New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-10
PRICE THREE CENTS.
THE TREATY WITHDRAWN.
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND SENDS TO Tm
SENATE FOR THE ANNEXATION
CONVENTION.

HAPs ONLY LITTLE poLITIos-THE
NEW ADMINISTRATION WANTS THE
CREDIT OF TREATY.
(BY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUxE.1
Washington, March 9.-In brief message -
the Senate, President Cleveland to-day requested
the return of the Hawaiian annexation
treaty to the Department Of State, and
the Senate in accordance with custom, promptly
sent the convention back. On the surface this
withdrawal of the treaty may look like the
first step of return 10 the retrograde ana
spneless foreign policy of the first Cleveland Ad.
ministration, the recall from the Senate BY sn
incoming President of a pending diplomatic con-
vention being considered equivalent in most In
stances to definite reputation of the agree
ments made by the retiring Executive. II V
understood however, that President Cleveland and
Secretary Gresham have no serious intention OF
weakening and dscreditng the new Adminstra-
ton at the very outset by a positive refusal to
reap the fruits of the last Administrators
prompt and sensible acceptance of the practically
unconditional proposal Of annexation brought 70
Washington by the commissioners OF the ITO.
visional Government of Hawaii. Both the Presl-
dent and Secretary are said to be in favor OF
the absorption of the islands into the Cniteo
States and even If they were not entireiy saV
isfed with the present scheme OF annexation they
would hesitate about throwing away the unique
opportunity now presented of securing that con-
troll and authority over the Hawaiian group
which it has been the tradition OF American
diplomacy to assert and to prepare for. Inc
new Administration is not above LITTLE pea
nut politics." however, in the accomplishment OF
the Hawaiian annexation project III Is unuc.'
stood that the President and the Secretary both
1,,,ini fraf lou
cether too much credit out of the prompt ana
successful negotiation Of the treaty sent 10 .i'0
Senate two or three weeks ago, ard 1t Is lor
the purpose of Identifying its own personality
mere closely with the treaty as it shall hnan!
be ratified that the new Administration asks
now for delay ard for a chance to modiiy VI
amplfy the terms of annexation suDmit'eu W
the Senate by Secretary Foster.
Whether President Cleveland Will send col",
mission to Hawaii to examine the SITUATION '"efe
or will conclude another somewhat altereu co"'
vention with the commissioners now In Wishing
ton has probably not yet been determined. III any
case annexation will be somewhat delayed an"
il is scarcely likely to be accomplished before the
next regular session OF Congress.
Some regret has been expressed that the Sena'e
did rot take vote the Foster treaty before a1c"
4. when the prospect Of ratification wouid ha'e
been excellent 1t must be remembered, however,
,bot tbe treaty could not be ratified at that time by
Renublican votes alone, and that the Democratic
,artv in the Senate had decided 10 cast solld
vote against transacting any executive business
Tho Repubicans in the Senate did what they couio
and made their record. But the Democratic
friends Of the Foster treaty preferred to let 1t faI
rather than run the risk of having RspuDiican
circuit Judge confirmed to succeed Judge jackson
T. remains to be seen whether President Cleveiano
will or will not disappoint the expectation Oh the
friends of the treaty and that he can be as vigorous
an American in diplomacy as was President har'
risOn
It is needless TO say that the Hawaiian Commis-
sioners were surprised 10 learn this afternoon t"ao
the treaty has been withdrawn from the Senate az
the request OF the President From information
received by the Commission it was believed that
tbe Senate would resume consideration OF the an
naxation project at to-day's session. 1t might b
sa;d that at least two Democratic Senators had
stated in positive words that the treaty would
be taken up to-day and pushed to vote in tho
near future The surprise Of the Commissioners
w.s rho more natural in view of the fact that one
or more Democratic Senator's had recently shown
q change Of front ard expressed sentiments favor
able TO the treaty representative OF Tho
Tribune asked the Commissioners this evening Tor
an expression of opinion on the Presidents act
Withdrawing the treaty, but they were dislncllned
n discuss the matter. Mr.. Thurst0n, the chair'
man. said. however:
I'VE were not consulted in the case, and our
first knowledge Of what had been done was oo-
tained through the press. OF course the Press
dent must have had reason for his action.
Naturally we believe that the more Thoroughly
the question of annexation is considered the
stronger our position becomes, - that on the sup
position that the President intends 70 resubmlt
the treaty. TO the Senate at no distant date his
action to-day may not he unfavorable. We are
hopeful. and will continue to look upon the brishs
side of the case
1t was learned at the State Department to-day
that the IIav allan commissioners had requested
conference with Secretary Gresham for the pur'
pose Of going over the general subject Oh the'f
mission TO this country. secretary Gresham hao
made no formal engagement for conference
with them, but it is understood that he had intt'
mated his willingness to meet them at an early
day. The Secretarys hours are pretty well taken
I'D lust now with ambitious Democrats, but it was
that as soon as the rush for office had
subsidized somewhat he would give careful con-
sideraton 10 the Hawaiian question. II is known
shat Secretary Gresham favors the annexation, and
that he originally wished the treaty to he rati.
fed by the Senate in its present form. II -
taken for granted that the Presidents
vas aware of the fact that the commissioners are
in the city: that they had requested conference,
and that his Secretary of State desired 70 consult
with them That the President knew that Secrc-
tary Gresham favored the Hawaiian treaty there
can be no doubt. II has been learned in the Lass
Few days that the treaty was consldered at lake'
wood and that Judge Gresham then expressed the
emphatic opinion that no other honorable and wise
course was left TO this Government 9ut 10 ratiiy
ication is. then. TO all appearances. desire to
uerltralizc the credit which might have been re-
tiected on the Harrison Administration oy undis-
puted acceptance of the Foster plan.
Rear Admiral Brown, Of the Navy: who recently
returned from the command of the Pacific Station,
was ordered To-day 10 remain in Washington for