The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1895-04-24

tnaJ the tlueeU yiebeu VI bhe SUI
d ,rior forces Of the United States,
that Minister Damon recognized her
appeal to- he President OF the United
States, aud that President Dole and
OF her officers OF the Provisional Gov
erumpDt applied TO Munster ) evens
for the protection Of the Uuited
States forces and, later, OF the United
St,tes Hag)
To this appeal Minister Stevens
responded 10y raising the United
States flag over the government
building, and occupying the same
with Uuitrd States sailors ard M
,nas. This was continued for three
IN ntbs, and until the flag vas re-.
~ we'd aud thu troops withdrawn Ivy
special Com missioner BiOuut. 1t -
bard to conceive how the testimony
and documentary evidence III the
case could be examined by patrt
Otic American, without having tho
conclusion forced upon hin that the
honor and good name Of his country
bad been seriously compromised 10y
ths occurrences Of January, 1893, 10
the Hawaiian ISLANDS.
The trouble has ueen that this
evidence has been to- volumipous to
he read by the general public, aud
the opportunity has thus been made
to prepossess the public mind with
biased and partisan views in the in
terest Of the annexation conspira.
tors.
Let any honest and fair.miDded
American examine this evidence, or
At least read President Clevelands
message OF December 1S, 1893, aud
ask himself wherein the President
was wrong in regard To- this shame
ful business, when ha says:
IL mistake the American people.
il they favor the odious doctrine
that there is no such thing as inter
national morality, that th.re is one
law for a strong nation, aud another
Tor weak one, and that even by IN.
direction = strong power may, with
impunitv, despoil weak one OF its
territory"
H. is charitable to b-lieve that II
President Harrison had possessed
ell tho information dis .los-d by the
investigation set on foot by Pres'-
dent Cleveland, tho treaty OF annsx-
alton would never have been con.
cluded by him in such hot haste.
We ara told that President Glove
land could no more reconsider his
predecessors recognition Of the Pro-
visional Government OF Hawaii than
he could reconsider the recognition
OF the republic in Franc. or ia Bra
iii. But the cases are not parallel.
The prior governments in France
and Brazil were overthrown by citi-
zens Of those countries, not by the
naval forces OF the United States;
our recognition OF the now govern
mouts was not obiainrd by false as
surances; aud they claimed to possess
and to exercise the ordinary attri-
Dutes OF governments. The Proyi
sional Government OF Hawaii, on
, the other hand, presented the extra
ordinary spectacle OF temporary,
revolutionary, self-constituted com
mittee, gotten up for the sole and
ayowed purpose OF handing over
the country to another power, aud
OF thus deprivin2 it OF its independ,
ence Moreover, the Queens sub
mission was secured with the under
standing that the matter should bs
heard aud determined by the Gov
erpment OF the United States. Mr..
Damon, the Vice President OF the
Provisional Government, who was
sent TO obtain her abdication, says
so. The Queen herself so declares
ia her protest, which IS. Is. Dole,
Esq, and others composing the Pro-
visional Government OF the Hawai- an
Islands," to whom it was addressed
received without criticism or dis,
ient.
Every impulse rpringing from
sensitive regard for his country,
honor and fair fame, must have con
strained President Cleveland to seea
how he might undo the wrong thai
had been done this feeble people
under the sanction OF the power and
name Of the United States. Ths,
he did so seek, will remain an eudur
ing credit to his administration. l
there were wanting an example O
civic courage and conscienti ous dis
charge OF high public duty, the con
duct OF President Cleveland in tb,
Hawaiian episode, in the face o
popular clamor, excited by truculsn
Misrepresentation aud partisan de
nupciation, would furnish it. Tn
responsibility for the stain on thi
page OF American history must no
rest with Congress.
Senator Davis charges the AID
80. :at ;nn ,,.t l. xk.k,t:.. &c..