Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-20

OF washington sentiment. NOT long after
the mitigated sentences were published. as
reported. There has been general quiet
acQufescence in them as the best that
could be done under all the circumstances.
While the long terms of Imprisonment as
signed sound formidable, and would, if
actually carried out, serve as very strong
deterrent from future disturbance it is
difficult for any one to regard them as at
all likely to be fulfilled. The government
does, indeed, thereby express its sense of
the enormity of the offense, and of the
destructive effect of the attempt if success
full. But hardly anything is more probable
than more or less exercise of cIemency as
the years pass. and the government be-
comes, as may be hoped, settled and es-
ton of penalty for those who attempted its
destruction. Indeed, whenever annexation
is realized, which all confidently expect to
take place in no remote future, nothing
would be more natural than a general am
nesty to all the rebels.
NOwlein's Case.
There was a good deal Of dissatisfaction
felt with the disposition of Nowlein's case.
He was the chief leader of the insurgents,
and was condemned by the military COM
mission to be hanged. But, on account of
his turning states evidence, the penalty
was entirely RENTED. This did not well
please the public, but of course there was
nothing else to be done. Nowlein's testi-
mony had been Of the utmost value and i'm
have supplemented the lack of his testi-
mony, although other witnesses verified and
clinched his evidence. He had received
every encouragement to tell the whole story
in hope of exemption from penalty. Many
felt that he ought to suffer some penalty
and not escape scot-free. Indeed. he ex-
pected as much himself. and was extremely
delighted to be set at large. But the gov
eminent must be large and generous in
their clemency in such cases. Several
other prisoners who gave useful evidence
were set free. One was Bertelmann, at
whose house c. L. Carter was shot. His
evidence was quite essential in establish
ing the guilt of Rickafd and Gulick. Town
send and Warren were also released. They
gave complete evidence about the transfer
of the arms from the H. c. Wahlberg at
sea to the steamer Waimanalo, as well as
about Stewards arrangements for that and
about the landing of the arms at Waialae
and the men who used the guns three days
later.
The ex-queen's steward, Charles Clark,
and her private secretary, kaae, also came
in for like benefit. 1t is indeed rather re-
turned upon each other. From the time of
their capture, many of the leading half
whites seemed to vie with each other in
revealing all they knew. Much of this APP
not receiving the support they expected
from the white men in conspiracy with
them. Nowlein seems to have been espe-
cially. angered by finding no effort made in
the city to- resist the government, and so
to help his rising at Diamond Head. This
lack Of mutual reliability will go far to de-
ter and weaken any possible future con-
spiracies, although 1t must be said that the
conspirators kept the secret stonishingly
well up to the outbreak. The government
had remained entirely without definite
knowledge of what was being done by
them. The squad of police at Bertelmann's
when Carter met his death had no sus-
picion of the body of armed rebels gathered
mile beyond.
President Dole's Work.
Upon no man has the strain come more
heavily than upon President Dole in the
work of determining the sentences. He is
man of strong sympathies and benevolent
disposition To such nature the duty of
seeing that penalties should be imposed
upon large numbers of persons could only
be distressing one especially as many of
these people were misguided and of honest
intent. Yet the public security must be
duly protected. No one probably will ever
know the weight of mental conflict which
has borne upon the president during the
past month. To him it was undoubtedly
an immense relief when the expression of
sentiment at Washington removed all
doubts as to the expediency of remitting
the death penalty, for which, up to that
time, public sentiment had been making so
strenuous demand.
1t should be said that Nowlein, upon his
release, met with great bitterness from his
former friends in Honolulu on account of
his betrayal of his fellow-conspirators He
spent one day here in great fear of bodily
harm, and then left for his old home, at
Lahaiua. There his royalist friends met
him with enthusiasm. On them, too, how
ever, the facts soon grew that he had gone
wrong, and he took farther flight to Kona
Nowlein Will find little regard or sympathy
from any one
1t is as yet too early to discover what
will be the final effect upon the native
hat 4 will 1,a
most favorable to the government of the
republic. For one thing, there has been
no indication of any strong regret among
the natives on account of the ex-queen's
imprisonment. There seems among the
common people to be great Indifference
upon the subject. The general attitude of
the common native mind is one of passivity
They take little active interest in politics
but will vote as their native leaders or
some chief tells them. On the whole, they
like to see native chiefs in power, and
rather admire the holding of office by ma
tives. At the same time. they recognize the
superior administrative ability and honesty
of the whites, and are quite well satisfied
to have the whites run the government
The late crushing defeat of the royalist in
surgents has settled the case to their minds
that the whites are going to keep control.
and they seem generally disposed to ac-
Quiesce In that resi.it
The Annexation Movement.
A movement Of Importance, which is as
Stunning considerable magnitude, Is the
formation of a Hawaiian Annexation
League. This has been organized only a
few days, but embraces most of the leading
and influential royalists, including nearly
all who held high offices under the mon
archy. The object of the league is to rally
all the natives to the standard of annexa-
ton. The members are evidently greatly
In earnest in this business. There can be
little doubt that they will succeed in con-
verting the natives generally to the support
of the measure, as they have immense in
f1uence with the people. No persons can be-
come members except those of native blood.
or whites who have married natives
1t is not to be supposed that the motive
OF these annexation leaguefs is friendship
to the government of the republic or a
disposition to support it, Entirely the con-
trary. 1t Is to put an end to this gov
eminent as soon as possible by merging it
In the great republic, and having a new
territorial government established. Much
more is it their hope to secure in the con-
stitution of the new territory of Hawaii
suffrage provisions conformed to the pre-
vailing practice in the United States, Civ
ing equal and universal suffrage. They are
anxious to abolish the present restricted
suffrage for senators, for whom only those
can vote who possess an income of 5000 or
unincumbered property of So, 600. This pro-
| IL -.