These American planters wanted the United States to annex the islands for economic reasons. The Senate had considered a treaty aimed at the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands to the territory of the United States. Under the U.S. Constitution and laws, the expansion of America's borders is a manifestation of the highest attribute of sovereignty. If the annexation was ever concluded in the form of an executive act, everything concerning the transaction had to be clear and free from suspicion. Grover Cleveland was president at the time and he totally opposed the treaty and annexation and would not allow it to continue. Cleveland even had a message accompanying the treaty, which stated that "...the overthrow of the monarchy has in no way been encouraged by this government" (Grover Cleveland