The Hawaiian gazette., 1894-02-06

| beW; will demand its retraction
or order Willis to return and Civ,
Mr.. Thurston his passports, thu
rupturing diplomatic relations BE-
tween the two nations. This seems
an extreme course, and is not likely
to be followed. Although thu
papers have made some very
shrewd guesses at what Mr.. Cleve
land would do. they have not al
ways been right, and it is hardly
probable that they are in this in
stance. Still, Mr.. Cleveland does
some very extraordinary things
and we have learned, to our chagrin
and regret, that not the least unac-
countable have been in his Ha-
waiian policy.
1t is not right to believe that his
course has been dictated by other
than right motives. But he has
been terribly misled. He sent Mr..
Blount here for information, and
having delivered to him the
whole matter, pinned his faith
on his report. We know that
the conclusions reached were
wrong and that his premises were
incorrect, but Mr.. Cleveland does
not, in all probability, and he has
been trying to carry out the policy
dictated by Blount's report. Mr..
Cleveland's mistake has been his
hard-headed, obstinate refusal to
be corrected. Mr.. Willis gave him
plenty of opportunity to reflect and
change his plans to accord with
the actual situation and facts, but
he has not done it. Perhaps he
could not do it and still be Cleve-
land, so we may have no right to
think he might have changed. On
the contrary, he appears to have
become more irritated and I'M
reasonable with the progress of
affairs, until be seems to be unable
to see things in their true light.
Mr.. Dole's letter was courteous and
correct. He only stated facts.
None here on the scene of action
would think of questioning any of
his statements, yet the President
of the great United States regards
the letter as " extraordinary" and,
it is said, insulting to the head of
that great nation. How is it in
sulting? Wherein is it extraordi-
nary? The other side of the case
does not appear to strike Mr.. Cleve-
land as at all out of the ordinary
course of affairs. Yet it is
exactly the same as if a |
representative of France or
Russia or any other great power
the appearance of
friendship were to conspire with
the ex-rebels to overthrow the
the Government of the United |
States; and by display of force
and the ability to throw the coun-
try into civil war, were to paralyze
business for weeks and keep the
people in a state of anxiety and
Is there nothing extra
about that ? Would not a
communication by the President to
France or Russia, if indeed the
incident did not precipitate a
bloody war, be g very natural and
justifiable thing? Yet Mr.. Cleve-
land says Dole's letter is very ex-
traordinary. How about his own
course, which has been similar to |
that indicated above? 1t strikes the |
ordinary unprejudiced person as
somewhat extraordinary, yet there
is no indication that Mr.. Cleveland |
so regards it. Is it that Hawaii is
20 little and helpless and weak
that Mr.. Cleveland thought he
ought to do anything that struck
MS fancy? Instead of being angry
at President Dole he ought to say
nothing, and he should bless Mr..
Willis that his sense of justice, of
light and honor prevented any pre-
,ipitate action that the President