ole purpose of submitting her
case to the enlightened justice of the United States.

Believing, therefore, that the United States could not, under the
circumstances disclosed, annex the islands without justly incurring the
imputation of acquiring them by unjustifiable methods, I shall not again
submit the treaty of annexation to the Senate for its consideration, and
in the instructions to Minister Willis, a copy of which accompanies this
message, I have directed him to so inform the Provisional Government.

But in the present instance our duty does not, in my opinion, end with
refusing to consummate this questionable transaction. It has been the
boast of our Government that it seeks to do justice in all things
without regard to the strength or weakness of those with whom it deals.
I mistake the American people if they favor the odious doctrine that
there is no such thing as international morality; that there is one law
for a strong nation and another for a weak one, and that even by
indirection a strong power may with impunity despoil a weak one of its
territory.

By an act of war, committed with the participation of a diplomatic
representative of the United States and without authority of Congress,
the Government of a feeble but friendly and confiding people has been
overthrown. A substantial wrong has thus been done which a due regard
for our national character as well as the rights of the injured people
requires we should endeavor to repair. The Provisional Government has
not assumed a republican or other constitutional form, but has remained
a mere executive council or oligarchy, set up without the assent of the
people. It has not sought to find a permanent basis of popular support
and has given no evidence of an intention to do so. Indeed, the
representatives of that Government assert that the people of Hawaii are
unfit for popular government and frankly avow that they can be best
ruled by arbitrary or despotic power.

The law of nations is founded upon reason and justice, and the rules of
conduct governing individual relations between citizens or subjects of a
civilized state are equally applicable as between enlightened nations.

The considerations that international law is without a court for its
enforcement and that obedience to its commands practically depends upon
good faith instead of upon the mandate of a superior tribunal only
give additional sanction to the law itself and brand any deliberate
infract