e right asserted hereto appoint an ambassador under the name of a commissioner would allow the President to appoint any agent of his own without conference with any other branch of the government to exercise judicial functions paramount to Judges already In offleo by and with the Senate's consent. After a review and consideration of the oonrse of this administration as appears from its own records, the minority of your committee have no hesitation In recommending the adoption of the following substitute for the resolution reported by the majority: “Whereas, Executive comunications to Congress disclose that the executive department has been furnishing to a MinisterTlenlpotentary of the United States *ecret instructions to conspire with the representatives and agents of a deposed and discarded monarchy for the overthrow of a friendly republican f overnment, duly recognized by all the civilzed nations to which said minister was accredited, and to which hlB public instructions pledged the good faith and sympathy of the President, the Government and the people of the United States."Resolved, That It Is the sense of this House that such Intervention by the executive of the United States, its civil or military representatives or officers, without authority of Congress. Is a dangerous and unwarranted invasion of the rights and dignities of the Congress of the United States, and a violation of the law F of nations, and further “Resolved. That the manner of such -attempted intervention by the executive and methods used are unworthy of tho executive department of the United States, while the confessed intent of such Intervention Is contrary to the policy and tradition of the Republic and the spirit of the Constitution.”