The herald., 1893-12-19
THE PRESIDENTS HAWAIIAN MESSAGE

The message of President Cleveland
on the Hawaiian question is the strong
est possible presentation of the posi- ton
he has all along assumed on that sub
iect. While conceding that the docu-
ment is characterized by very considera-
BILE ability, and embodies much
stronger argument than that given to
the public by Secretary Gresham, it will
scem to most Americans that he has got
himself into very complicated posi-
ton, and that Independently OF the
conflicting statements of ex-Minister.
Stevens and Commissioner Blount. Ad-
mitting that Stevens was wrong ab initio,
and that annexation was not desirable,
it by no means follows that the United
States, a republic, and supposed to be
willing to see monarchy replaced by
republic anywhere and at any time,
should be voluntarily committed to the
project of setting upa queen, as to whose
character he is careful to say nothing.
If she is set up it would seem to be the
inevitable logical imputation that
she should be maintained. To
put her on ths throne and
then to allow her to be shaken off of it
would appear to most people like the
merest puerility. He is scarcely alto
gether ingenious in mis- handling of the
matter. His instructions to Minister
Willis were made necessarily vsgue, for
to have instructed that official to ef-
feet the restoration OF Liliuokalani by
force would have been to have usurpsd
the war making power of Congress.
This the President very we'll knew. and
he therefore placed the Minister of the
United States to the Islands in ridicu-
lous posture. He was left for months
in a position absolutely divested of
authority. The President was in con-
dition to say "a plague o. both your
houses" and to have left the Provisional
government and the queen to fight the
matter out to pleaee themselves, look
ing to the protection of American prop
erty and interests. Should the queen
be restored by the authority OF the
United States the troops of this country
would be used to prop her on the throne,
or the whole enterprise would be un-
speakably silly, and it would be done
under the pretezt of protecting Ameri-
can interest. Our esteemed President
has, therefore, the choice of two horns
OF dilemma, on one or the other of
which he must be impaled.
Will the Congress of the United States
fall into the trap, which has all the ear
marks of Gresham? We do not think
it will. There is something in the British
idea of gobbling everything in sight,
holding on to it like grim death at any
expense of blood and treasure-the
blood and treasure of Matabeles. for in
stance-thst appeals at least to the ad-
miration of the large class who love
buccaneering in any shape, but who can
be found to love shilly-shallying? The
attempt to get up elusive sentiment
about a queen like Liliuokalani will
ecarcely attract any large number of
Americans.
The supposed analogy in the message
in which Texas figures is scarcely q
happy one. The president refers to the
fact that Texas had practically achieved
her independence from Mexico at the
battle of San Jacinto, before the United
States would consent to recognize the
"Lone Star" state. He carefully omits
to mention, however, that the people
who achieved their independence were
American flibusters like Gen. Sam
Houston and Col. Davy Crockett. If he
were to dig up some Mexican history he
would be greatly enlightened on his
supposed analogy. which has no earthly
bearing in favor of the strange mistake
his administration has made.
The HERALD will support a Dem
ocratic President whenever it can with
out stultiiying itself. No hocus pocus
Of party fealty will ever make US see a
great statesman in Gresham or euffer-