The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-02-21

office he had found proof that his pre-
decessor had inc,:ased the wealth of
the company by grievously wronging
weak business neighbor who. how
ever, had no redress in law, or even
"equity." A merely shrewd man in
such a case would let the matter rest.
An honest one would at least try to
undo the wrong. even though he Of
Tended his stockholders.
The sharpest critics of the president
in this matter are fond of invoking the
shade of Marcy to put him to shame.
"Oh, for one day of Marcy" they cry.
Let us take one day of Marcy, or,
speaking strictly, day which was the
sequel OF the ex-secretary's policy and
directly inspired by him-the lst of
May, 1857. I confess that it is not a
day which awakens any patriotic
pride; but it is worth while recalling
as precedent with the Marcy stamp
on it for anything that Mr.. Cleveland
may have done or attempted in Ha-
waii. On that 1st Of May, 1857, in the
harbor of San Juan de Sur, Nicaragua,
a man of American birth who had
been lawfully elected president Of Nj
caragua more than nine months before,
who had been recognized by President
Pierce and his successor in the White
House. was compelled by Commander
Davis, us. n, to surrender bis strong
hold Of Rivsa to the Central American
Allies, his sloop of war Granada to
Commander Davis, and himself and
men to the custody Of the same officer.
William Walker came home nominal
prisoner, but with what ofense accused
or by what right arrested has meyer
been satisfactorily explained. His for
chile deposition from the presidency of
a nation with which our own was at
peace, furnishes precedent for those
who stick for the letter of the law and
are not satisfied with mere moral argu-
! ments.
Commander Davis insisted on res
cuing men who were in no danger
and did not want to be rescued, even
as Minister Stevens assisted on protect
ing American interest before his friends
in Honolulu had asked for his inter-
vention.
Should the adherents of Queen Lii
luokalanf chance, however, to over
throw the existing provisional govern
ment, and an American vessel of war
be on the spot, no doubt the defeated
forces would find shelter and protection
under the American flag, and the min
lister or captain who refused them both
would be properly regarded as das-
tard, more sensitive to international
law than to national honor.
I cannot see in what particular the
flbusters of Cuba and Nicaragua were
not just as worthy of support and re-
spect as those of Hawaii. The pro-
fessed horror of the latter toward the
"paganism" and "immoralit;" Of the
ex. queen, and the artful appeal to
Christian sympathy, are only some
new features in filibusterism, which
has degenerated very much, as fine
art, since 1850.
The allegation that Mr. Cleveland
has been Influenced in his Hawaiian
policy by a desire to 'please England" is
only one of the many absurd criticisms
passed upon him. 1t is quite conceiva-
ble that England should be anxious to
please the President of the United
States, for reasons political and COM
mercial; but why the head of the
greatest nation on earth should court
| the favor Of foreign and rival nation,
passes comprehension. The wiseacres
| have a theory, and it is that he is So
cially ambitious. This profound hypo-
thesis falls to the ground when we re-
member that Mr.. Ward McAllister has
already officially recognized 1.-The
Clevelands" as eligible for admis-
sion to the immortal Four Hun
dred, though, strange to say they
have displayed no alacrity in using
the privilege. Hitherto, so far as
their social duties permitted, 'the
Clevelands" have been content to enjoy
their domestic privacy and keep it as
private as possible, both in Washing
ton and at Gray Gables. The Presi-
dent of the United States, whoever he
may be, does not need the hallmark
of any aristocracy, foreign or domestic,
to settle his position. In justice to the
whole line Of presidents, it must be said
that, while there have been among
them men Of good, bad and Indifferent
character, there has never yet been a
snob in the White House.
The president has not always been
happy in his choice of representatives.
of the United States abroad. hr. Phelps
was not an ideal minister to the Court
of st. James; no more was bis prede-
cessor, Mr.. Lowell, who was republi-
! can appointee. A more tactful man
than Mr.. Cleveland would have avoid
ed the mistake of sending an anti
Catholic minister to the Catholic Court
of Spain, and defender of the papal
patrimony to the Quirual; but it is not
to bis discredit that those considera-
tions never entered his mind in choos-
ing both men without regard to their
religious beliefs or affiliations. The
courteous Spaniards raise no question
abo.t Mr.. Curry, though the less gra-
cious Italians did refuse to accept Mr..
Kelley. The best Office in the gift of
the administration, that of consul
general at London, has been given to
on oyFenian in the same sDirit of