The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-10
The Situation in Hawaii.

Interest has been revived in the Ha-
waiian question by the announcement
Just received from Hawaii, that Minister
Willis requested President Dole a few
days ago, TO step aside and permit the de
posed queen TO resume her place on the
throne and that the request was not com
piled with This announcement has been
received through several sources, but has
not vet heen confirmed by the state de
partmeut.
/ However, it is not now a matter Of
/ much Importance whether the announce
/ ment is true or not. 1t is well understood
] that it has never been the purpose of the
administration 10 use other than peaceful
means to reiustate the queen 1t was the
| plan Of the administration to restore the
situation as it was before the revolution
and the establishment of the provisional
government. The plan did not contem-
plate the use of force. The dcposed queen
was required to promise amnesty to those
who assisted in her overthrow before any
request was made Of President Dole to
agree to a re-establishment of the mon
archy. At first she refused to comply
with this requirement, but finally made
the promise. President Dole declined TO
assent to the administration plan of set
Element, if the announcement Just made
is true.
The administration plan for the set
Element Of the Hawaiian question has
failed, and it remains TO be seen what
congress will do in regard to it, that
branch Of the government having been
r,rgt in Of "a ia facts irr
upon it by the President.
The administration undertook to re
store the deposed queen not because it
thought the queens government was a
better one than the provisional govern
ment or better than any other govern
ment likely to be adopted in Hawaii
but because it believed the monarchy was
overthrown by the aid of this government,
through it's minister, Mr.. Stevens 1t is
true that it has been and still is vigor-
Ously denied that Minister Stevens was
instrumental in deposing the queen, but
the facts do not support the denial. 1t is
a matter of record that Mr.. Dole, of the
provisional government, in written
communication, thanked Mr.. Stev-
ems for his assistance before the
provisional government was fully estab-
Ished, and while the queen was still in
sisting upon her rights. Indeed, she
stated in a proclamation that she only
yielded to the superior forceof the United
States, having been informed that troops
had been landed and that the provisional
government had been recognized by Min
lister Stevens.
Congress cannot 90 otherwise than en-
dorse the course adopted by the admins
tration for the settlement of the Hawaiian
question, because that course was
based upon justice. If it be true that the
queen was forced from her throne by the
act of Minister Stevens that officer ex-
ceeded his authority, and it is but right
that this government should undo the
wrong he did.
1t is impossible to predict, with any de-
gree of accuracy, what course congress
will adopt for the settlement of the
Hawaiian question. The administration
plan having failed, it looks as if the wisest
policy would be to let the Hawaiians set
tie their affairs to suit themselves. 1t is
evident that congress will not favor an
neXing Hawaii to this country. Annexa-
ton was favored by the Harrison admin
istration, but that administration acted
hastily. The more the matter is consid-
cred the clearer it becomes that annexa-
tion is not advisable 1t would es-
tablish a dangerous precedent, and.
besides, this country has no use
for territory situated in the ocean :. 900
miles from our coast and inhabited al
most wholly by people who do not, and
could not, readily understand and appre-
ciate our institutions.
A Senate committee is making thor
ough investigation of Hawaiian affairs,
and of the events which led up to and
were part of the revolution. Mr..
Blount will be a witness before the COM
mittee, and will give the reasons for the
conclusions at which he arrived in his
report, and which were the basis of the
administrations action in cndeavoring to
restore the deposed queen. That he viii
convince the committee of the correct
ness of his conclusions there is no doubt.
He is a straightforward, clear-headed
man, and all that he has done in connec-
ton with Hawaiian affairs has been done
conscientiously and with a comprehen-
sive knowledge of the situation at Hon
I,,l,r