The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1895-01-21
CHE lailg 9 ,llstin.
Pledged " ,.etthsr Sec, n,.- parS
0ut Established for the Bennett, Of AZ.
MONDAY, JAN. Y. 1906.
THE RoYALIsT COMMISSION

hrst time the result OF the rOyalist
commissioners visit to Washing
ton last summer, They requested
through Secretary Gresham an in
terview with the President, "to ask
his excellency whether there is any
hope for his doing anything for the
restoration of the constitutional gov
eminent OF the Hawaiian Islands"
President Cleveland declined to
grant an official interview, but ar
ranged to meet them as individuals
who had travelled a long distance for
the purpose OF laying certain mat
ter before him. When the time ar.
| rived the President was confined to
his house 10y illness, but a written
answer he had prepared, to be de-
| livered to the commissioners at the
interview, was handed to them. In
this answer the President said in
effect that having failed in his plans
for restoration OF the old govern
ment-whose overthrow he had been
convinced on investigation was part
ly accomplished by unjustifable in
reference on the part OF the repre-
sentatives Of the Government OF the
United States in its diplomatic and
naval service-he committed the en-
tire subject to the Congress Of the
United States. Continuing, he said
that the Congress had, both by its
action and omission to act, "signi.
fed that nothing need be done
touching American interference with
the overthrow OF the government Of
the queen" A government had been
established which was fulfilling its
functions over all the islands, which
the President said was clearly en-
titled to the recognition OF the
United States, and such recognition
and the attitude OF Congress" he
concluded, led to an absolute de-
NAL OF the least present or future
aid or encouragement on my part oil
an effort to restore any government
heretofore existing in the Hawaiian
Islands"
When the three commissioners re,
turned they maintained an uuac.
countsble secrecy regarding the re-
suit Of their mission. Although two
Of them were concerned in the cor,
poration owning the BULLETIN, they
declined to give this paper the least
inkling Of what they had accom-.
plished or failed to accomplish at
Washington. As this paper had
based its opposition to the Provi
siOual Government, as a government
upon the attitude assumed by the
United States Executive, it was i'm.
portant at that juncture for it tC
know the actual state OF the ques,
ton at Washington. Failing in re-,
peated efforts to obtain the inform.
alton desired, the conductor OF this
paper gave his adhesion to the Re,
public, and the BULLETIN has since
in its editorial columns advocated
the main item Of the Governments
policy, viz, annexation to the United
States.
The final and absolute refusal oil
President Cleveland to use the ex
ecutive power OF the United States
in either restoring the old govern
ment, or aiding any attempt to that
end, shut up the opponents OF the
Republic to action OF their own FOL
its overthrow or else an unequivoca
acceptance OF the situation. Theil
leaders chose the former alternative
and, spending good money for wal
equipment, induced an uprising o.
native Hawaiians which gave tn,
Government an opportunity OF dis
playing a strength that all intelli
gent observers, whose minds wer,
not infatuated over a lost cause, hac
long realized it possessed. What
might have happened if other anc
shrewder plans had been adopted
and premature action had not beef
taken by the rebels, it is idle to con
lecture, 1t must be taken as for
tunate, in the interests OF stable
government and Of life and property
that the revolt took place when anc
how it did, also that the Govern
ment was left without the semblanc,
OF foreign protection in the emer
gency. With foreign warships pres
ent IN the harbor the Government
could not have so completely vindi
Gated its right to exist, for then i
might be said that such presenc,
had deferred large numbers from
joining in the insurrection-if in
deed there would have been an,