The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-05-04
LOWERING THE FLAG.
Opinion that Mr.. Blount Did What
Mr.. Stevens Should Have Done.
[san Francisco Examiner, April 23.l

the opinion that much OF the point
of the criticism which has been
directed against President Cleveland
will be taken off, if it can be made
to appear that Minister Stevens has
conformed his Hawaiian policy to
that of Commissioner Blount. In
this our contemporary misappre-
hends the situation. Minister Ste
vens is a person of no Importance
whatever, and it makes no difference
to anybody or anything but his own
peace of mind whether he approves
of Mr.. Blounts course or not. Mr..
Stevens received from the Admins
tration that appointed him as humi-
liating a rebuff as any diplomat with
the slightest self-respect ever en-
dured without instantly resigning.
Moreover, all the reasons which he
had originally assigned for his as
sumption of a protectorate had
ceased to exist when the new Com
missioner arrived. Both in obedience
to the instructions of President Har-
rison's Secretary of State and be-
cause the ends alleged as the excuse
for his unauthorized action had been
fully attained, Mr.. Stevens should
have taken the flag from the posi-
ton it improperly occupied without
waiting for Mr.. Blount to do it.
The correspondence sent to the
Senate by Mr. Harrison on February
18th furnishes all the justification
needed for all that the present Adj
minstration has done with regard
to the Stevens protectorate. Mr..
Stevens raised the American flag in
Honolulu on February LIST. This
action he officially stated to be based
on the following communication
from the Provisional Government of
Hawaii:
SIR Referring that we are unable to
| satisfactorily protect life aud property and
to lrcccnt GIRL disorders IN Lonoiuiu and
throughout the Hamdiian islands, we hereby,
| in obedience to the instructions of the
| Advisory Council, pray that you will raise
the flag Of the United States for the pro-
lection of the Hawaiian Islands for the
| time being, and to that end we hereby con-
fer upon the Government OF the United
| States, through you freedom of occupation
OF the public buildings of this Government
y,
may be necessary for the exercise of such
protection, but not interfering with the
administration of public affairs by this
| Government.
In his letter to Secretary Foster
Mr.. Stevens contributed the follow.
ing additional reasons for his action
The Provisional Government must have
time to organize a new police and to disc
| pline n small military force. When the
monarchy died by its own hand there was
no military force in the islands but the
royal guard of about seventy-five natives
not in effective force equal to twenty
| American soldiers. These were promptly
discharged by the Provisional Government
except sixteen left as the guard of thu
fallen Queen at her house. \ Com
panies are now being organized and drilled
They must have few weeks for drill.
Another important reason for ou
action is the possibility of the arrival here
OF a British war vessel, and that the Eng
lish Minister here, thus aided, might tr,
to press unduly the Provisional Govern
ment. With the islands under our protec
ton we think the English Minister vii
not attemp, 10 insist that hia Govornmen
has right to interfere while our flag i
over the Government building.
| MI. tOLeNenS dtlIt6u VIC IeIlldIh
"We shall continue to maintain oul
present position with great caution
and frmness until we hear from the
President through the Secretary o.
State"
Well, he heard from the President
through the Secretary of State, anC
this is what he heard. Secretary
Foster, Immediately upon the re
ceipt of the intelligence of his action
sent him long despatch, contain
ing the following observations:
The phraseology of your proclamation
in announcing your action in assumption
of protection of the Hawaiian Islands il
the name of the United States would ap
pear to be tantamOunt to the assumption
of Il prOtectorate over those islands in be
half of the United States with all the right
and obligations which the term implies
To this extent ii goes beyond the necessi
ties of the situation and the instruction
heretofore given you. \ So far a
your action amounts to according, at tn
request of the de fdctO sovereign govern
ment of the Hawaiian Islands, the &C
operation of the moral and material force
OF the United States for the protection of III
and property .from unprecedented disorder.
-
it may appear to overstep that limit b
setting the authority and power of tn
United States above that of the Govern
ment of the Hawaiian Islands, in the capa
city OF protector, or to impair in anywa
the independent sovereignty of the Hawa
power Of The NnHcd States as Tie symbol an
mnnifrStation Of paramount authority, ii
disdrUDed.
Immediately upon the receipt c
these instructions it became the dut
of MIR. Stevens to remove the flag O
the United States from the Govern
ment building at Honolulu wher
he had hoisted it as the Symbol an
manifestation of paramount author
ity," and to confine the work of tn
American forces exclusively to tn
protection of life and propert,
which was the only purpose fc
which he was authorized to us
them. Instead, he preferred to dil
obey his orders until President Ha
rison went out of office, hoping, az
parently, to have better luck wit
Mr.. Cleveland.
When Mr.. Blount reached Hon
lulu he not only found that Mr.. ST
vens had ignored the instructions {
eX-Secretary Foster, but he all
found that the state of things upo
which Mr.. Stevens had original
based his assumption of a protecto
ate had disappeared. Life and pr
! perty were not in danger. The Pr
yisional Government informed NJ
Blount that it was able to mainta
order, A military force had been Q
+ listed and drilled. The STEW week
that MIR Stnvnns had said WON