The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-25
HAWAII AND THE CANAL.
An Important Step Faced by the
Administration.

hulllllSlldIlUH,
Government Aid to the Projected
Waterway Through Nicaragua Loom
ing Up-If 1t is Given the Posses
sion of the Canal the Hawaiian
Islands Become of Immense I'M
portance From a Strag etio Stand
point.
Washington, Dec. 24-The ATTEMPT of
the administration to restore Queen
Lliuokalani to the Hawaiian throne
has certainly ceased. No one doubts
longer that Minister Stevens machina-
tions aided to bring about the revolution
that dragged her from the throne and
resulted in the establishment of the pro-
visional government but the efforts of
Mr.. Cleveland to make retribution for
Stevens abuse of power have failed, first
because the queen was unwilling to ac-
cept the conditions of general amnesty
which he imposed for those VINO took
part in the revolution; secondly,
because the provisional govern
ment had in the meantime acquired a
strength which prevented it's overthrow
except at the point of the bayonet, and
thirdly, because the queen recognized
that if restored the same power which
again placed her on the throne should
agree to maintain her there. Manifestly
it was neither the province or the duty of
the United States to undertake to carry
out this latter condition-once restored,
the duty of this government towards the
queen ended. The United States could not
undertake to uphold and sustain foreign
monarchy in perpetuity. Queen LilI must
take her chances and this she declined to
do.
Thus President Cleveland spoke in his
last letter of instructions TO Minister
Willis. So, too, regarding the use Of
force to establish the monarchy, if she
agreed to the condition of amnesty. 1t
was beyond the constitutional power of
President Cleveland, and he so declared
In other words the executive branch of
the government was in check. 1t had
gone to the limit of its authority. Diplo-
macy had failed. Mr.. Cleveland, there
fore, in his message, turned the matter
over to congress. The democrats gener-
ally support the policy of the adminlstra-
tion in this matter, and will defend the
justice of Mr.. CleYeland's po-
sition to the last call
upon the floor of congress, but no one has
suggested that force ought to be resorted
to to restore the statu quo ante bellum.
In short, since the provisional govern
ment has fortified itself since the revolu-
tion, and as the queen distinctly refuses to
grant the only condition upon which the
administration could undertake her re-
storation, the democrats think the matter
ought to be allowed to rest in its present
position, and that Hawaii should be per-
mitted to work out its own salvation.
THE NICARAGUA CANAL.
There are indications which point to a
possible change of policy on the part of
the administration. Hawaii may become
a necessary part of great project which
MIR. Cleveland expects to make one of the
most prominent and conspicuous features
of his last term in the white house 1t is
nothing more or less than a determina-
tion to push through the Nicaragua
canal with government aid. The canal
company is practically bankrupt and its
promoters have for several years been
trying to induce the government to come
to its rescue. A bill for this purpose was
up in the last congress, but the terms
were too liberal to the stockholders and it
did not pass either house.
No one, however, has ever doubted the
gigantic benefit that would accrue to the
United States if it should complete and
control waterway across the Isthmus of
Darien. The benefits from a financial
point of view, for the government, would
far surpass those of the Suez canal to
England, besides the untold advantage it
would bring to our carrying trade in
shortening distances for vessels plying
between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts,
and the consequent reductions in over
land freight it would cause by bringing
the railroads into competition with water
transportation. A glance at the follow
ing table will show the immeasurable ad-
vantage to the American carrying trade
if the canal were in operation:
From Via Via Distance