People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1893 — HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS. [ARTICLE]

HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS.

Debate in Congress on the President's Movements Relating to This Subject. In the United States senate on the sth Mr. Hoar (rep.. Mesa.) Introduced a resolution calling on the president for copies of the instructions to Minister Willis and Admiral Irvin touching Hawaii It went over at Mr. Sherman’s suggestion, because of Mz Morgan's absence. Mr. Dolph (rep.. Ore.) then addressed the senate upon that part of the president’s message relating to Hawaii, beginning with expressions of surprise at the president's persistence in forcibly overthrowing the provisional government in defiance of the almost unanimous sentiment of the press. He said it would have been more satisfactory to him and the country if the president bad been a little more explicit as to how the alleged wrong was to be undone. He (Dolph) was justified, however, in assuming that something more than moral suasion was to be exercised in restoring a dissipated, corrupt native queen. A greater crime against civilization could not be committed. He believed that the course of the president had been Inspired by a desire to discredit the action and policy of his predecessor. Mr. Vest (dem.. Mo.) asked Mr. Dolph whether he was arguing in favor of the policy of securing the Hawaiian islands and holding them as a colony. Mr. Dolph’s reply was that he would come to that point after awhile; but he declared that he was in favor of the annexation of the islands, giving them suitable government and exercising control over them. Forcible inter ference to restore the queen's government would be so flagrant a violation of law and justice that even foreign governments would be justified in interfering for its prevention. Iti the course of his speech Mr. Dolph was asked by Mr. Gray (dem., Del) whether the present government of Hawaii was a republic His reply was that it was as republic as any thing else. It was certainly not a monarchy. “And it certainly is not a republic,” said Mr. Gray. “It it is true that force is to be used to restore the queen,” said Mr. Dolph, “that is worse than piracy.” He said the report of Mr. Blount read more like the plea of a zealous lawyer for his side of , the controversy than like the unprejudiced and impartial decision of a judge. Personally he would sooner take the statement of cx-Minister Stevens, the statement of Mr. Thurston, the statements of honorable men who were engaged in the rebellion, the testimony that had come from the enlightened portion of the Hawaiian community, than to take the one-sided, colored report of Mr. Blount and the statements presented in regard to affairs in Hawaii. Mr. Hoar's resolution requesting the president to forward to the senate all the correspondence on the Hawaiian question was debated in the senate on the 6th. Mr. Hoar said the resolution covered the period of three administrations and he hoped and believed that the instructions would show a settled and consistent policy—certainly down to recent time—in regard to which there had been no parly or political differences of opinion. If the president’s message meant anything It meant that the president was meditating the question whether he should iby his own executive authority commit an act of war against a friendly power. It what was apparently proposed to be done had not been done yet Senator Hoar desired that the swift and indignant remonstrance of the American people should make itself felt and be heard. The president, he said, was getting into the habit oi adopting rather extraordinary language in his dealings with the oilier branches of the government Mr. Mills (dem,Tex) opposed the resolution. He denied Senator Hoar’s intimation that the president meditated an act of war; on the contrary. the executive had respectfully submitted the question to congress and given them the information at his disposal, such us he t h ougbt appropriate to submit in his message. The president’s action in the matter had been strictly cohtlned within the limits of executive authority. The only question presented was: Did the United States government interfere and overthrow the existing government of Hawaii? If it did it ■ wai the duty of the people of the United States , represented in the government to make restitution and reinstate the government ! which they had overthrown. Mills asserted' that the entire Hawaiian difficulty i had arisen because the sugar planters ; of Hawaii wanted to obtain the bounty on sugar to be paid to them out of the pockets i ot American citizens. It was not tn the president’s power to wage war against Hawaii, and ! he had not claimed that it was within his power. ; But whatever power the president had in his • hands he hud exercised. The absorption of the ■ islands by the United States was perhaps only I a question of time, tat if that was to come to puss he hoped it would be done decently und in i order.

Mr. Vilas (detn., Wis.) also opposed the resolution. He referred to the remarks of Senator Hoar as to the reported action of the president being an act of war, and asked whether the landing of the troops to overthrow the government by virtue of their force was not an act of war. Mr. Hoar replied that there was no pretense that there was anj' act of force or of war. The troops were landed under the allegation that they were to be used to protect the lives and property of the American citizens. Mr. Hoar said the queen yielded to armed insurrection and not to the American troops Mr. Hill (dem., N. ¥.), said he seldom agreed with the senator from Massachusetts (Hoar), but he did agr.ee with him in this particular, that the resolution was an ordinary and simple one, asking for information from a department ot the government in relation to a most important matter. What the senate might see lit to do when the information was furnished was another and a different subject altogether. He had no reflection to cast on the preceding administration, or on the present administration. It had been publicly hinted that instructions had been given to upset the provisional government, by force, if necessary. That would bring up the question as to whether the president hud the right, by the use of the army or navy and without the consent of congress, to restore the previously-existing status, even conceding that the former government of Hawaii had been overthrown by fraud or force. The information asked for in the resolution was asked because the senate was entitled to it. No good reason had been presented or could be presented why the president should not promptly comply with the resolution There are reasons why the information should be given here and now. Perhaps at this moment the navy of the United Slates, cooperating with the United States minister, might be seeking to destroy the provisional government by force. No senator knew what the president had done, and the resolution simply called upon him to inform the senate cm the subject. He concluded by declaring that on principle there was no objection to the restoration. Mr. Sherman (ren,O.) favored the passage of the resolution. Whether Mr. Stevens was justified in what he did Shermau said he was not prepared to sav, nor would he decide that question until he had the fullest and fairest opportunity of examining what could be said on both sides of the question. There was one thing which appeared to be very plain, and that was that the congress of the United States had not Ix-en treated in the open and fair way in which an administration, a part of the government of the United States, should treat the congress of the United States. The president and the executive officers of the government might as well understand that the people of the United States did not like this. All the facts ought to be communicated to congress. Sherman said that all he desired to say on the present occasion was that if it was the purpose of the president, by the use of military force- to restore the queen in Hawaii, it would be a fatal act of public policy, a great injustice to the people of the United States and almost an insult to the congress of the United States. Mr. Fry (rep., Me.) gave testimony of the high character of Mr. Stevens and declared the readiness of himself and his colleague (Hale) to defend him against any attacks that may be made upon him. The debate was closed by Mr. Call (dem., Fla.), and the resolution was adopted without a division In the house on the 6th Mr. Hitt (rep, 111.) introduced a resolution, which was referred to the committee on foreign affairs, calling on the president to communicate to the house copies of ite instructions gives to our minister to the

Hawaiian islands regarding the protection of the lives and property of American citizens there, or any contemplated change in the form of government The resolution also declares that it is the sense of the house that the intervention by the government of the United States, its representatives or armed forces, in the affairs of a friendly recognized government to restore or overthrow and substitute a monarchy therefor is contrary to the policy and traditions of the republic and the spirit of the constitution. In the senate on the 11 th Mr. Hoar (rep.. Mass.) offered a resolution that the president be requested to inform the senate, if in his opinion it be not inconsistent with the public Interest, whether at any time during the last six months any commissioner or diplomatic agent has been appointed or sent to any foreign country by the president of the United States without the advice and consent of the senate; ' whether any such officer has been given access to tbe files aud records of the United States legation In any foreign country; whether he has been empowered with authority superior to that of any other diplomatic agent of the United States who had previously been appointed by and with the advice and consent of the senate according to law; whether any such commissioner or agent has entered into negotiations with the officials of any foreign power in the name of the United States or in any way communicated or interfered with such officials: whether such officer has assumed the responsibility of hauling down the flag of the Unitee States which had been erected by any duly authorized officer of this government, and whether any such officer has held written communication with the citizens of any foreign nation or the subjects of any foreign power concerning the diplomatic relations of tbe United States with the country to which such citizens belong Mr. Hoar commented upon the fact that the information communicated by tbe president to certain senators under the seal of confidence had been freely given out to the representatives of four newspapers known to be zealous, thorough-going—he had almost said unscrupu-lous-supporters of the administration. It that allegation were true, said Mr. Hoar, it seemed to him as gross a violence to the constitution of the United States as was ever charged upon or imputed to any public official. It was not necessary to say to the senate or to the administration people that an attempt to usurp the power of appointing or commissioning such an officer without the consent of the senate was an attempt to usurp all the diplomatic relations of the government. Mr. Hoar read the Associated Press cablegram from London in which Minister Bayard expressed his opinion on the Hawaiian question. He said that if that dispatch were true it was also true that Great Britain had been taken into a confidence which the administration, senate and the American people had not shared.

If it were true that the president, the senate being in session, had authorized an officer to exercise paramount diplomatic authority in another country with which the United States was at peace, directed the consul and the resident minister to promote his success by every means in his power, placed tbe archives under his complete and untrammeled control, authorized him to employ at his discretion the naval power and to land or withdraw the forces of the United States at tw.ll, and had given him the title which was enumerated as one of the titles of the diplomatic officers in the act of congress, the president was standing (in Hoar’s judgment) upon very slippery ice, and he had better step on to terra tlrma rapidly and at once. If, in the next place, such an official entered that territory and established correspondence with private persons about its public affairs, taking testimony, receiving comm unications and making replies thereto, that officer violated in a most gross and palpable manner the express written law of the American people; and if he reported that action to the president and it was approved and the president made himself an accomplice after the fact, in that violation of law he (the president) was standing upon not only slippery but very thin ice, especially if after that act of this public commissioner he proceeded to decorate him with a new diplomatic appointment. “The ostrich,’’ said Mr. Hoar, “puts its head in the sand and thinks it will not be seen. The rhinoceros hides in his mud puddie and breathes through his nose, and thinks he will not be seen, but neither of these is tit and suitable precedent for the executive of the United States. The people have a right to know, wish to know and will know—le o t me say to my honorable friend—the truth in this matter.” Mr. Gray (dem., Del.) said he aid not intend to be drawn into a discussion of tbe Hawaiian matter,even if the senator from Massachusetts could not restrain himself from an indulgence in his habit of scolding an administration belonging to a party the opposite of his own. He said Mr. Hoar had scolded all through Clevelands administration and had scolded him back into the white house. He did not think the senator from Massachusetts would gain anything from the sober second thought of the American, people by putting up hypothetical cases in regard to which he was wont to deliver himself of the well-conned vituperative phrases with which he had entertained the senate this morning. Nor did he think that our honored representative ,at th? court of St. James would take much detriment by his share of the scolding. Mr. Gray said he thought it would have been better taste all round if the senator from Massachusetts had waited until the official information asked for a few days ago had come to the senate. He wanted to know whether the statements that the senator from Massachusetts had alluded to, with which the public press had been full for weeks past, were indeed true; whether it was a fact that the flag of the United States had been disgraced and dishonored by a superservioeable agent of this government and made to symbolize an act of piracy and aggression, for which every honorable American ought to hang his head in shame—to use the hypothetical language of the senator from Massachusetts. It was very well for tbe senator from Massachusetts and others who agreed with him to ask those who disagreed with them again and again to avert their gaze from what was said to have occurred on those islands in the middle of last January. They desired to know something about that. Mr. Gray thought the resolution should go over until the following day under the rule. Mr. Hoar objected to Mr. Gray giving to his remarks the characterization of scolding. After some further discussion the resolution went over until the 13th.