The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-27
1T WAS DYNAMITE.

1T WAS DYNAMITE.
The presidents message on the Ha-
waiian question, and the accompany
ing documents. leave the adherents of
Messrs Stevens, Blaine and Harrison
in a most pitiable plight. For some
days past they have been insisting that
the president had declared war on the
Hawaiian government and had instruct
ed the restoration of the queen by force.
He had exceeded his constitutional pow
ers He should be impeached. Our
esteemed but misguided, contemporary,
the Journal, yesterday made a feeble
effort to cling to this imaginary wrong
by saying: "The president does not state,
and the instructions do not clearly show,
whether Mr.. Willis was authorized to
use force in restoring the queen, but
the implication is that he was" Whence
does any such implication arise? The
instructions Of oct. IS, 1898, say ex-
plicitly:
Make known to her the presidents
position regarding the Teprehensible con-
duct of the American minister and the
presence on land of the United states
forces. Advise her of the desire Of this
government to do justice and undo
wrong. You WILL however, at the same
time inform the queen that the presi-
| dent expects that she will extend am
nesty to all who were against her. in
GLIDING all who were connected with
the provisional government, depriving
Of ricrl+ r,rfx-f
| secured the queens agreement to pur-
sue this policy, you will advise the ex-
ecutive Of the provisional government
and his ministers of the presidents de-
termination of this question, which their
action and that of the queen devolved
to promptly restore her constitutional
authority. Should the queen decline to
pursue the course suggested, or should
the provisional government refuse to
abide by the presidents decision, you
will report the facts and await further
instructions.
This is no instruction to use force.
1t is an instruction to report the facts
and await further instructions in case
either party declines to accept the presi-
dents decision on the question. If this
be not sufficiently plain the instructions
of Dec. 3 certainly put the matter be-
yond question:
The president feels that by our origi-
nal Interference and what followed we
have incurred responsibility to the
whole Hawaiian community, and 1t
would not be just to put one party at
the mercy of the other. Should the
queen ask whether If she accedes to the
condition, active steps would be taken
by the United States to effect restora-
ton or 10 maintain her authority there
after. you will say that the president
cannot use force without the authority
Of congress. Should the queen accept
conditions and the provisional govern
ment refuse to surrender you will be
governed by previous Instructions If
the provisional government asks wheth-
er the United States will hold the queen
to the fulfillment of stipulated condi-
tions, you will say that the president.
acting under dictates of honor and
duty, as he has done in endeavoring to
effect restoration, viii do all in his con-
stitutiOnal power to cause observance
Of the conditions he has imposed.
Here is an instruction to inform the
queen that the president cannot use
force without the authority of congress,
either to restore her to her throne or to
maintain her there. This disposes en-
tirely Of the question of the presidents
acting beyond his powers. He has sim
ply attempted friendly INTERPRETATION
in a case submitted to him by the par
ties-an act which is one Of common
international courtesy, exercised by the
heads of all civilized governments, and
absolutely necessary to the settlement
Of disputes between rival governments
by arbitration. He has accepted a re-
quest to act as an arbitrator, and one
of the parties now objects to his deci-
sion. The case is now resolved entirely
into a question of the reprehensible
conduct of our minister and what repa-
ration should be made for it, This now
goes before congress and 1t will there
doubtless be discussed as a party ques-
ton. in which the only point the repub-
licans can offer i'm reply to the clear
proof of the improper conduct of Ste
vens is the claim that the presidents
course is an attempt. as the st. Louis
Globe-Democrat puts 1t, "to discredit a
republic and vindicate the monarchy
viii 1t surefTeded.
1t is pertinent, in this connection. to
inquire What republic? There is no re-
public in Hawaii A crowd of desperate
Adventures have seized the control of
the islands and are exercising 1t. They
say that the people. being off-color, are
not competent to govern themselves.
Possibly not. but the existing govern
ment has none of the characteristics of
a republican government and the men
I'm control have evidently no intention
of establishing a republican government
except on a basis that will exclude the
natives, the Chinese and the Japanese,
who form over three-fourths Of the total