The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-12-20
Wednesday. December %. 1893.
TUE PRESIDENT EXPLAINS.

President Cleyeland's message to con
gress concerning the Hawaiian situation
is without question the most concise.
forcible and carefully digested document
that he has yet submitted To the public.
and though dealing with the subject
, entirely from his own standpoint ana
wholly in defense Of his policy in these
negotiations. il cannot be denied that he
makes a priHd facie strong case for
himself for he shoulders the whole
burden and rarely alludes to the coop
GRAFTON Of Secretary Gresham and one
that will take with the average citizen.
until its weak points are exposed by the
intelligent criticism OF those who are
versed in international pollty, for it is a
sure thing that the whole matter is TO be
roughly handled by Congress. and that
the president cannot hope for a partisan
support of his acts. The big mistake
made by the president was in ignoring
Congress in the matter. when sitting in
extra session. In the month of October
it appears. the Hawaiian affair had
reached the point where. by the return
and report Of Commissioner Blount, the
president had acquired all the informa-
ton he could hope or which he expected
to gain. and where further proceedings
belonged TO Congress. Had he at this
time laid the whole affair before that
body. he would have been spared much
Of the modification that has since cone
to him by the absolute failure of a
policy that was purely personal and
presumably vindictive, and the necessity
of now having to dump the matter into
the hands of Congress with the abiect
confession that Il have made "a mess
pf this thing. Please take it and
straighten it out.
This message is built wholly OF the
foundation that the overthrow of the
queen was not effected by a popular rev
%olution. but by a petty conspiracy in
which the American minister was largely
concerned. That the queen. feeling that
the armed intervention of the United
States was against her. acqulesced IN
the demand of the provisional govern
ment for abdication. with the proyiso
that her retirement was conditional and
subject to review and final adj ustment
by this government. As nothing of the
nature of this provlso has yet appeared
in the statement made. ii must be that
the president obtained this important
-. NJ. - ,.,.,+ /
hut as the manner of collecting informa-
ton adopted by Mr.. Blouut has not CON-
mended itself to the appreciation Of the
people. it is quite probable that his state
ment IN this point is wholly one sided
and not true. II ii Is true. ii Is an inn
portant fact. and one which would in d
great measure warrant the subsequent
acts of the administration The presi-
dent admits that he sent Minister Willis
to Honolulu with instructions to restore
the constitutional government as rep
resented by the queen. but these ~instruc
tions were coupled by the condition that
the queen. if reinstated, must forego 10y
an act of general amnesty, any intent TO
infiict any punishment whatever upon
the members of the provisional govern
ment or its supporters: in other words,
they We're. with no penalty or culpabil-
ity resting On anyone through or by
reason Of the change OF government.
This. ii is understood. the queen de
cIined to accede to. aud it was on this
rock that the policy Of the president
stranded. and here Minister Willis be
came d mere figurehead waiting for
instructions that could never be
given him. for under no circum
stances could the administration
advance with safety or retreat
with dignity. Here is where the
message leaves the matter. and where
is to take hold. As We have
said, the subject is ably handled by the
president in his defense, and through
out the whole OF it the spirit of Ameri-
a inpartialty and justice is SO admir-
ably interviewer that after a reading of
it, N feels like saying that he was
right even if he was wrong Mr.. Cleve-
land never made better use of language
than in this instance. He evidently felt
that it was a crucial test for him and
only the most potent Of arguments
could retain him the support of his
even. Thathe acquitted himself
o n can deny. though how
of il may be special nleadinp and
how much based on untenable premises.
the authorities on international and
constitutional law must tell US.