The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-01-19
BEAMS FROM THE "suN.'
Hawaiian Extracts From the Greatest
American Newspaper.

BEAMS FROM THE "sUN."
Hawaiian Extracts From the Greatest
American Newspaper.
For our own part we have but
little doubt that, i'll view of the
aroused feeling Of the American
people, and of the grave situation
at Honolulu caused by Mr.. Cleve
lands attitude, Joint resolution
in favor Of annexing the Hawaiian
Islands could be carried through
the present Congress. For the
moment, however, it is the bust
ness of Congress to consider a
still more important question,
namely, whether Mr.. Cleveland,
in appointing Commissioner Blount
or i'll the instructions given to Min
lister Willis, has exceeded his con-
stitutional authority. Commerce
ally and strategy ally valuable as
Hawaii undoubtedly is, and legiti
mate and honorable as is the wish
of its inhabitants for annexation, it
is for us a matter of far greater
moment to learn whether our EX-
ecutive has been guilty of usurping
powers constitutionally reserved to
Congress. If such a usurpation
can be practised with impunity, if
the Congress or either branch of it
will eXtenuate or pardon such an act,
then the Constitution of the United
States might as we'll be discarded as
a worthless rag. If there be any
statute of the United States which
authorizes the President, while the
Senate is i'll session, and without
the consent of that body, to send
Commissioner with paramount au-
thority over an unrecalled Minister
at Honolulu, it is high time that
the statute were produced; and, If
any preteXt can be found in the
constitution or the Federal laws for
an attempt made, or ordered, with
out the consent of Congress, to
overthrow a friendly Government,
Mr.. Cleveland is now called upon
to prove to Congress the existence
of such preteXt.
Nothing could be better timed or
more appropriate than the solemn
appeal of the supporters Of the Ha
waiian Government from the mani
fest hostility of Mr.. Cleveland to
the sympathies and sense of justice
OF Congress, which, in this matter,
seems likely to faithfully reflect the
feeling of the American people.
They ask the American people,
through their legislative representa-
tives, first, to decide whether the
desire for annexation shall be graft
fed, and, i the decision is i'll the
negative, then to permit the Ha-
waiian people to determine their
own destiny. By such an appeal the
Hawaiians show themselves better
acquainted with the precedents of
American political history than are
some American newspapers. The
New York W0yid, for instance,
although owned and edited by
Hungarian, is addressed to Ameri
can readers, and should, therefore,
evince rudimentary knowledge of
the Federal constitution and Of the
leading events i'll our political an
nails. That it knows nothing of the
we pointed out when it
demanded a constitutional amend
ment making the representation i'll
the States in the Senate proportional
to their population. Now we find
an equally ludicrous blunder in an
editorial paragraph, wherein the
HOrld informs the Hawaiians that
annexation must be effected by |
treaty, if at all; and the President,
and not Congress, initiates negoti-
atoms for treaties. ~ This curious
dictum is pronounced apropos of
the resolutions adopted at Honolulu.
to Congress to annex to
Hawaiian Islands. We advise the
ed tor of the WOrid to buy his
tory of the United States and as
,ertain how Texas came to be adj
nitted to the Union. If he reads
ong enough he will discover that
Texas was admitted by a joint
of Congress. Admission
% the Union is just what the Ha
yaiians want, and they need no
advice from the editor of the WOrld
IS to the method of attaining their
lesire.
For the benefit of the Admins
ration's astounded apologists, who
lave been forced to interpret Mr..