The herald., 1893-11-13
. BLOW AT AMERICAN INTERESTS.

II the administration had designed to
inflict mortal blow to Americans aud
American interests in the Hawaiian
islands, it could not have devised a
surer mode OF doing 30 than it has in
promulgating the Gresham letter. The
conclusions Of that letter are direct
menace to the peace of the islands, and
a notice to Americans to sacrifice their
interests there and leave them as
quickly as possible. 1t takes no account
whatever Of the fact that if Liliuokalani
were restored to power tn Q Kanakas
would feel justified in treating the
members ofthe provisional government,
who are nearly all Americans, and their
friends as traitors and conspirPtors and
as they had been condemned by the
United States government and had no
power which they had right to call
upon for protection, they would be left
helpless to the tender mercies of the
queen and her native henchmen.
"Blood is thicker than water" and
the people OF the United States will not
permit their government to place every
American in the islands at the mercy of
their enemies. Left to themselves they
can secure safety and order in the
islands which they have governed
wisely and successfully for nearly a
year. They are fully equal to the task
OF taking care of themselves il left
alone. The Ksnakas, even if they were
disposed to revolt against the authority
of the provisional government, would
fly before it like rabbits before hounds.
The provisional government has shown
that it has the goodwill and sympathy
of the best class of foreigners. These
elements are bound to shape the desti-
nies OF the islands. They represent
nearly its entire wealth. Through their
intelligence, energy and courage they
have made them what they are. They
have directed the industries OF the
mixed and low-class inhabitants
through their capital and ssgacity the
fields OF Hawaii have been made pro-
ductive, her cities and towns have been
built up and her commerce with the
outside world carried to the highest
limit of which it was capable. Is an
American administration going to be
permitted to undertake to destroy all
that has been done, principally by our
own people, to raise these islands from
barbarism to civilization? Yet that is
what Gresham means when he says that
the deposed queen must be restored by
the aid of American guns. The first sig-
nal of carrying out practically such a
policy would sound the knell of civiliza-
ton in the islands. 1t would be another
'delenda est CathargO," and President
Dole. like another Marius, might cay to
Gresham, go tell thy master thou hast
beheld our people weeping over the
ruins Of Hawaii neil"
But the Sandwich Islands are now an
independent state. Whether the pres
ent administration likes it or not, it
was recognized as such broadly enough
when Harrison was president, and
at least semi-oficially since Cleveland
came in. Il we are going to use force to
restore the deposed queen, we are going
to go to war with an independent state,
and it is not in the power of the presi-
dent of the United States alone to de-
clare war. Congress must first act. 1t
is hardly to be supposed that Mr.. Cleve-
land will go far forget the constitutional
limitations of his functions as to declare
war against Hawaii without the sane.
tion of congress. We say that this 10
hardly to be supposed yet president
who has not hesitated to suspend laws,
might consider it small matter to send
fleet to Honolulu to capture the act
usl government of the islands and place
the deposed queen again on the throne.
If, unhappily, such an traordinsry
spectacle should materialize, the effect
upon the people of the United States
would be apt to remind one of the Long
parliament and its trsgical conse-
Quences.