-THE HOTEL ALEXANDER-
New York, July 24, 1897

To His Excellency HON. WILLIAM MC.KINLEY
President of The United States;

MY DEAR SIR; -
I have this day authorized my Secretary, Mr. Joseph Heleluhe, to forward to you certain petitions of the Hawaiian people which were entrusted to him as their Commissioner by the patriotic societies they have organized. I write you these lines simply to confirm the statements made by him in his letter to you.

It would have been a pleasure to me to have met you in person, and it was expected on the part of the Hawaiian nation that I would have had the opportunity to tell you of their great trust in the United States government, their love of their own independence, and their hope that although they are without official representation in Washington, you would be pleased willingly to listen to their prayers. But since circumstances have ordered otherwise, I can only com- mit to your careful consideration their present unhappy condition,as that of the weak in the grasp of the strong, and assure you of my unfaltering trust that the Almighty Ruler of the Universe may guide your councils into the ways of justice to all and peace to those most interested.

Very sincerely yours,
Liliuokalani

Source = U.S. Presidential files(?) Scanned phtocopy of microfilmed original

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