The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1893-11-23
settlng un MonarohIAa.

1hViV - CtItAlu tuAhttitlS teSJ DI
he emnIifry politician. When he de-
'lrvs To dlscredIt any actof other panty
n Admin slratIon be seeks out Tor it
SOME npprubrioas word or combination
q words. aud tries t. escape the penal,
nes ufslander 10y "DncrAIiig the stan
ierous assertion under concluslOn
rather than All sverment.
Tnu' the attempt To undo the wrong
IL HnwAn has been characterized Ms
setting up a monarchy" Moreover, /
il ia alleged with much circumstance
that this ls the frat Administration
that ha' ever undertaken to set up or
restore Il monarch to his throne.
This ls nothing but plain mendac-
ity. The Conrier Journal has already
shown that the essential question in
this case ID not that of setting up or
restoring monarch but that it is sim
ply en- effort to undo WRONG. But If
we are to assume, with the ISLANDERS Of
the Administration, that the recogni
lion OF the right OF other nations to
govern themselves, even when II leads
to the restoration of monarch folci
bly, deposed, is setting up monarchy,
then the Republican editors who are
bowling about Hawaii are easily con.
Vcted of having short memories or OF
suppression of the truth.
On this subject we prefer to speak
from the record. We have before us n
copy of The "Ststus of the United
States Passed at the First Session Of
she Fifty First Congress, 1889 1870,
and Recent Treaties and Executive
PruclAmations," issued from the Gov.
eminent Printing Office in 1890 In
that volume we hud convention b.
tween the United States OF America,
the Empire of Germany aud the Unit
ed Kingdom of Great Britain and ire
land, preceded by proclamation
from one Benjamin Harrison. who ut
that date, May 81. 1890, was President
of the United States. This convention,
or General Act" as it is called, re,ites
in the preamble, among other things.
that it Is desirable to avoid all occas-
ions of dissensivn between the Govern.
ments named aud that of Samoa, then
follows recital OF the holding OF the
conference by the Plenipotentiaries OF
the several powers, and the conclusion
adopted by them. The Governments
Of the United States, Germany and
Great Britain, in the first article OF the
agreement. recognize. 1.-THE indepen
dence OF the Samoan Government,and
the free right OF the natives to elect
their Chief or King and choose their
own form of government according to
their own laws and customs"
This reads something like what
Secretary Gresham has suggested as
right and proper with reference To
Hawaii But this is not all of the
mighty interesting reading" which
is to be found in this General Act, :"
so,called. Mahetoa, the rightful King
of the islands, had been seized aud
transported by the German Govern
ment. AS that Government was now
about to aid in restoring him, under
pressure from the United States and
Great Britain, diplomacy found means
Of softening down the statement SO as
to spare German su.ceptibllities. 1t
was clothed in this language:
1T is further declared. with II view
to the prompt restoration Of pe,tce and
good order in the said islands, and in
view OF the difficulties which would
surround an election in the present
disordered condition of their Govern
ment, that Malietoa Laurepa, who was
formerly made and appointed King
on the 18th day of July, 1881, and waa
so recognized by the three pc yers,
shall again be so recognized hereafter
in the exercise OF such authority UNI
less the powers shall by common &C.
cord otherwise declare, and his sue
cessor shall be duly elected according
to the laws and customs IF Samoa"
Accordingly Malietoa was brought
out from his place of exile and virtual
imprisonment and set up as monarch
of the Samoan Islands. The proclama-
ton announcing this treaty was signed
by Benjamin Harrison, who was there
fore, ahead of Mr.. Cleveland in the
work of restoring deposed monarchs.
It was counteraigned by James G..
Blaine.
OF course, it will lie said that the
cases are not parallel. But what has
that to do with the question? 1t was
asserted that no American President
had ever been concerned in restoring
deposed monarch. That was an APP
peal to prejudice. Well, "an thoull
mouthe I'll rant as well as thou" If
it is proposed to ignore the essential
features Of the Hawaiian transaction,
the Samoan incident is a good enough
example OF setting deposed monarch
back on his throne. 1t certainly
squarely refutes the assertion made as