New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-09
Is IT 4 TR.iGEDI,

Confirmation Of the report that Minister Wills
had demanded the surrender Of the l'roviSiohal
Government of Hawaii prior to the '"rWin
departure from Honolulu comes from So lnany
sources that It is no longer possible To uo"pt
its substantial accuracy But because The Al
minstration still chooses 10 perplcX ana aHf"ht
the people by maintaining It's policy OF mys'ih-
cation there is no positive proof Of this onlhous
intelligence, nor refutaion of The starting
rIlmor that riot, boodshed and the landing OF
American marines followed. The country Is
left to conjecture and 10 fear In" worst by Il
vain and obstinate President. who Is forever
pretending profound conservation to the service
of the people AMI forever demonstrating MS
shallow comprehension OF their will and Of his
duty.
While it is possible to do SO patriotic citizens
will continue To hope that the President hands
may not be found 10 be stained with bloo
when at last he permits the people to KNOW
what has been done by his orders in their
name We say by his orders, for the reason
that it is incredible that Mrc.Wllis has exceeded
his instructions. Since every one here mas
known for weeks past that the Government or
Hawaii was prepared 10 maintain IFS authority
by arms if that necessity was forced upon II,
nobody can suppose that an American Minister
ON the ground could be dcuded into belief
that President Dole and his colleagues would
desert their posts in obedience 10 prcposier-
Gus command He must have foreseen a re-
fusal and have considered the consequences
which might follow. And It IS inconceivabe
that he should voluntarily assume so tremen-
dous q responsibility. If he ordered the Pro-
yisional Government to withdraw, the only
tenable suppOsition Is cat he was bimself
Obeying orders which he believed. and had slifll-
cient reason for believing 10 be imperative
Among the rrlmOrs which refuse 10 be put
down. because they are not officially refuted'
Is the r,imor that Mr.. Willis has received his
passports. 1t Is accompanied by the assertion,
which is laughed at but still repeated that lie
returned TO the United States on the Corwin.
This conjecture remains highly Improbable bur
1t is far less unlikely that the first part Of the
story Is true. President Dole is man Of cOlr-
age and determination, and his right 10 reply TO
such q message as he is alleged to have re-
ccved from Mr.. Willis by promptly giving him
his passports is right which lie might be OK
pected to exercise il he deemed that course al
yantageous as well as just. And If he has taken
that step American citizens who are not the
victims Of a hopeless nfatuation will find there
IN no cause for complaint hut fresh reason for
regarding him with respect and admiration.
If this Is what has occurred. and all that lls
occurred the people Of the United States may
well dcplore the consequences Of Il policy, ut
once fantastic and shameful, which has put
their Government I'm such Il plight. But If
official secrecy wells a blackcr outrage than This;
If the Presidents scheme to subvcrt IN cnght-
cned and prosperous Republic by the reStora-
ton OF u dctcstablc throne has eliminated in
bloodshed. the sense of humiliation which now
pervadcs the country Is as nothing 10 the wrath
which will succeed it. 1t IS ntimated that Pres
ident Cleveland is looking for victims, and dis
posed to find them in his Secretary Of State
and Minister TO Honolulu. The people will not
stop there in fact they will not begin there
They will demand that Congress have reck
Onng with the principal whose farce has ended
in tragedy.