Hawaii holomua = Progress. [volume] (Honolulu) 1893-1895, 1894-01-31

life and property OF citizens OF
the United States the assent OF
such authority should first be
obtained If it can be done with
out prejudice to the interests
involved.
The position here taken is I'm
portsnt in double aspect: First,
because ii clearly states the views
of our government as to Its right
to interfere Ia the concerns of
another people, next, because the
rules here laid down may serve
as a test when we undertake to
decide to what extent, if any. the
late administration has violated
rules of international obligation,
as that obligation is viewed by
the executive mower now In office.
1t is plain that if Minister Stew
ems did nothing more, and moth
ing else than Secretary Gresham
autE orized Mr.. Blount to do, any
criticism of the course pursued
by Minister Stevens is ill-timed
and unfounded.
Ii is claimed, however, and a
mass of evidence is adduced to
prove, that Minister Stevens did
not confine himself to the simple
and obvious duties thus conceded
to be properly within his sphere.
but that. on the contrary, re
used his great power as the re-
preventative of the United States
to preeipitate the downfall of the
existing government. 1t is in
sisted that, without the aid
which he afforded to the insnr
gents. the revolution could never
have succeeded, nay. wonld not
Lave been attempted; that the
bayoEets of the United States
soldiers virtually terrified the
Queen into submission and com
PEELED her to resign. If these
charges are made out, the result
would seem to be plain, VIZ: that
an injustice having been done by
the abuse of our representative S
authority, it is incumbent upon
us, SO far as practicable, to re-
dress the wrong done. As the
only way to accomplish this is to.
restore the stat,ss quo, justice and
self respect concur to make an
attempt at least at restitution
1t is plain at the outset. that
whatever Minister Stevens NAV
have intended, thought, or de-
signed, the promoters of the
Instruction, when they appealed
to him for aid and comfort. were
not limited in their action by the
lines set out in Secretary Ores
bam S subsequent instructions to
Mr.. Blount 1t did not occur to
them that the United States
Government WAS only bound to
protect its own citizens, nor did
they believe that their appeal. to
be etfectual must be based upon
some threatened or actual injury
to American interests. 1t is OBJ
vious that they called upon the
government of the United States
very much as the bemired travel
Ter called upon Hercules to ex-
tract his cart from an impossible
road. They knew the physical
power of our nation, and could
we'll imagine that the moral force
of our flag, backed up even by an
insignificant number of bayonets
would be omnipotent- IN the
destruction or the creation of
a government at Honolulu. And,
therefore. when they wrote under
date of January 10, 1898. to
Minister Stevens, they respect
fully reported that the Queen
was misbehaying herself. that
the public safety was menaced,
that lives and property were i'm.
perllled; on these grounds they
appealed to the United States
forces and to him for assistance.
A petty, Jogging lawyer would
have been disposed to interpose
a demurrer, as there certainly
were not facts enough on their
own showing to justify the fore
ible interference of the United
States. There was no pretence
that the property of our citizens
was imperilled or their lives