Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 216, 5 May 1893 — UNDOING A WRONG. [ARTICLE]

UNDOING A WRONG.

Commi9giouer Blount. in nrdering the Un<ted Ststes fl »g to be removed from the Capitol ot Hawaii and the,Wnited States marines to the B<'8ton, gave instant assurance that the autonomy of the island9 will ba respected by this government and not violently «ubjugated— Why the Commissioner f„und our flag still floatiug as the symbol of authority in the nation is almost incomprehensible? The act of Minister Stevens in raising it was dis-avowed by President Harrison as soon as it was known. Mueh as President Harrison desired to neeomplieh the annexation whieh the Provisional Goverumont of Hawaii wa« attempting tonegotiate, he apprehended the impropriety of such premature assumption of sovereignty and sent this emphaīie desoatch to Minisler Stevens. So far as yonr action may appear to overstep tiiat limit, by s?tting the authority au-i power of the United Statee above that of the Government of the //awaiian Islaods in the capacity of protector, or to impair in any way the indej'endeat sovereignty of the H awaiian Govemment by snbstitating the flag and the power of the United Statee as the symboI and manifestation of jiaramoant authohty, it is disavowed. To this poimed rebuke Minister Stevens, as it now appear9, paid no attention whatever. When Mr. Blount arrived a month afterwards the emhlem of our sovereignty waa elili flying over the government buiidings, and the United State« marices were stili supporting m

iv>wer the 3ocaIlrd ProvisionaI Gotermnent. whieh, appareatly waafraid to relv on tnt c»*nsēut or tolerance of the H iwaiian people. Thīs circuni5tti -e? pl.iinly ind;cate that the u revoluti >n” wa< nothing but a filibusterii<g mt veoient. They tend to eonfirm the log’<c;il inference from all tbe faets th?t were previous'v known. From ; the beginning the whole «tf.iir has had a most *U3picious character showing the earmarka of a eonspiracy by interesteil p.irties, chiefly f<»reigner3. to capture control of the country f<r seifish end» — How mueh reason they h i<i before hand f-»r preauming that their filibnstering scheme would be i sanctioned and promoled by the Administration ihen in power in ■ Washington may never be known. but all their |»r<veeding3 sugg»st that thev had abundant contidence. Fortunately for the h"nor of the American name, a snap conclusion of the plot was prevented by the urgent protests of the American people. Now there is a ehanee that justice will be done. What ever that issue, it will not be brought about by intimidation and outrage practised upon a feeble people. Their voice will be heard. Their rghts will not be abused. They will notbe defrauded at the demand of speculators, and adventurers. As for Minister Slevens, he is in disgrace. Neither Americans nor Hawaiiana ean longer have confidence in him. While Commissioner Blount is in Hawaii with “ paramount authority” Mr. Slevens wiil be unable to do harm and equally unahle to be useful. But be should be peremptorily recalled under censure, and a just and honorable man should be promptly sent out to lake hia plaee.

The following editorial appeared in the San Francisco Exarniner on April 15lh. and seenia to iudicate that a change also has c >me over the dreams of this formerly so rabid jingo and annexation organ. lt has awakened to the fact that the Hawaiian* raav be entitled to a voice in the matter of the dispoeal of their country, even if they don ? t possess all the weahh or the Christian morality or intelligence (save the mark !) of tho imported raongrelpopulalion wh : ch proposed. a while agu, to run the whole shebang to suit themselves. and were at that timehearti!y suj>ported by the San Francisco Examiner. HA WAII OUT 0F HASDCUFFS

Commis3»oner Blount has taken the first 9tep towards the orderiy and dignified annexation of Hawaii by abolighing the uonece83ary protectorate e3tabli8hed by Miniater Stevens. That protectorate waa avowedly instituted to pre§erve the •afety of life and property. That the need for such a measure of precaution, if it ever existed, has ceased. is demonstrated by the fact that not a ripple of disorder has followed ihe abolition of the protectorate. lf the Harrison administration had remained in p»ower and the ratification of the annexation treaty had been delayed until the pre3ent time, Mr. Stevens’ effusive bit of opera-bouffe diplomacy would undoubtedly have heen annulled. just aa it haa been by President Cleveland. Thii is placed beyond qnestion bv the fact lhat the esubli=hment of the protectorat« was explicitly di»avowed and condemned by Secretary of J?tate Foster in the instruction» he s«ut to Minist«r Steveus upon heariag of that remarkable proceedmg. i

It is indeed the policy of the United Stat**s, as it his been f>'r at least fifty year-. to protect Hawaii agai»nt fore gn aggrosssion. I: nee»ls no ostentatious disnlay of tlags to let ihe world kn >w thāt. But it is not, and never his i'-en. our policy to protect any Hawaiiaa Government agaii.-t :ts own }-r><pie. ' And that is «vident:v what Miniater Stevens rneant to do. and what the late Administntion very pro- ] perly rebuked him for doing. The Minister ei}>resser chagrin ai his treatment by Mr. BIount, ' who has carr;eti out his own ide.ts in appareat unconsci<>usnes* of his existeuce. Thet"iiei>f Mr. S:even» reraark? ab *ut the Administration | of whieh he is still an offioial repreaentative, altbough a discrediled and superfluous «>ne, affords all the justiticath<u needed for this cour«e. Mr. Blount ct>uid have obtained no su£gestions of value frotn Minister Steven«. We believe that Hawaii wonldbe a desirable pos»ession, but if we are to obtain it we should do so in accordance with the wisbes of its people. If possible we should have the consent of a majority of the voters, but if not that the very least we ean ask. consistently with our traditious and our self respect, is that the Government that assigns it to us shall represent the etrength and intelligence, if not the uumbers, of the commuuity. We have been told that the junta, headed hy President Dole. conslitutes such a Government. and Mr. Blouut has given it a fair ehanee to show that it does. lf it prove able to stand alone, we ean negotiate with it with digmty. To eonclude a treaty of annexation with a Oovernment nropped up by our own bayonets might accord with the principles of moralily on whieh Russia and England are partitioning Asia. but it would be establishing a new standard for America. It was to be expected that Mr. Blount’s action should meet with vulgar and ignorant abuse from the lower class of partisan opponents of the A lministration. A loeal eveniug conteraporary whioh holds that menof dark eompleiion shou!d have no rights whieh the Caucasian is bound to respect except in our Southern States. where the conditions should l>e reversed, not only denounces the suggestion that we should find out the wi>hee of the Hawaiians before taking their coun*ry away from them, but ponderousiy belabors President Cleveland for ihe conventional deplomatic forms of respeot with whieh he addresses President Dole. It sees impenaliam ” and otber horribie things in these forraal phrases, not having knowledge enough to recall, or sense enough to apply the fact that President Harrison addressed Kalakaua in precisely similar terms, whieh are those employed byevery Pr<-ident when occasion ans*s. Such thinps, are hardly w rth noliee. The people elected Mr. Cleveland to his present poeition, because they thought that he would conscientiously eiamine every question submitte<l to him. In adopting that course with the Hawaiian question he is precisely meeting their views. —— s i