The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-09-19
TUESDAY, SEPT. 10, lSE
THE SITUATION.


had anything more absurd in its col.
umns than the Washington dispatch OF
September 9Th, in which a correspond
ent affects to state what the President
and c. blntt intend t. d. eboUt Hawaii.
The writer begins by saying tHat the
Government has put an embargo upon
Hawaiian matters and then proceeds
to tell what W done at a secret Cabi
net meeting at which such matters were
presumed to have been discussed. II
the correspondent is to be trusted, Mr..
Cleveland and his advisers decided
to transcend their constitutional powers,
violate international rules, and make
fools of themselves generally.
The plan outlined by the American
Government, according to the Herald
text, is to establish protectorate and
have an election held here to deter
mine permanent form of Government,
after which the regime so founded will
be defended against domestic inSurrec-
ton. 1t is implied that all this will be
done whether the Provisional Govern
ment likes it or not, and without con-
sulting the American Congress. That
view is taken by local Royalist organ,
which says that "the decision" will
restore to the Hawaiian people voice
in their own destiny.
1t requires great imbecile to write
such a despatch and a greater imbecile
to take stock in it. The United States
Government has been asked to accept
a treaty of annexation at the hands OF
Government whose independence it
has clearly and epeatedy recognized.
Should it decline to make the treaty,
then matters would come to stand
still to await the further pleasure of the
Provisional Government AT the same
time Mr.. Gresham might intimate thai
if the local authorities would hold ar
election and form a republic the United
States would protect it-providing the
Senate agreed in return for Pearl
Harbor privileges. But it is as sure as
daylight that America would demand
nothing except that the lives and
property of its citizens here should be
respected.
What then2 Obviously the Provis-
ional Government would have two
alternatives. 1t could wait until a
Republican President returned to the
White House and then try annexation
again; or it could pass law restricting
the suffrage to those who can read and
write the English langu &c and to
those who b We certain properly In
terest on the Islands. In the latter
event suitable republic might follow
and the protectorate might ensue-
form of government and American
control, by the way, that could be sci
aside for complete annexation 50 soon
as our friends had returned to power al
Washington.
Whatever the Herald may say and
the Royalists imagine, the United
States Government will proceed or
constitutional lines in all its dealings
As Mr.. Benefits correspondent mad
vertantly says it "does not wish to inter
fere with the internal affairs of tn,
Islands" If Mr.. Cleveland has an!
new plan regarding us it will be put II
the form OF a treaty which both TIT
United States Senate and the Legislature
of the Provisional Government mus
ratify before it can go into effect,
If the Royalists, who have beer
so eager for restoration, can fad any
real comfort in this state of things the,
are of class to be pleased with ston'
when they had asked for bread.