The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-24
Truth Is Mighty and Has Prevailed


Truth IL Mighty and Has Prevailed
The last resort OF the demoralized defend-
ers OF the course Of the Administration In
the Hawaiian affair. Is to impute their own
tired feeling to the American people. They
profess to think that American citizens are
weary Of the Hawaiian question. and want
to attend to their own business. They pre-
tend not to see that the most vital interests
OF the American community have been inn
perilled by Mr.. CLEvELAND's intended at
tempt to upset friendly Government at
Honolulu 1t Is now patent, however, to
intelligent and candid men Ill over the
country. that the question whether the
revolution Of last January In Honolulu did
or did not derive moral support from Amer
compared with tho portentous question
whether the President can defy and violate
the Constitution by committing an act OF
war against recognized Government.
without the previous sanction OF Congress.
That is question Of superlative import to
every citizen. and 1t must be settled the
moment that Congress convenes. Is the
war-making power to remain In the hands
OF Congress. where the Constitution placed
1t. or is Mr.. CLEVELAND to be suffered to
exercise it at his good pleasure. In defiance
OF our fundamental law2 The people mean
TO have that question answered. and 1t will
fare Ill with the men or with the measures
that stand in the peoples way.
There has never been a more dlsgraceful
exhibition Of partisan servllity than the at
tempt of certain would-be organs OF the Ad-
ministration to confuse and befog their read
ers regarding this transcendent question.
On the appearance OF Mr.. GREsHAM's ex-
traordinary recommendations. these news
papers hastened to betray their ignorance
OF the rudiments OF constitutional and in
ternational law by assuming that the right
Of Mr.. CLEVELAND to upset the Hawaiian
Government was undeniable: that all he
had to do was to discover or manufacture a
moral ground for the exercise OF a power
which they assumed to be unquestionable.
They imagined that. could they convince
their readers that President HARRISON.
through his agents. had directly or indi-
rectly helped to overthrow Queen LILIUo-
KALANI. the right and duty OF President
CLEVELAND TO reverse that act by upsetting
the present Hawaiian Government and re-
storing the Queen. would be universally con-
coded. In other words. they argued on the
would make right They took for grant
ed that the formal recognition of govern
.ment was something with which foreign
powers could play fast and loose. They
were not sufficiently familiar with the ele-
ments of international law to know that the
recognition Of the present Hawaiian Gov
eminent. made by Mr.. HARRISON and az
nrmed by Mr.. CLEVELAND. could not he
aiterward withdrawn by the latter without
committing an act of war. for which tho au-
thorization Of Congress is indispensable.
1t is now little less than fortnight
since the publication Of Mr.. GREsHAM's
amazing recommendations publication
which must have been authorized by M.
CLEvELASD-forced the American people
10 consider whether the President was pro-
posing to usurp powers expressly reserved
TO Congress by the Constitution. All con-
ceiyable attempts to distract attention
from this predominant question have been
made by Administration newspapers; but
all those attempts have failed; and
their fnilure has left their authors In a
very tired condition. We assure them. how
ever. that their present fatigue is as moth
ing to the exhaustion which they are des-
tined TO experience. when Congress reas-
and compels Mr.. CLEVELAND to
state Immediately and plainly, whether he
imagines that the slightest trace of the
power is vested by the Con-
stitution in the Federal Executive.
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