The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-04-25

WASHINGTON, April S.-President
Cleveland means to annex the Ha-
waiian Islands. There seems now to
be but little doubt that the mind of
the executive has at last been made
up to this, or, if he does not mean to
add the dominions of the late Queen
to the territory of the United States,
he at least proposes to see that no
other power steps in and plucks the
pear that has all but fallen into the
lap OF Uncle Sam.
When the first news was received
here of the arrival of Commissioner
Blount at Honolulu it was said at the
State Department by no less a person
than Secretary Walter @. Gresham
that the articles forwarded by the spe-
cial Commissioner were of no mo-
ment whatever, merely being to the
effect that Mr.. Blount had reached
the scene of his labor and had been
well received by the Hawaiians.
"There was really no time" said
Secretary Gresham to those who in
terrogated him upon the subject, "for
Mr.. Blount to ascertain anything of
value to the department in the brief
space elapsing between the arrival of
the Rush and the sailing of the Aus
tralia for San Francisco"
Secretary Gresham is new in diplo-
macy, but it is quite clear that he is
an apt pupil in the science, as the
science of diplomacy consists in tell
ing nothing in a way that will lead
the person informed to believe that
you have really told him all that you
know.
The friends of Mr.. Blount here-and
he has many-know the gentleman to
be a remarkably shrewd observer, and
moreover, they know him to be man
who does not require great study to
determine point that is presented to
him. In other words, Mr.. BlOunt is
gentleman of great grasp of mind and
a remarkably rapid thinker.
Events that happened at the State
Department to-day show that Mr..
Blount's friends have not been mis-
taken in the estimate that they have
placed upon his ability, and they
show, moreover, the talent for diplo-
macy possessed by Mr.. Cleveland's
Secretary of State. For Mr.. Blount
did convey more to the State Depart
ment by the Australia than the mere
information of his own safe arrival in
Honolulu. He conveyed so much that
the President and his chief of Cabinet
have been considerably worried lest
their policy of delay should have been
a mistake after all, and that there
have been several anxious consulta-
lions in the White House relative to
the rectitication of the error now gen
orally believed to have been COM
mitted when the treaty of annexation
negotiated by Secretary Foster was
withdrawn by the present admins
tration.
What is the nature of this advice
conveyed by Commissioner Blount to
his chief? So far, that is u secret |
known only in the White House and
in the State Department. 1t is quite
clear that Commissioner Blount has !
seen something to alarm him in the
quiet that broods over Waikiki, and |
that this something has been sufficient |
also to justify alarming the men who |
sent him out. What it is, of course,
can only be conjectured, but gossip |
here has it that it is q menace that |
England will back Japan in case the |
Mikado sees fit to step in and take |
what Mr.. Cleveland has all but thrown |
away.
Whether that be true or whether it |
be not it is quite clear that President |
Cleveland does not intend to let his |
desire to pose as a man of superb JUS
tice interfere with his greater desire |
to placate Eastern public sentiment, |
now so strong and growing stronger |
for annexation. For to-day it can be |
stated upon authority of the very
highest that orders were sent by tele- |
graph to Admiral Irwin, in command |
of the navy-yard at Mare Island, to |
have the Adams made ready for sea,
and to order her captain to proceed to |
Honolulu at once and Te-enforce the |
Boston. The orders were imperative,
it is said, and the Adams is to 90 at |
the earliest possible moment.
1t is evident from this that President |
Cleveland does not intend that the ISL
ands shall get away from him, and it |
is evident also that Commissioner
Blount has gone to Hawaii with the |
fullest possible powers and that he has
also begun to exercise them.