Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-18
tn. Las. squ,aI Iron tn. Whit. House.
New York Sun.

The weakness of the final instructions to
Minister Willis, sent the ether day by the
MaIioosa, makes this document one of the
most remarkable and suggestive in the batch
of diplomatic correspondence turned over
to Congress on Saturday.
Mr.. Dole, in his crushing reply to Mr..
Willis, had pulverized Nj. Cleveland theory
of the source OF his attempted jurisdiction in
Hawaii. Having shown that Mr.. Cleveland
had not been constituted by anybody as =
referee or arbiter, Mr.. Dole had next ex-
posed the absurdity of the notion that be-
cause Blount and Gresham concluded that
Mini, ter Stevens and Capt. Wiltse wrong
fully aided the provisional government to
obtain power, therefore MIR. Cleveland was
entitled to call on that government to add.
cate its functions and 10 restore the throne
What is Mr.. Cleveland's rejoinder? 1t al
pears in the last instructions to Mr. Willis :
THE subversion of the Hawaiian govern
ment by an abuse of the Uni ed States wei
IN plain viol .tion of International law, and
&c q uired the President to disav.w and col
lemn the act of cur offending off .isls, Al d
within the limits of hi. constitutional p W er
TO endeavor to restore the lawful authority.
Could th:re be more piIiful begging of
the question than this: Mr.. Willis had in
formed the Hawaiian authorities THAT the
President is satisfied that the movement
against the Queen, if not instigated, was
encouraged and supported by Mr.. Stevenf. =
But, as President Dole replied, whatev. I
the truth in that respect, il wa, ''pure)y a
matter for discipline between the Uniteo
States government and its officers" No
action OF our naval forces at Honolulu could
have conferred upon the United States an
authority over the internal affairs of this
government and certainly no such action
could enti,le Mr.. Cleveland to say who shall
govern in Hawaii.
Equally decisive was Mr. Dole's comment
on the notion entertsined by Mr.. Cleveland
that our government has made itself in
some way responsible to Mrs. D0miDis
The Hawaiian government as recognized
sovereign power cannot be lawfully over
brown by Mr. Cleveland's administration
"for the ike of discharg:ng its obligations
to the ex-Queen."
In fact, whatever charges of trespass on
the International rights of Hawaii MIR.
Cleveland makes against Minister Stevens,
recoil with double effectiveness upon him
self. Whether onr minister and our naval
forces did or ci not go too far in preserving
the peace in time of peril, there is no
question as to Mr. Cltveland's bold attempt
1t usurpation, committed deliberately and
in no moment of stress requiring prompt
action. The fatal gap in Mr.. Gfesham'a
logic is that desire to ''disavow and con.
denim the act Of our offending officials, -
even supposing that they did offend, justified
Mr.. Cleveland in hi, attempted interference
Ito restore the lawful authority" even sup
posing that Mrs. Dominis is the lawful
authority.
The latest instructions to Mr.. Willis ex
pose this fallacy afresh in their very Ian
guage, and make sill clearer the outrage
committed by Mr.. Cleveland. They will
be received in Hawaii with the contempt
they deserve.