Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 157, 7 July 1894 — A FALSE IMPRESSION. [ARTICLE]

A FALSE IMPRESSION.

The So-caIled Republic Is Only Kecognized As A Government De Facto. Wasted Enthusiasm of the Subsidized Organs. Toauybotly who kuows any thing «bout diploiUHtic etiqaette and custom,the enthu.sia.sm displayed by the Star and Adverti*er, because Minister Willis has ackuowledge receipt of a note from Mr. Ilatch, in whieh he was iuformed of the proclamation of a republic is more thun amusing. i The Stur cotues out with the followiug editorial rcmarks that ! read remarkably iuconsisteut ' when compared with the letter of Mr. Willis. The Star writes:— The following oAieial reply of i Uuited State.s Miuister Albert S. Wi!lis, recognizing the Republie of Hawaii as the Jejure Government of the Hawaiian Islands, nas received at the Foreign Office ■ this morning; it is clear, exj<licit ' and significant and needs no | further word of commeut. Miui>tcr M’illia writes: — Legation of the United States) Honolulu, H. 1., July ō, 1894. | Hon. Francis M. Hatcb, Min ister of Foreign Atfairs. Sir: I ! havo the honor to acknowledge ' tlie receipt of your communcation of July 4,1894, stating that “in t pur8unnce of the will of the , Oou>titution«l Conveution l«tely ; convoucd in Honoluln, and of an ( enactment of the Executive aud A<lvisory CounciIs of the Prorisiourtl Governmeut of the H awaiiau ]slands. tho Republic of Hawaii has been established aud this day proclaimed; aud I h iving sneceed to tho power aiul , authoritv <>f said Provisional Oovernrnent. now constitutes the aole aud supreme goverument of Ihe Hawniian Islauds.' You furthor st*te tbat “Sanford , Baliard Dole, in aeeonlunee ' with the ehoiee of tho said Cou- ( atitutioual Convention, as ex- j pressed in the constitution adopt- j ed bv it. has assumed the office j of I’reeident of this Republio, : aud has appointed as his Cabinet, , James A. King. Minister of the 1 Intenor; Simnel M. Damon, Miuister of Fiu»nce; Williain O. Smith, Attorney-Geuernl,” and yoarse)f as Minister of Foreigu Alfaiis. You ineloee for my i luionoulion two copies of thc constitntiou adopted by said : Couventiou, and express the hope i th«l *‘the good wiii whieh has for so m.«ny years ch «racterized the . relnti>>us of yuur Governroent to i fonner Governmeuts of Hawaii | mav be extended to the Repnhlie.” * In reply to yoor note reciting the foregoiug facts, I have the houor to iuforra yoo that I bere- ' by, us far as I bave the right so 1 do to. extend to the Repoblic of , Hawaii the recognition acconied to its prede«*»ssor. the Provisī«>n- j kl Government of the Hawaiiaa 1s1hikIs. I do this in the belief that 1 represent the President of the l’nited States, to whom. as the Exeentive Chief of the Governmeot. my action in the premises will be promptlv submitted for necessary approv»J. Joingiug with you io the exprcssed' hope th»t the cordi»I international relations of the past will bc cuutinueJ io the luture,,

and with assarances of esteem. I am. sir, Very respectfully, Albekt S. TYillis, Envoy Eitraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary ; U.8.A. Tbe eothnsiasm of the Star and the other ignorant followers of the Dole-Hatch combination, is created becaose, thev construe the letter ol Mr. TViIlis as eontaining an acknowledgement of the repnblic as a government Je jure, that means, a government 1 with whieh international relations ean be had treaties made and full sovereign eqnality given. How such an impression ean have been created is really puzzliug. It is stated, tbat it eroanated fiom i the foreign office. Everybo«ly conversant with the situation, would be aware that every diplomatic or consular representative is obliged to rec- ' ognized any government of a country, in whieh his dnties eompel him to stay as a de facto ! government. A refusal to do so, would finish his diplomatic or consnlar standing, and his office would be of no useto his countrv- ' men iu whose service and for whose protection he was appointj ed by his home goverument. The provisional government was ! recognized by Mr. Stevens, even i before it was proclairaed as the ’ Je facto government of Hawaii, and although, the actions of Mr. Stovens have boen disavowed aud comīemned by the Cleveland ailministration, there was no possibilitv to ignore or eaneel the said recognition, except throngh , a declaration of war’ The reci ognition of Mr. Willis, is of the I Je ficto government pendiug further instructions. If Mr. Dole had chosen to eall his government au empire, a commonwealth, or ; stvle«l hiraself dictator or forraed 1 * , I a triumvirate in company with Hatch aml Smith, Mr. Willia wouhl have written a similar letter aud recognized the Je fac(o governmeut. There was only one government whieh would have needed no recognition, and whieh wouhl have ma«le no notification of an estab!ishment and that was the, till this day, recognized Je jure i governmeat of whieh Queen Liliuokalaui is the head. The diplomats iu c<«se <>f the restoration would simply be ' ' uotified that the Je jure governineni \vas again inst illed and the | rebellion whieh temporarily de- | prive the legal government of its authority had been suppressc-d. And they would all have h«stened to >«cknowledge the receipt of , the informatiou and taken the occrtsion to reuew their assurances of etc. etc. That the provisional government was not a Jt jure govern- ! ment, the Star eoukl have learned by refereuce the Greshara- | Willis correspondence, and even to the Stevens ietters. Under date of October 18,1893, Mr. Gresham writes to Mr. Willis a letter marked ‘Confidential” in whieh he says: * * * “it is necessan* to commanicate to you, iu coofideDce, special instructions for your guidance in so far a$ concerns tbe relations of tbe government of tba United j Stat«s toirarJs tke Je /aelo govemmeni of the Hauaiian IsUinJs.” On January 18,1893, Mr. J. L. Slevens wrote to SocreUry Foster: “ī promptiy recognized the l>rovision«l government as the de facto government of the Haw&iian Islands.” So moeh for tbe Je jure queslion.

Let as now see on wbat tbe Dole government b»se their hopea and on what Mr. Willi» eipres><?3 himself as entertainiog “a belief that I represent tbe President of theUnited States,“ recognizing the repnblic. The relations between tbe provisional government and President Cleveland cannot be very cordial l>ecause. tbe p. g. was very politely asked by tbe very gentleman who “believes , that he represents President Cleveland'’ to step down and ont. Bat better thau anywhere else is Clevelaud’s principles aud sentiments shown in the fol!owing words used by him in his famons message to Congress, ‘ “While natarally sympathizing with every effort to establish a republican forra of government, it has been the settled policy of , the Uuited States to concede to the people of foreign coantries : tbe same freedora and indepen- ! dence in the management of their affairs, that we have always claimed fni ourselves; and it bas been our practice to recognize revolutinnary governments a.s soon us it heeame apparent Oiat they uvi'e supported by the people. For illustration of this rule, I need only refer to tho revolution in Brazil in 18S9. when our Minister was iustructed to recognize the Kepuhlie "so aonn as a rnajurity of the people ofBrazil should have signified their assent to its establishment and raaintenance.” To tne revolution in Chile in 1S91 ; when onr Minister was directed to recognize the new government, "if il uas aeeepiai by the people. ' If Minister Willis after reading the above, still “believes that he represents the President of the United States” by encouragiug a recognition of governraent estab1 lished against the will of the 1 people. based on a fundamental law not ratified by the people, and built on principles opposed to that whieh is sacred to every American, the will of the people then. we sav, His Excellencv . i must possess great faculties in the “believing” line.