New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-19
WEAK AND DISAPPOINTING.
CONSENSUS OF OPINION ON THE PRho-
IDENT'S MESSAGE.
VIEWS OF SENATOR'S SHERMAN, DAVIS IA"
LEY AND LODGE AND REPRESEN-
TATiyE HIT.
rDy TELEGRAPH 10 TIE TRIBUyr.l

washington, Dec. 1S-To a Tribune cores
| nondent several of the most prominent senators
and Representatives. expressed their views on
tho Presidents message this evening. There
was no mistaking the fact that in the minds OF
those spoken to on the subject, the message was
- great disappointment. Even as HISTORICAL
+ document one containing unprecedented abuse
of a former foreign agent OF me country IL 10 Z"
| failure" as one Senator remarked.
| senator Sherman one OF the senior members
| If the Senate Committee Foreign Relations,
said: II do rot feel at liberty just now to criti-
cise the Presidents words. The message Will
| be referred TO the committee OF when am
| member and prefer to reserve any remarks
may have to make until a later day. VIII
say. however, that the Presidents message does
not put an end to the Hawaiian matter am
| not now prepared TO say that any further ac'on
| on the case will be had 1t is certainly proper
| though for Congress to take such action
| in the premises as 1t may oeem "ise
and proper Congress is an important branch
Of the treaty -naking power. 1t can shouio
| T. choose to do So take steps 10 o''"s
,bout closer relations with Hawaii To be
! sure the President has the right OF veto on
any measure Of the kind which Congress may
adont In it's turn Congress has redress l
do not presume to say what Congress VIII do.
| ' merely point out here what 1t may do to
show that the action OF the President is only
that OF one branch OF the Government which mas
authority in cases like that OF Hawaii. Onher
all the circumstances, I assume that the fres'-
dent Is anxious that Congress should take some
action
1T WILL. INCREASE DISSATISFACTION.
| Senator Davis. another prominent member OF
! the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
said: THE message is disappointing. IL VIII
| preatlv increase tire widespread dissatisfaction
| throughout the country at the Presidents atti-
| tude toward a struggling republican Govern
| mcnt to which the United States should offer "A
| friendly hand at this time The pretence OF the
| President that he now leaves the whole matter
| TO Congress il hollow He withdrew the only
treaty on the subject before the Senate, and he
| now avows his intention not again to submit
| that convention to the Senate. Therefore his
| remarks about cooperating with Congress are
| idle talk The Presidents abuse Of eX-Minister
Stevens the countrys former representative at
| Honolulu IL an at unprecedented In the annals
| Of Diplomacy What must foreign countries
| think Of us? II must be remembered that when
| Mr. Cleveland came into office the Provisional
| Government was an accomplished fact' when
| the President on two occasions formally ana
| fully recognized This is an important point in
| the case as ii now stands
EXTRAORDINARY DOll htNi
Senator IIawley said The message is one Of
| the NEST extraordinary papers in diplomatic MS
| tory Those who are not In sympathy with the
President would be gratihed at the weakness
| ne displays We're 1t not for the unavoidable
modification created in the minds cf ALL fair men
at the disc reditable position to which he com
mits the country. To the ex-Queen the Presi-
dent directed his present agent to intimate that
the forces cf the Navy may assist her. but to the
other parties to the controversy assurances are
held out that only constitutional powers
VIII be- exercised TO bring about the
| ':ighting OF the great wrong. Is this
square dealing The President denies that the
| Provisional Government is either the de jure
or de facto Government Instead. he regards the
! monarchy the dc jure Government. He then
proceeds to accredit the United States Minister
10 his great and good friend President Dole. In
his unwarrantablc abuse Of Minister Stevens.
| President Cleveland does that good man an
! honor by setting forth his sound Americansm
I and strong common sense. The Hawaiian ques-
| ton is not settled by the Presidents message.
| Congress has rights In the premises. II can by
joint resolution advise the President In his diem
ma; IL can also pass such bills on the subject as
| IL may see Mt II the information now at hand
is not sufficient satisfactory. Congress can
send a committee TO Honolulu 10 make further
| investigation.
EVEN WEAKER THAN WAS EXPECTED.
Senator Lodge. of Massachusetts,, said: The
message seems to me even weaker than i'm
acincd IT would be- The argument consists CT
heaping abuse upon Mr. Stevens. and assuming
! that all kinds OF things true, and particu-
| I,rly the tx parte report OF Mr. Blount. II Is
indeed difficult To dignity II with the name of
argument But the most astonishing proposition
is on the last page. where the President says that
his plan have been interfered with because the
Queen would not grant amnesty I" the Pro-
vsional Government He seems to be unaware
that the Provisional Government Is not In the
slightest danger from the Queen. who Is entirely
powcrless In fact. II reminds one Of nothing
So much ~ the statement OF how John Phoenix
made up his quarrel with an editor:
| 81 held the head Of my opponent firmly on
the table with my nose, which had inserted
In his teeth for that purpose.
Nothing else seems to express the absolute
absurdity OF this statement about the Queen
granting amnesty to the Provisional Govern
| ment.
Il understand. also. that. in the instructions
| To Minister Willis which laid before the
| senate. but which the Democratic party would
not allow us 10 have printed to-day. a much
! more serious matter is discussed. 1t there APP
! pcars II | am not misnformed. that the Prcsi-
dent instructed Minister Wills TO say 10 the
| Queen If she asked whether military force would
| b. used for her restoration. that he could not
! Use the Army and Navy of the United States
without the assent of Congress. But To the Pro
vsional Government he was apparently Ia give
no such Information. | do not believe that the
annals Of American diplomacy can furnish a
| paralcl TO this. The whole affair If 1t were not
| noinfui would be grotesqu'. But this last mes
| age seems more like a burlesque opera than any
/ thing that has gone before. As was said by Sen
| ator Henderson in an interview, 1t really makes
| the Isle of Champagne appear coherent and re-
spectacle
no MORE CoNCEALMENT WANTED
"I, seems to me also that many important
! documents are missing. | do not know whether
Mr. Willis's dispatches are given and heard
nothing TO indicate that very important dis
match from Mr.. Thurston. handed In just before
| no left is among the papers. The time has gone
nv for conccalment. Let us have all the papers.
Let us also have an investigation so that the
American people may be officially Informed as
p