The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-11-15
armed. it is supposed, with instruct ons

armed, tits supposed, with instruction
TO carry out the purpose of the Cleve-
land administration to restore Queen
Liliuokalani 70 the control of the Ha-
waiian government. The minister is
fortified by an ample naval force, sup
plemented by numerous body of ma
rines, which will be landed If neces-
sary to give effect to the instructions of
President Cleveland. Minister Willis
has probably already reached his desti-
nation and executed the instructions of
his superior
The American people have heard
with surprise the announcement of the
purpose of president of the United
States to employ the mailed hand of
the nation to strike down government
established as protest against imbecile
tyranny, and to reinstate a monarchy
that is itself travesty on the name, a
sort of opera boute monarchy, almost
the last surviving relic of an age of
barbarism, embodying all the vices and
possessing none of the virtues or vigor
of pristine barbarism. The provisional
government, established in January,
has been directing the affairs of Ha-
wall with wisdom and efficiency. The
island kingdom never before had so
good a government, and not since the
days when the United States forces
were employed to execute the man
dates Of the Infamous fugitive slave
law has this government been en-
gagged in business so ignoble as that to
which it is now proposed to prostitute
its powers. There is neither rhyme nor
reason in the conclusion of Secretary
Gresham. Even if Minister Stevens
committed the wrong charged upon
him, from what code of morals does the
secretary derive authority to commit
second and greater wrong to put right
the first instance of alleged wrong
doingp The process of reasoning that
leads the secretary TO his conclusions is
worthy of the man whose convic-
tons led him TO abandon the repub-
lican fold and seek refuge and accept
honors in the camps of his lifelong po-
litical opponents. His course Of
reasoning, and the indignation he feels
over the wrongs done to a "feeble but
Independent state" smack great deal
more of desire to reverse and to cover
with dis grace the last important act of
Benjamin Harrison, his old-time polit-
ical rival, and whom the American peo-
Pile had wisely preferred to the man
who now occupies the chair of secre-
tary of state, than of a sincere desire 10
do justice to the Hawaiian queen. The
real animus of all this elaborate pur-
administration in this Hawaiian matter
lies in the fact that that action was
taken by republican administra-
tion-and, as John Sherman observed, if
the ten commandments had been en-
acted by the republican party, the
democracy would have moved heaven
and earth TO secure their repeal.
The " legitimacy" of The sovereignty
of the Hawaiian queen is the keystone
of the arch of Secretary Greshan's rea-
soping. Because Liliuokalani is the le-
ultimate ruler of Hawaii, and because
the erring ex-Minister Foster conspired
with others, Shy force and fraud" TO
drive this legitimate" queen from her
throne, therefore the United States
naval power must be employed to crush
the Legitimate provisional govern
ment and reinstate the legitimate
queen! Secretary Gresham has the dis
tinction, we believe, of being the first
American-ceriainly the first Ameri
can secretary of state-to recognize the
divine right" of kings aud queens to
rule. Since the days of Tomas Jeffer-
son and his compeers, Americans have
taken little stock in the divine right of
any man or woman, or the descendants
OF any man or woman, to rule mankind.
So it sounds curious to hear high
American official maintaining the legit-
imacy of ihe rule of the fag-end of a
royal line of barbarians against a gov
eminent established by revolution,
which is, to large extent, a repre-
sentative government, managing with
wisdom and intelligence the affairs of a
kingdom from whose councils states
manship aud virtue have long been ex-
lies. The provisional government of
Hawaii, on every consideration, is the
one which commends itself to the sup
port and sympathy of people who
won their freedom by rebelling against
the sovereignty of a king whose legiti-
macy was beyond question.
Money in Elections.