Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1894 — A HAWAIIAN MESSAGE. [ARTICLE]

A HAWAIIAN MESSAGE.

“Great Cry and Very Little Wool.” Farther Details—lnstruction* to Minister WilUs—President Dole’s Reply to tlie Demand for the Queen’s Restoration. The President, Saturday, sent to Congress all correspondence relative to Hawaiian affairs since his last message, with the following explanatory note: To the Cbngres: I transmit herewith copies of all dispatches from our minister to Hawaii, relating in any way to political affairs in Hawaii, except such as have heretofore been sent to Congress, I also _ send copies of instructions sent on January 12,18D4. being the. only instructions to him that, have not been sent to Congress. In my former messages to Congress I withheld dispatch No. 3. under date of November 16, 18'33. and also dispatch No. TO, under date of October 8, 1833. Inasmuch as the contents of dispatch No. 3 are all referred to in a dispatch of more recent date, and inasmuch as there seems to by no longer reason for witholding it, tlie same is herewith submitted. Dispatch No. 70 is still withheld, for reasons that Seem to be justifiable and proper. « Grover The last instructions forwarded to Minister Willis were dated January 12, and in brief were as follows: To Willis. Minister,-Honolulu: Your dispatches numbered 14 to 18, inclusive, show that you have rightly comprehended the scope of your instructions, and have, as far as was in j-our power, discharged the onerous duty confided in you. The President sincerely regrets that the provisional government- refuses to acquiesce in the conclusion which his sense of right and duty, and .a due regard for our national honor, constrained liini to reach, and to submit, as a measure of justice, to the people of the Hawaiian islands and their deposed sovereign. While it is true that tliy provisional government was created to exist only until the islands were annexed to the United States, and ‘that the Queen finally, but reluctantly, surrendered to an armed force from this government, illegally quartered in Honolulu, and representatives of the provisional government (which realized its impotence and was anxious to get control of the Queen’s means of defense) assured her that if she would surrender her case would be subsequently considered by the United States. The President has never claimed that such action constituted him an arbiter in the technical sense or authorized him to act in that capacity between the provisional government and the Queen. On tlie 18th ultimo the President sent a special message to Congress communicating copies of Mr. Blount’s report and the instructions given to him and to you. Th*. President therein announced that the conditions of restoration suggested by him to the Queen had not proved acceptable to her, and that since the instructions sent to you to insist upon these conditions he had not learned that the Queen was willing to assent to them. The matter now being in the hands of Congress, the President will keep that body fully advised of the situation. You will until further notice consider that your special t instructions upon this subject have been fully compiled with. Gresham, Secretary of State. The, last dispatch received from Minister Wit Its; enclosed with this correspond—cnee, was as follows: Legation of the U. S., Honolulu, I December 23, 1893.12 Midnight, f Sir—President Dole has just delivered in person this hour (midnight) the answer of the provisional government, declining to accept the decision of the President of the United States—a copy of which Is . herewith inclosed. The revenue cutter Corwin is under sailing orders and will leave hero in a few minutes for San Francisco. I will on Tuesday acknowledge the receipt of the answer of the provisional government, notifying it that the President of the United States will be informed thereof and that no further steps will be taken hy me until I shall have heard from him. 1 shall deliver a similar communication totheQuoen, AlbertS. Willis. President Dole’s.reply is of considerable length and reviews the question from an annexation standpoint in the manner so often published. He emphatically states that the project of political union with the United States will continue to be the conspicuous feature of the foreign policy of the provisional government and positively refuses to surrender to the ex-Queen the governmental affairs, as demanded by the President. He states that the government of the United States lias no right to interfere in the affairs of the islenJs, and in conclusion says: I am instructed to inform you, Mr. Minister, that the provisional government of the Hawaiian islands respectfully and unhesitatingly decline to entertain the proposition of the President of the United States that it should surrender its authority to tlie ex-Queen. This answer is made not only upon the grounds hereinbefore set forth, but upon our sense of duty and loyalty to the brave men whoso commissions we hold, who have faithfully stood by us in the hour of trial, and whose vyill is the only earthly authority wo recognize. We cannot betray the sa.cred trust they have placed in our hands—a trust which is the cause of Christian civilization in the interests of the whole of these islands. ' Sanford B. Dole, Minister of the Foreign Office. The City of Peking arrived at San Francisco, U an. 13. bringing Honolulu advices to Jan. 5, which state that the situ- . ation is unchanged and that all is quiet.