The times., 1893-05-12
Our Duty Toward Hawaii.

From the New York Tribune.
A new argument has been created for the
annexation of Hawaii by the extremely wise,
prudent and successful administration of the
Provisional Government there, and by the
strong and orderly support given to it on the
part of the Hawaiian people under condi-
tions which Mr.. Cleveland's policy has made
peculiarly trying and difficult. Every
budget of news as it comes from Hawaii
proves that Mr.. Blount's mission was mis-
take. The delay it has caused has already
inflicted serious injury upon Hawaiis COM
merce, and If it does not actually prevent
the exercise of our influence there, except
by force, it will not be the fault of Mr..
Blount or the President who equipped him
with paramount authority" and sent him
off as ''my special commissioner" There
was nothing for him to learn which was not
already known. There was nothing for
him to do which could not be much better
done by Minister Stevens in the exercise of
an authority determined by statute and con-
ferred by the joint act Of the President and
the Senate.
Mr.. BlOunt was an intruder, and an un-
lawful one at that, and in all the respects in
which his mission has had a result it has
been result hurtful to American interests.
He has treated the patriotic and intelligent
men who conducted the revolution against
the usurpation and tyranny of semi-civil-
lied royalty and who brought to us the
tender of territory already rich, stored
with resources and necessary to our security
and to the proper development of our COM
merce, as IL they had been engaged i'm a
shameful business for their personal aggran-
dizement and fortune. Suspicion, distrust
and repulsion have been the rewards of
their patriotic labors, their effort to lift their
country into higher civilization and their
generous care Of American interests; while,
on the other hand, by that policy and by
holding intercourse with the partisans of
reaction he has held out hopes of revival
of the monarchy, or of some other settle
ment of the question which must of neces-
sity be at variance with American interests.
1t is time for Mr.. Blount to come home.
There is widespread feeling in this country
that whether or not Minister Stevens went
too far in the protection of the Provisional
Government and the cause it sought to
serve, about the worst use to which the
American flag can be put to is to haul it
down. Moreover, we have well-settled
and constitutional method of representation
abroad. There is no authority in the law or
in practice for Presidential commissioners
armed with paramount authority" The |
Provisional Government at Honolulu has |
given remarkable and edifying demonstra-
ton of its strength, and the Hawaiian people |
have proved their excellent temper. They |
have shown that they are the kind of people |
who understand the obligations of American |
citizenship and who will appreciate its ad- |
yantages. The duty of the Government at |
Washington is to declare its position in favor |
Of annexation, and, pending the return to |
the Senate of the Annexation Treaty nego-
tiated by the Harrison Government or of
another to the same effect, to provide for |
the efficient upholding of the Provisional |
Government in the administration of Hawa- |
iian affairs.