Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-12-22
The Hawaiian Message.

1t has been very pidin ioi nooiiJ
mast that President Cleyaland's obnoxious
policy of restoring the rotton throne oil the
shameless Liliuokalani as complete ana
i0nominious failure. 1t has been repudi-
ated by the American people and has col
Iansed in Hawaii. Never before in this
generation has any measure of any Admin
istration been SO odious and unpopular.
The only question left was how the Presi-
dent would seek to extract himself from
his dismal dilemma with the least humilia-
ton. His message sent to Congress Is
desperate attempt, not to save his pohcy
which is hopelessly crushed, but to retrieve
its tattered character in the public estlma-
ton.
The message adds very little light to
what was already known. The only Tea
ture of new interest are the instructions 10
Minister Willis and the indications OF the
prososed method of restoring the monar-
chy, Minister Willis was accredited TO
President Dole. He presented his creden-
tials with the most friendly and gracious
speech. At the same moment he was un-
der instructions to conceal his mission
from the Government to which lie was
sent but to inform the pretender Queen at
the earliest possible hour that she was to
be restored provided she would grant am
nesty to her opponents. The Provisional
Government was not to receive any intim-
alton until every arrangement had been
made with the Queen. The most impor-
tant despatch of Mr.. Willis is suppressed.
We are not allowed to see his report of the
situation as he found it. But the President
states that the Queen did not assent to the
proviso, and thus that his plan was frus-
trated. If the Provisional Government re-
fuse to yield, Mr.. Willis was to report;
but it is given out that because OF the
hitch with the Queen the subject was never
presented to it ct all, and we know Its an.
swer, not through the Minister or the Pres
ident, but only BY the ringing message oil
both the Government and the people Of
Hawaii that they would never submit te
the re- establishment of the offensive mon
archy,
This is the story as the President gives
it, but it excites the suspicion that there il
something left untold. Why should the
Queen hesitate to grant amnesty if she
could be restoredf Why should she not b'
willing to forgive il she obtained the prize
Could there be any other rational explana
tion than that she knew she could not holt
her throwni Did she not also answer thai
she would not accept the throne unless thu
United States would guarantee to sustain
itf Why is the despatch of Mr.. Willis o
November l6 suppressed Is it because
it reveals these thingsf And do not thu
facts thus suggested completely answe
the Presidents whole argument that thu
revolution rested on America Intervention
There is internal evidence to sustain thi
view. Mr. Gresham's telegram of Decem
Der instructs Mr.. Willis that If the Queer
asks whether the United States will main
tain her on the throne he is to answer tha
the Pre- sident cannot use force without th'
authority of Congress. Why was that in
struction given at that late day unless the
question had been raisedf The Admins
tration had heard from the country. Their
was q universal protest. Congress wa
just meeting. The President was to b
called to account. And so the instruction
that no force was to be used was sent of
But sent at that time il convicts the mon
archy and it does not save the PRESIDENT
Press.