The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-05-05

1
resist, they could only protest. They
remained quiet at the bidding of their
native rulers, and by and bye another
English Admiral cameand hauled down
the British flag, hoisted and saluted the
Hawaiian and restored the government
to its rightful hands. 1t is not to be
supposed we believe, that the United
States will act less justly and honorably
in 1898 than Great Britain did fifty
years ago. That is what we tell our
people"
1t must not be supposed that the
native people are without excitement
They feel the situation kccnly and a
movement is now on foot by which
natives, men and women, on all the isl
ands are getting names 81 a petition
asking for the restoration Of the Queen.
But they are so well in hand that the
other day when great crowd witnessed
with JOY the reinstatement of the Ha.
wsiian flag over the government build
ing, while they took off their hats there
was not a shout or a hurrah, because
the Queen had expressed a desire for
absolute quiet and no demonstration.
This act of Col Blount removing the
troops, taking away the American flag
and hosting the Hawaiian flag was, as
they do not conceal, extremely unpleas-
ant to the provisional government and
its adherents, 1t showed in its results
the falsity Of their plea that life and
property were in danger and required
foreign protection.
BLoUNT's SILENT WAY.
ought to say that Colonel Blounts
mysterious powers and his very Judi
cious conduct keep all eyes here on
him. He is the most silent man they
have ever seen out here. He is acccs
slble to everybody of all parties; he
listens to all who come to him; but as
Everybody reports he never says a
word.
ale gets more out of you than any.
body | ever knew" said a disappointed
man to me to day "but he never tells
anybody anything of what he knows,
thinks or means to do"
Moreover they say Of him that he is
friendly even genial, with everybody,
but shows by his occasional questions
that he knows a great deal about
island affairs, and by the few orders he
has so far given, that when he acts he
means business. They have given him
clever niCknames here. They call him
the Minister Reticent Mr.. Stevens
being still the Minister Resident
must confess that, so far as | am con
cerned, Colonel Blount eminently de
serves this title.
The present situation is this:-The
provisional government continues to
exist, but is slowly losing adherents.
1t would go to pieces by slight push,
but it is the policy of the native leaders
and their American advisers net to
push, but to wait The provisi nal
government leaders have no hope ex-
cept in annexation. They know and
confess that they cannot maintain an
independent existence, but would be
voted down at once, not merely by the
natives, but by considerable number
Of Americans and other foreign resi-
dents. The impression of careful OBJ
servers is that they are in the situation
of the man who held a bear by the
paws and did not know how to let 90
without help. They would quit if they
saw how to quit. The influence Of the
Queen and all her advisers is exerted
SO far to keep the people absolutely
quiet, waiting for President Cleveland's
decision which they believe will be just
and will restore the constitutional gov,
eminent. No one except very few
absurd people fears any violent or law
less outbreaks outside of Honolulu, and
here only if annexatiunists should un-
endurably irrtate the people, as some
of the less judicious seen inclined to to.
THE PKAR" NOT so RIPE.
The American Minister, Mr.. Stevens,
though substantially fnnctns oticio,
Colonel Blount having plenary powers,
still goes about urging and encourag-
ing annexation. His speedy removal
would help the situation here and per-
haps be welcome to him, as he has
certainly discovered by this time that
''the pear" is not so ripe as in his queer
dispatches he persuaded Mr. Harrison
it was. A republic does not seem to
be favored by anybody here.
| The Provisional Government people
declare against a republic very positive
ly. They want only annexation, and
thereby declare themselves consciously
incapable Of ruling, as indeed their
misconduct before this revolution
showed them to be, for their only aim
was then to make regular govern
ment impossible by upsetting successive
Cabinets.
| ought, perhaps, to say something
about the questions of which much has
been written-opium and the lottery
AS to the opium question, the provis-
ional and annexation people opp sed
very foolshly, as | think, a proposition
to admit opium under high duty and
with strict guards against its Illicit in,
production, and thus while limiting the
use to secure revenue from it. They
demanded that its introduction should