The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1893-11-23
The Truth.

respect 10 hawall, lack every essen-
tial feature Of intelligence and honor.
They are discredit TO the jonrnal-
ism OF the period They are an
afront to the good sense Of the people.
They seek by subteriuge and evasion,
by false issues and suppressions, and
by blatant appeals to mock sentiment,
TO shirk the real question, which is so
simple a child might see and compre-
bend it.
In defiance OF international law and
usage, his instructions and his duty,
Minister Stevens--with precipitancy
unparalleled and purpose most susp,-
cious-tbrew the moral weight and
military power of the United States
against the government to which he
was accredited, and in favor of rev.
olutionary government which had no
vitality except such rs was given it by
his act, and, through this agency
alone, the native queen Of the Sand
wich Islands Was dethroned, and
ljunta OF foreigners, mostly, if not
wholly, Americans, was set up and
recognized.
Even the Harrison Administrative
could not, dared not, justify an act SO
heinous, and it was promptly disown-
ed, though not adequately rehuked by
the Department of State
This is the plain and only issue
with which We have any present bus
mess or concern. Succeeding events
in no wise detract from its force.
They greatly strengthen it's claim
upon the consideration OF just men.
Everything that has happened, every
thing that has been disclosed, confirms
the belief that the whole scheme of
annexation was job, and an luia-
nous job; that the Provisional Gov.
ernment, so called, VAS a conspiracy,
and a wicked conspiracy, and that
Minister Stevens was the secret main
spring OF both, having, along with the
other leaders Of the movement, u
money interest lii its results.
| From first to last, every step taken
| by the Diplomatic and Naval repre-
sentatives of the United States was
illegal, and the present Administers
ton, which inherited the case in an
incomplete state from the last, had
nothing to do except to restore the
exact conditions existing before the
usurping interposltion of Minister
4 Stevens, that is, to conduct the queen,
i illegally dethroned by force OF arms
| furnished from United States man
tol-war, back to her throne, leaving the
consequences to take care of them
selves as the native islanders shall
determine, free from foreign influence
and tampering, American, or Euro
pean.
This is in the line OF justice and
right, and of the strictest interpreta-
ton alike of the principles OF the
Monroe doctrine and the obligations
lof international law.
| But what say the newspaper sssail.
ants Of the Administration First,
| there is great and irrelevant babbe
about the eagle and the flag. This TO
catch the cal OF the groundlings, to
play upon patriotic feeling, to throw
dust in the eyes of the unreflecting
and uniformed. Then there is u
great cackle about the unfriendly
personal relations supposed to exist
between Mr.. Secretary of State Gresh-
am and ex-President Harrison, as il
such consideration could have any
weight with Mr.. Cleveland, and the
rest OF his Administration, who are
committed to the policy adopted, even
| if it did affect the opinions of Mr..
Gresham, a thing absurd to the mind
OF any one who knows the Secretary
| OF State. This to arouse and array
partisan bitterness among the Repuh-
hcans. Then, thete is a great cutlery
about the Republican idea and the
| idea of monarchy, which are sought
to be Introduced to u question which
is one wholly OF fact and Law, and not
OF governmental theory. This to
reach the fools who can never distin-
| guish between either the one or the
other, and the knaves who want a pre-
text. Then, and finally, we have a
deal OF cant and rot about the worth
lessness of the deposed queen, as if her
character were in any wise involved,
Tor had anything to do with an affair
Iof international equity and comfy.
| This to operate upon those weak NOR.
alists whose ideas of right and wrong
have been filtered through pail Of
! milk diluted with hogshead of water
In the long run the people of the
United States will not be duped by
either the device Of the rascals, who
have been brought to cover, or the
outcry OF the newspapers which have
gone off half-cocked. Facts rule and
truth will tell. The Administratio is
wholly right It's critics are wholly
wrong. In the end, let Us hope that