New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-16

Commissioner Blount has performed an at
in Hawaii which can be described in no 9th Il
way than as involving National humlliati n.
Fortunately for Mr.. Blount and fer the Ad-
minitiation he represents, his act OF hauling
down the American flag from the Government
building at Honolulu does not render a change
Of the situation there necessary or imminent.
It has been supposed in this country that Mr.
| Blount was sent 10 Hawaii a. an investigator.
| # was not supposed that he had been sent t.
lebukc and humiliat' the American Minister
| VIII, has so well guarded our interests thcr, IN
| the presence cf the people among whom hi>
| duties had been performed I'm this aspect Vi.
| Blount's act. If performed as matter q DIS
crctDn. was disgraccful. All that was ncccS-
sary i'm order to render the rcl1tionS Of Tho
| Hawaiian Government with our HovcInm' N
sufficiently independent for the purposes al a
negotiation had been accomplished by Hccc'1r}
Fosters letter ind eating the extent 10 which
our protection could properly be offered. To-.
Mr.. BlouIt to 90 Out there. presenting him> II
as the superior If Minister Stevens, and fJr
him TO priced 20 disayOw and undo the Official
acts Of the Minister pending al least. the final
determination by this AdmniSti alton Of the
main question in relation 10 Hawaii. was Il
.pcc.arlc of Ialtsin politics that can but rc1-
der our Nation contemplate in the eyes Of tho
world Mr. Clcyelands method Of dealing with
the Hawaiian affair has been. from the first.
cpcn t. serious criticism. We have avoid d
>a,ing ANYTHING about it. because have as
sumed thai no intelligent ard pltriotc Am'r-
can, who studies the question consccniou,ly
and on whom is thrown the responsibility cf
off En..
TO us can fail. sooner CT later t. see his duty
as President Harrison saw it, and on mere
questions Of method we have felt that the new
Admin >tration was entitled 10 the lirgcst lali-
tude.
Ii must he apr aren't by this t'mc however
that Mr.. Cleveland is pursuing policy fraught
with great danger. The embassy Of Mr.. Bount
was useless. no matter how il is looked al and
conducted as he is conducting it, nothing bur
harm can result There was 10 occasion To send
him or anybody else t. Hawaii for information
because all the information that could possibly
be obtained was Immediately at hand. The
Government possessed. not merely the state
mentS Of the Hawaiian Commissioners who
sought annexation. though it is known that
those stat mcntS were in all respects complete
and exact but it had also the views of the
mOnarchical party communicated by the
Queens representative and Of the native Gle
mcnt communicated by one of themselves
Better than all else, it had the cflic'a report !,
Of Minister Stevens and Of our naval officers
at present and formerly stationed in Hawaii
Beyond these there was no occasion t, 60 50
that in the least doubtful phase of his Grand
it was useless 1t appears, however. that he
has been intrlistcd with power to do things tha.
may seriously affect the question Of anncxa-
tion. Already he has succeeded in embarr So
ing the progress OF our interests Annexation
is matter which the President is not entitled
to decide without reference - Congress and
it is not a secmly proceeding To send out a
commission instructed TO embanass the ne
COLLATION. in advance of dcci.iJn on the part
of the Government in all its branches as 10
the dcsirabilty of the alliance.
SO far As Mr. Blount's in't.uctions and pur-
poses can be judged from his acts. he has gone