The Portland daily press., 1894-01-15

VIC NSuCCH . uDH udliuCO az ESculClU bAdu
all obligations created by the provisional
government in a proper course of admin
lstratiOn shall be assumed, and upon
such pledges by her as will prevent the
adoption of any measures of prosecution
or punishment for what has been done
in the past by those setting up or sup
porting the provisional government. The
President feels that by our original inter
ference and what followed we have in
Cured responsibilities to the whole
Hawaiian community and it would not
be just to put one party at the mercy of
another.
Should the Queen ask whether if she
accedes to the conditions active steps
will be taken by the United States to
authority thereafter you will say that
the President cannot use force without
authority of Congress-
should tie Queen accept che conditions
ana the provisional government refuse to
surrender, you will be governed by pre-
vious instructions. If the provisional
government asks whether the United
States will hold the Queen to the fulfill
ment of stipulated conditions you will
say that the President acting under
dictates OF honor and duty as he has
done i'll endeavoring to effect restoration
Will do all in his constitutional power to
cause observance of the conditions he
has imposed.
Until Mr.. Willis's despatch of Novem-
Der 16 was made public it appeared from
Secretary Gresham's dispatches of the
25th of Novemb Der and December 3rd as if
from Willis, but it is now apparent that
practically there was but one as one of
the two was only a synopsis of the other.
Up to the sailing of the Corwin but one
report had been received from Willis,
and that of course must have been the
one which contained his interview with
the Queen. When Gresham forwarded his
despatch Of December g. he and the
President knew that the Queen had re-
fused the amnesty conditions, they..knew
that Willis still held those conditions
open, for he had said in his letter:
then said to her that at any moment
night or day, this offer of our govern
ment was open to her acceptance. The
interview thereupon, after some personal
remarks. was brought to asclose.
They knew also that he was waiting
further instructions, for he had said in
his cipher telegram, which was appended
w UnO lull ICpOiU do WCIi do lOI WdlOCu ny
telegraph, "Views of party of the first
part SO extreme as to require further in
structions. Now the instructions which
Willis asked were forwar ed to him on
December 4 by tn Corwin, and are con-
tanned in Secretary Gresham's letter be-
swered by:steamer on November 25vwhich
is printed above. Both the President and
Secretary Gresham knew when these in
structions were forwarded, that the
Queen had refused the conditions, they
knew that Willis still held the offer open
for her acceptance. Did they tell Willis
that that refusal altered the situation and
absolved him from further negotiations?
Did they tell him that he was wrong in
offering to keep the offer open? Not a
bit of it, They ratified all he had done,
and virtually told him to keep right or
negotiating with her, and as an induce
ment for the Queen to consent, he was
told to inform her that the Presidents
further efforts to restore her would de.
pend upon her unqualified assent to his
conditions. Nothing can be clearer than
that these instructions sent after the
President knew that the Queen had once
refused his conditions contemplated the
giving her OF another chance to accept
them-indeed an unlimited number of
chances to do So These instructions were
received by Minister Willis on December
H. Four days after he received them, the
Queen meanwhile having assented to the
conditions, he made the demand upon
the provisional government which those
instructions commanded him to make.
What the Advertiser correspondent
says he should have done, namely,
wait for further instructions be
fore taking any action whatever, he
did do. The Presidents reply to
his despatch announcing the Queens re-
fusal had been received before he moved.
What right has the President then to
blame Mr. Willis? Evidently none what
ever. And he assum mes none for in his
dispatches to Willis of January IL Mr..
Gresham assures him that he has right
ly comprehended the scope of your in
structions and has, as far as was in
your power is discharged the onerous task
confided to YOU"
In view of all these facts the Presi-
dents friends might as well give up all
attempt to make Willis scapegoat.
Willis simply obeyed orders. The project
of setting up the Queen originated with
Cleveland and Gresham. They engineered
the thing through all it's stages until the
final collapse. They were responsible for
the continuance of the negotiations
with her after she disclosed her revenge
full and sanguinary nature by insisting
that the heads of the members of the
provisional government must come off
and their property be confscated. Willis
was mere agent, moving not a step
without their explicit instructions.
The glory of persisting in the attempt
to restore the deposed Queen after she
had revealed her bloodthirsty nature by
declaring that if she was restored she
would insist on cutting off the heads of
all her enemies belongs entirely to Cleve-
land and Gresham.