Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-12-07
PRESS COMMENTS.
The Hawaii. n laiamy.

The reference to Hawaii in the Presi-
dents message is brief, but il commits the
administration definitely to the policy of
restoring the corrupt monarchy of the dls-
solute and despotic Queen. The President
declares that the only honorable course for
our government 10 pursue is 10 restore ~
far as practicable the status existing at The
time of our forcible intervention" and he
announces that Minister Willis "has re-
ceived appropriate instructions TO that cod.
Never since our government was estab-
li.hed has a President of the United States
announced policy so discreditable or %
alien to the spirit of our institutions. As
our readers are aware, we have not advo-
Gated the anne xstion of Hawaii. When that
policy was favored by the Harrison admin
islration we expressed our dissent But The
question now is not one of annexation. That
has nothing to do with it. The question is
whether our government shall intervene to
overthrow a government in Hawaii, which
has maintained itself in face of all obstacles
for tea months which represents beyond any
question the forces of morality, intelligence
and progress in the islands, and which the
United States, as well as all otLer nations.
has recognized as the government de fscto.
The provisional government of Hawai- Is
wesk indeed as compared with the govern
ment of the United States, but morally and
in international Law il has all the rights
which pertain to any government on the
face of the earth, and to violate these rights
because of its feebleness is an international
outrage.
And what is the reason assigned for in
terfering in Hawaii to restore the mon
archv 1t is, in the Presidents words, "our
foreible intervention at the time the pro-
vi,ioual government was established. The
President falsiies the facts of history.
There was no forcible intervention. Even
Paramount Commit stoner Blount, who
made up his mind on the whole matter with
in about foriy-eight hours of his landing at
Honolulu and devoted the rest of bis stay
on the islands TO collscting evidence TO sus
tain his position. does not allege that
there was Marines were landed from
the Boston. Minis'er Stevens Gays th-t
they were landed for the purpose OF
securing the safety of American citizens
The President says that they were
landed for the purpose of iniiuida'i n.
Here we have contradictory statements, the
one from the man on the ground who gave
the orders. and the other from a man thou
sands of miles away, interested in proving
the former in the wrong. But in confirms
ton of Minister Stevens assertion we have
the simple fact that the forces w.ra not
used for the purpose charged by the P'esi-
dent. There is one passage in Mins'rr
Blount's extraordinary report which ought
to have been edited out of it if the Pre'i-
dent expected to sustsin his position. That
10 this bit from the testimony of Mr..
Damon, president of the provisional COM
mittee
while we were in the government buili-
ing and during the reading of the pr 'clams-
ton, and while we were all extremely ner-
vous a. to our safety, | asked one Of the
men with me there: Will not the Ameri-
can troops support us?' Finally | asked
one of the men to z, over and ask L. u
tenant Swinburne if he was not going T.,
send some one over to protect u. Tue man
returned and said Captain Whites orders
are to remain passive | was perfectly
nonplussed at not receiving their support p"
Mirister Blount shows that the Royslists
feared Intervention by the naval forces. and
that members of the provisional Committee
hoped for IL; but he sho SIS, also. that there
order given to the men landed from the
were to ''remsin passive
The government which was overthrow
by the gro, .ional government was corrupt
and d sp tic. It had ju.t approved the in
famous lottery and opium legislation. II
had undsft ken to proclsim = despoti.ul,
overthrowiug the constitution and rendering
life AMI prop-ry insecure. This licked mon
a,chy was driven out /, cannot be restored
= ,sS a. II
not be sustained in power without the con-
tinuance Of that aid. For whatever moral
and material resrogression, for whatever dis
order and bloodshed, for whatever loss of
life and property may result from the at
tempt of this great republic to set up again
the degraded Queen on the throne of Ha-
wsii, Grover Cleveland will be held account
able at the tribunal of public opinion.
lmpsaeA Min.
New York Press.l
There can be no other course than i'm
parchment LEFT. after the declaration Of
Grover Cleveland with regard to Hawaii
yeste r,iay. How can the President Of the
United States destroy the government Of =
foreign power and establish another in its
place without declaration Of war? How
can such results be accomplished within
the constitutional limits of the executive?"
There can be no further delay. Congress
must call at once for the papers and pro-
coed With an investigation to find out how
far the President has usurped the power of
that body.
The nation is anxious to know. and 10 de-
termined to know, the extent and depth of
the crime which the administration u stfiv.