Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-11-24
According to Mr.. BlOunt's Rcport
Minister Stevens Acted With I'm.
due Haste.
He Recognized the Provisional Gov.
eminent Before the Queen Had
Surrendered.
New York Herald Publishes What
PurpOrts to Be u Copy of the Com
missiOncr's Report.

attempted to reseat Queen Liliuokalani,
the state department is'less disposed than
ever to take the public into it's confidence
on the Hawaiian question. In consider
ing the news by the Australia it should
be understood thut much that has been
published during the past two weeks has
been pure conjecture and surmise. The
part that is an unbeatable fact is that
those in the confidence of the admins
tration have felt and expressed the ut
most assurance that the Australia would
bring news that ex-Queen Liliuokalani
had already been
Restored to the Throne.
Assertions as to Minister Willis in
structions have been almost wholly in
ferences from this and from the express
sions in Secretary Gresham's published
letter. The information as to these in
structions sent by The Associated Press
10 days ago was received from what
was believed to be a thoroughly trust
worthy authority. This was that Min
lister Willis was to seek to induce the
provisional government to give way to
the restoration of the ex-queen, but was
to employ no force, waiting for further
instructions if he found it necessary. 1t
is possible that Minister Willis has be-
come convinced to his entire satisfac-
ton without having laid the matter be-
fore President Dole that the provisional
government
Cannot Be Displaced Without Force,
and so has determined to await further
instructions. 1t seems certain at all
events that President Dole had no sus-
picion when the Australia sailed that it
was tie purpose Of Minister Willis to re-
store the ex-queen. It is not possible
that Mr.. Thurston, Hawaiian minister
here, could have given him warming, for
Secretary Gresham's letter astounded
and disconnected him when it was pub
lished and left nc opportunity for him to
warn his government. 1t has been the
chief fear of the friends of the provis.
ional government in this country that in
its ignorance Of public sentiment here
and the first shock of the threatened &C.
ton by the United States, it would yield
its authority. It is true, however, that
for some time past the provisional gov
eminent has
Abandoned All Hope
of favorable action by the present ad
ministration towards annexation and has
been considering means to put itself On q
permanent footing. 1t may he that the
public and the press have come to a
wrong conclusion as to the extent OF
Minister Willis instructions. They have
supposed that Secretary Gresham's let.
ter declaring what he thought ought to
be done and President Cleveland's de.
claration that he agreed with the secre.
tary's opinions meant that they had de.
termined to proceed with what they
declared ought to be done. Some people
believe that the publication must have
been intended as an appeal to public
opinion for information as to the course
to pursue. The choice seems to lie be.
tween this opinion and the one that Min.
lister Willis has
Found 1t Impracticable
to carry out instructions to restore the
queen without using means he was moi
prepared to employ by the regular
steamers. It is considered that the
chances of action by Minister Willis tc
restore the queen will be much lessened
after the news of the reception accorded
Secretary Gresham's letter in this coun.
try is read in the islands.
A prominent Democratic senator, q
member of the foreign relations commit.
tee, says: ''It seems very clear to me
that Mr.. Willis has encountered a state
of affairs he had not been led to expect,
and which his instructions did not cover,
He found evidently when he reached the
islands that the provisional government
was disposed to Withstand all Overtures
for the restoration of the queen, and ia,
better prepared than had been supposed
To Resist Any Pressure
to place her upon the throne. I have
private advices of the best cnaracte,
that President Dole has q we'll equipped
force of 400 or 500 men who will stand
ny G1c pAcoCAU SoNCAlIA1c4IO W l1c w
most limit. Now I think the inference
is justified that when Minister Willis
found this we'll equipped and deter
mined force, and when he discovered
that the feeling Of the intelligent people
of the island was favorable to the pres.
ent government he weakened in his de-
termination to reseat the queen upon
her throne. If, indeed, the Dole admin
istration displayed u determination tc
maintain its position
by Force of Arms,
there was nothing for MI. Willis to dc
but change his plans and ask for further
msUrucUlons. 10 nave persisted Ill land
ing the marines for the purpose of fore
ing a change of government would have
been an act Of war pure and simple, and
no sane man can believe that President
Cleveland ever contemplated any such
move as that, I see that some of the
newspapers have put this construction
upon what they consider the presidents
instructions, but it must be borne in
mind that these instructions have never
been made public"
The same senator exnrosse6 tho viaw