Evening star., 1894-01-23

ne naS never peen heid Immediately at
fault for minor informalities in the direc-
tion Of our foreign affairs. 1t has always
been assumed that the Secretary Of State
IL the immediate director of such subjects
proval Of the President is either expressed
or implied. But In the Hawaiian affair the
history Of nine months of , successive
biunders II 30 full Of the tragic. the rf>
diculOus and the farcical and the RESPONSE
bility has become SO diffuse and generally
uncertain that the country has reached the
conclusion that President, premier and
cabinet, with all their new-fanglei para
mounts and mysterious cipher dispatches,
are the mere tin-clad actors in q stupen-
douS comedy of errors.
Where is the man whose cheek has not
blushed with bitter shame as day by day
he has been forced to read the humiliating
story Of our laundering Hawaiian policy?
Where is the living man whose very heart
has not swelled with Indignation he
has witnessed the perpetrat ton Of inexcusa-
weak and struggling people?
But the God of nations has not permitted
the unholy effort to succeed.
Patchwork Policy.
The ridiculous mantle of secrecy which
had hidden for months the actions of the
executive has been removed. and the patch
work policy is fully revealed. How now
appears that sham and shoddy man.
agement, which. according to the public
of the State Department en- masse in the
halls of the state building and administered
to the charwomen. messengers, laborers
and clerks, a monstrous oath, that they
would never, never reveal to the outside
world q single word thing pertaining
to the Hawaiian correspondence. Was the
usual constitutional oath of office which
every one had taken of 80 little value that
Secretary Gresham could make the obli-
cation stronger by a new tangled, unlaw-
full and wholly nugatory imposition? Was
all this necessary to impress the beautiful
queen with the entire sincerity OF an
American prime minister? Or was he
fearful that the touching supplication sent
to her on tinted paper. and Endorsed by
the politeness of Mr.. Willis, urging her
not to cut off the head of his great and
good friend" might finally reach the Ameri-
can people?
But, by the persistence of the represen-
tatives Of the people in Congress. the cleo
upon a scene which, until now, was only
occasionally brought into view. And what
a scene! Personal hates and dislikes; par
tisan prejudices: charges OF unfaithful
conduct against an honest minister: offers
to restore 4 fallen monarchy upon the ruins
Of a crushed republic; disavowals Of Ameri-
can manhood; treachery and unfair deal
irg-all these things piled up. each upon
tie other, give the lie to an honorable
record of more than hundred years OF our
national life.
.Charge II to Stevens"
What answer to these things do we hear
from those Senators, who. timidly and
with soft step and whispering voice, essay
weak defense for the administration
which has two or three years longer in
which to dispense its patronagey Up to
this hour the only attempted answer or de-
fense has been: Charge it to Stevens
or What about Stevens?" When secre-
.i,, lioy,at trb
which take him days to translate, and SEN
ators and press and public grow weary or
waiting and wondering why he does not
take the United States into his commence,
some piping cuckoo settles the whole mat,
ter by saying: We'll Stevens is to blame. y
Minister Stevens can well afford TO rest
in quiet and peace, without replying 10
those petty attacks upon him. Whatever
may be his personal peeuiiarities. ne stahos
before the people of the United States as
an honest and honorable public servant,
competent in his profession, stralg nIlor
ward In his methods and whose omciai
record on this matter Is IN every way a
hundred fold more creditable than that
which seeks to strike a blow at BENJAMIN
Harrison over the shoulders or John L.
Stevens.
upon the present situation Of this anoma-
lous and singular history. This administra-
ton pledged to reform everything in sight.
from the tariff on peanuts to the pension
Of the wounded soldier. started upon the
first week Of its accession to power TO
reinstate q monarchy. Ignoring Senate
then in session. and assuming pompous
dictatorship and supreme control. hitherto
without precedent and wholly without ex-
cuse the President set himself in hot haste
upon the task Of carrying out the Chicago
platform by offering to make Mrs. Domin-
Is once more the queen of the Cannibal
Islands. After various sorts OF negotta-
tion. he told Mrs. Dominis. through Mes
senger Willis:
a. ~.
be good queen. You must not get me
into trouble by cutting of the heads of my
great and good friend Mr.. Dole and the
other fellows"
The dusky madam stamped her foot. and
swore she would kill every mothers son
Of them and confiscate all their property
besides. Imagine Messenger Willis. with
tears in his eyes. begging the angry wo-
man not to throw away this chance to be-
come queen again.
But the march of events continues stead
lily on. The effort to discredit the clear
and honest policy of a previous adminstra-
ton has passed into the bundle labeled
vindictive blunders. Everything which has
been attempted to be done in that regard
has come to naught, but the President he's
finally gathered up the. scattered shreds
and patches in disgust, has brought them
over to the Capitol. relegating the whole
subject to Congress.
An Onenae Against His Country.
OF course I do not speak in a personal
sense in condemning the course of action
taken by our government, but I do main
tain that in so far as an executive may. in
the premises and under the conditions COM
init an illegal act. an offense against his
country, the President and his admirers
have done that thing. No other Pres
ident of any party, during our his.
o nas ever 1hs peoDe ann
an attitude Of contempt and shame. subject
to a popular derision and made us a laugh