New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-13
THE HAWAIIAN BLUNDER
1T NAY RESULT SERIOUSLY.
INTERNATIONAL COMPLICATIONS MORE
THAN LIKELY TO FOLLOW.
THE SEATING OF LILIUoKALANI BY FORCE
NOTHING LESS THAN WAR on A RECo0.
MED FRIENDLY PowER-A MOST DAN.
GEROUS POLICY WHICH MAY
PROVE 4 BOOMERANG.

NIzED FRIENDLY PowER-A MOST DAN.
GERoUs POLICY WHICH MAY
PROVE A BOOMERANG.
fsY TELEGRAPH 10 TIRE TRrBrxr1
Washington. Nov 1.-THE more attentively
Secretary Greshams Hawaiian programme u
examined in political circles here the more
aagrantly indefensible Is 1t found to be from
every point of view. The scheme OF monarchi.
cal restoration matured in secret. and for many
months concealed beneath mass OF studious
evasions and denials, Is now seen to nave peen
carefully sprung at a moment when protest
neither from the legislative branch OF the Cow
ernment nor from an indignant public opinion
could forestal hinder the execution Oh 'he
prearranged project Of resuscitating the corrupt
and degraded royal government overthrown IN
disgrace by the progressive and enlightened
classes Of the Hawaiian population minister
WiIliss instructions to overturn the recognized
and lawful government at Honolulu, and restore
by force the licentious and irresponsible native
monarchy, were, of course. safe beyond couh-
termand by telegraph before the President and
Secretary of State ventured to disclose to the
country the extraordinary character Of the mis-
sion on which the new Minister had been sent.
They can afford now to snap their fingers at
aroused at their complete abandonment OF the
American policy in Hawaii, and their surrender
to native and British local interests In the
islands. They arc awaiting daily the news from
Honolulu that the marines from the American
fleet have been landed to subvert the existing
friendly government and to reseat by revolution
the deposed Liliuokalani on her former throne.
| pLENARY POWERS GIVEN TO MINISTER WILLIS.
r. "a
| partment that plcnary power given to MINI
| lister Willis to call on the blue Jackets to IN
wade the Hawaiian capital and overturn the ex-
listing Government, and there is every reason
to believe that his instructions required him to
| take steps on his arrival at Honolulu to put the
projected restoration through without loss OF
| time The next mail from the Islands there
fore is likely to tell the story of this arbitrary
| assault by an American Minister commanding
| American marines on friendly Government
| with the sole purpose of restoring to power
discredited and semi-barbarous sovereign with
nothing behind her claims but native ignorance
and the interests Of one two Of the CONNER
cial nations of Europe SO carefully timed has
| been this secret royastic movement both here
and in Honolulu that apparently no possible
obstacle can now be placed in the way of its
success But the President and his advisers
who conceived and executed the monarchcal
| restoration in Hawaii will probably find them
| selves sooner or later called upon to answer Tor
| their diplomatic and military efforts to crush
| friendly and progressive American State ana
| set up upon its ruins half-savage. half-opera
bouffe throne.
| Secretary Gresham's policy. 1t is closely
examined, cannot escape alarming inconssten-
| cies. Though professedly an absolute denial oe
! the protective sovereign rights on the part
| of this country over Hawaiis internal affairs
supposed to have been assumed by Minister
| Stevens, 1t involves far more frank and arbi-
| trary assertion of force than can possibly be
| imputed to the representative Of the Harrison
| Administration. Minister Stevens interviewed
| with the naval battaons only after the revolu-
ton had been practically. If not completely ac-
complished and the Government Of Liliuokalani
had disappeared No one can possibly claim
that the Provisional Government is not now
the sole recognized power in Hawaii the power
recognized by all other foreign powers, and
Mr. Cleveland himself comedies this fact by
sending Minister Willis with credentials to Pres
ident Dole and by receiving Minister Thurston
as the Provisional Governrc.."s representative
in Washington.
DANGERS OF FOREIGN COMPLICATIONS.
| The Administration has given notice of its
disapproval of the Hawaiian offer Of annexa-
ton. Nor does 1t propose TO negotiate with
the existing Government for the establishment
Of protectorate Under these conditions there
seems to be no justification whatever in inter-
national law for the Administrations UNDER
taking with any ulterior motives whatever to
overthrow by force government over which
lawfully exert no coercion-a government
which is as much free and independent sover-
eighty France Brazil, over which a
monarch formerly ruled. In undertaking Ito
repair the wrong done to feeble and inde-
pendent State and ito restore the legitimate
Government" of the island the Administration
has arbitrarily assumed right which does not
properly belong to 1t.
Even If the dethronement Of the Queen was a
wrong" any effort toward her restoration at
this time would be greater wrong politically
and morally and one which might involve this
country in serious international consequences.
In the opinion of men well versed in the prin-
ciples of international law, this Government cam
not rghtfully resort to forcible overthrow Of
the Hawaiian republic without taking the risk
Of encountering immediate international diffi.
culties and establishing precedent with re.
spect to countries I'm the American system which
time will prove to be extremely dangerous In
its consequences. In strict accordance with
justice and law the United States has NOT the
right apparently TO change by force the charac.
ter of the Hawaiian Government II had the
opportunity to annex the islands or establish
protectorate over them. Having rejected
these offers. its parental relations ceased and
HAWAII has properly reverted to the position of
free sovereignty. There can be no doubt that
these questions will return to plague the Ad-
ministration as soon as the opportunity for in
curry ana investigation occurs and they can.
not DE- brushed aside by the easy reasoning ~
secretary GreShams letter Whether the new
Hawalan revolution has occurred or not by the
.ihe congress meets the present royalistic policy
or the Administration will be one of the most
S Sasen. matters likely to be acted upon in the
Senate II not also in the House.