New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-18
THE BIG H1U1IIAN BLCNDER.


1t is evident that the Administration is great
~ disturbed as to the results Of the shocking
blundcr it has committed in dealing with lla-
vail. This is seen plainly in the efforts II Is
making to manufacture public sentiment in sup
port of its policy. Unable TO manufacture such
sentiment. it is now trying TO create the i'm
preston that nobody cares anything about lio-
waii anyhow The President Is said TO be III
receipt Of great piles of approving correspond
encc, but this correspondence, like the BlOunt
report, Is strictly withheld from public scrutiny.
The Administration organs, perfectly conscious,
If the President is not. that NOT one American
I'm a Thousand sustains Mr.. Cleveland and Mr..
Gresham in the extreme and preposterous
length to which they have gone, now seek 10
pooh pooh the affair and TO assure everybody
that Hawaii is Of no account and that II makes
little difference whether ignorance licentious
idolatry and despotism are set up there under
mOnarchical forms by the armed marines OF
this Republic, or whether the rule of Christian
ity and progress is let alone II is not easy
however to persuade the public that II Is not
thinking when II knows ii is. or that It's opiI-
ion is one thing when it knows II Is another
The American people are the kind that do their
own rejecting and reach their own conclusions.
Mr. Cleveland might have created a party
against the proposition TO annex Hawaii There
are two sides of that question, but there are
not enough personal foes of General Harrison
TO add to Mr.. Gresham to make party III sup
port of an act that convcts the American Ma
ton Of bad faith. that reverses a foreign policy
more than half century old. and that inter
venes in a foreign country 10 put down -four
ishng republican institutions and to set mp the
rule Of dissolute and corrupt monarchy.
Elsewhere we have printed the views on this
subject Of two important religious weekly pub
lications. 1.-THE Congregatonalist OF Boston
and THE Outlook" Theirs Is the judgment
not Of partisans. but Of thoughtful. Christian
men, who believe in Christian progress and
who think 1t rlore important for the United
States to uphold liberty and enlightenment
wherever Its influence extends than II IL for
! one Administration to attempt TO convict its
predecessor of jingosm. 1.-The Congregational
isl" says that Mr.. Cleveland is using "onr
National power and prestige TO impose on de-
cent people the authority they had overthrow
of a vicious immoral, irresponsible woman. sur
rounded by knavish advisers. TO the destruction
of guarantees Of protection TO life. liberty and
possessions" He Is doing that and more. and
the worst Of 1t Is that there Is not only no
justification Of his policy but no excuse for IT,
Looked AT from any point Of view. il Is n crazy
policy. II all that Secretary Gresham says Is
true two wrongs do not make right. and we
cannot better our course IN dcspoiling the Queen
by despolng other people. History Is thing
that can't be unnade
But there Is no reason to believe that Mr..
Gresham can furnish any proof that the lla-
walian revolution was promoted or sustained
by Minister Stevens and American troops until
the revolutionists had become Il Government.
The revolution occurred last January. The
story has been told thousand times. and In no
version Of It other than that which came from
the corrupt clique who lost corrupt living
when the Queen was dethroned has there been
a whisper to the discredt of the American Min
iste- Against the evidence Of this group are
the statements OF substantially all the intclli-
gent, progressive, moral and responsible people
Of Honolulu Mr. Gresham cannot break down
their story by the false chatter Of the Queens
party in the pay Of a lottery gambler and
sugar speculatOr. whether he gets ii straight
from Spreckels and the lottery or reflected
through Mr. Blount II is idle 10 discuss the
revolution anyhow 1t succeeded. The Govern
ment 1t established has been in existence nearly
a year. and for the greater part Of that time
has stood on Its own feet physically and finan-
cially Mr.. Gresham calls 1t alien Very
we'll then 1t Is American. and the American
people will stand by It, They will not allow
their Government at Washington to plot secret
schemes for ifs overthrow, or to use any force,
moral or physical. belonging 10 the American
people to injure the Government Of Hawaii
without strong condemnation and prompt re-
dress. Mr. Cleveland can make up his mind
to IT; he has made colossal mistake. II he Is
wise he will acknowledge and correct it. The
hope now Is that 1t has not already resulted in
havoc and blOOdshed.