Evening star., 1896-09-22
Question of Restoration Discussed in
Hawaii,
DREAMING OF ANNEXATION
Crowded Out by the Presidential
Election in This Country
THE PLAN RS VIEW S
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
HONOLULU, September 9. 1896.
There has been q continuation of the
Kaiulani rumors, which started In conse-
quence Of an incidental remark Of j. b.
Castle, that her enthronement was "hy-
pothetical possibility" He did not mean
that there was the remotest probability of
such an event. The latest phase of these
rumors appeared in the Honolulu CORES
pondence of the San Francisco Chronicle.
1t was to the effect that United States Min
lister Willis was understood to bring in
structions from Washington to have vote
of the Hawaiian people taken as to their
choice of three alternatives: To be an
nexed to the United States, to restore mon
archy under Kaiulani. or to go under an
American protectorate.
A press representative last Sunday inter-
viewed Mr.. Willis the subject, and was
decisively answered that the minister had
never heard of such a thing until the ru-
mors reached him here; that no suggestions
of the sort had reached him from Wash
ington, and that he had no idea how such
a report had originated. 1t is matter of
course that your administration has no
disposition to NEEDLE in the internal affairs
Of Hawaii-certainly not without previous
authority having been obtained from Con-
gress.
1t may be taken for granted that Mr..
Willis would be the last person to under
take any farther interposition of that sort
after his former distressing experience in
December. 1898, when he arrogantly de-
manded of Mr.. Dole and the provisional
government to'step down and out in favor
Of her rightful royal majesty, Queen Lii
Huokalani He found, that time that he
had been .'monkeying with buzz saw" 1t
Is not supposable that any amount Of in
ducements would persuade the prudent
minister to make a second proposition of
that sort.
Even now, after three years interval, it
is quite difficult to understand how Mr..
Willis should then have persisted in carry
ing out to an extreme his instructions to
make that demand. The queens obstinate
refusal of amnesty persisted in after
GIesham's second instructions in Decem-
Der, gave the minister ample reason for re-
fusing to continue to her the offer made.
He was not under the slightest obligation
to pay regard to her tardy consent to am
nesty given at the last moment 1t is evil
dent that Mr.. Willis Is a conscientious man
He was filled with the spirit Of Col.
Blount's report. He was absolutely certain
that the queen had been dethroned by the
United States forces from the Boston. He
was intent upon seeing justice done. and
wiping out the dishonor done to the United
States by the wicked course of Stevens and
Wiltse. So possessed he with that be-
lief, that he would spare no pains to carry
out the righteous intentions of the Presi-
dent and Mr.. Gresham He accordingly ac-
cepted the queens tardy submission to am
nesty, made after the dispatch boat Corwin
had her anchor up to report her refusal.
Mental Confidence.
Mr.. Willis mistaken zeal in his bad
| cause became more manifest, in view OF
| the fact that he had no authority whatever
| to enforce his demand upon Mr.. Dole. We
| all believed that he had such authority, and
| that the conspicuous preparations made on
| board the U. s. S. Philadelphia and the
| adams for landing forces meant that the
minister intended to employ force to re-
| store the queen. This proved to be all q
| bluff on his part, well carried out Dole's
| refusal to comply was fully authorized BY
| the councils in the face Of this expectation
| of forces being landed. Resistance would
| have been made, in the expectation thai
| the nail due In four days would bring
news of a friendly interposition by Con.
| gress. Mr.. Willis probably expected tha
| his display of force would terrify the gov.
| ernment into yielding to his demands, al
| though he made no threats. Evidently hi
| was irtent upon having the United States
| government put itself on record as eEdeav
| oring to right the wrong done to the queer
| by its representatives eleven months be
| fore.
| The minister came here in rather ex
| alted state of mental confidence, showr
| by rany expressions dropped, among 9th
| er5, two, which l had at firSt-hand fron
| absolutely reliable sources. To the attor
| Ley general, who was attempting privat
| ly to correct his. mistaken views, a few
days before his demand, he said very i'm
| perfCusly that the democratic party wa
| now in for long-continued period of tri
umph, twenty years at the least, and tha
| President CleveiaEd's policies had come t
stay. To another person, who was seeking
to present to him some facts Of import
ance he in,periOusiy refused any hearing
| sayirg. II want no Information whatever
1,h | kEow all about you: l have read MI
mi -iyor.
not come to investigate; 1 have come t
act" In this state of mind, 1t may not b
strange that Mr.. Willis went farther i
his action than wise consideration of hi
own interests or of-those of his principal
would have permitted him to do. At an
rate, he may be thought unlikely to do s
any more"
Compassion.
The supporters of the republic do nc
cherish any animosity toward the preser
incumbent of the American embassy on az
count of the prodigious mistake with whic
he initiated his official career here. 1t wa
wholly a mistake of ignorance. The ne
minister imagined that he had great an
noble duty to fulfill He was performing
sacred act Of justice. He was the offlc
bearer Of a solemn duty incumbent on tn
Washington administration to rectify tn
great wrong done to a helpless nation an
their queen by a vile plot between eyi
minded American officials and unscrupulor
foreign residents of Honolulu. How far NJ
Willis has learned to admit that he WE
then in error has not appeared from an
definite act or expression Of his. In genera
he has borne himself in friendly mann.
, toward the government Of the republic, ar
there has been nothing to forbid the supp
( sition that he regards his early attitude
a mistaken one. We thoroughly got IL
better of him in that affair Of our 'Blae
: Week." which made US such terrible di
v tress at the time. We can afford to forgi,
r him, and have done SO.
= I may say that we have not only forgive
8 | Mr.. Willis, but that we have received hi
v to a good measure of our esteem. The mi
j lister is personally a most estimable ma
8 unlike several of his predecessors. who ha
v not always been Of even moderately reput
e BILE life. Like the excellent John L. Steven
:: Mr. Willis is sincere and earnest Chri
n tian, being Of the "Disciple'' or "Campbe
:, lite' persuasion-and undoubtedly a man
|, conscience and principle. We are glad
g have such a man in responsible position
r authority, and believe that he can be trus
ed He Is prudent, cautious, reserved al
8 versed In public affairs, possessing t
IS necessary qualifications Of a diplomat,
e On the whole, we much prefer to take
l, chances of exchanging for some man
l. unknown character.
IL Kaiulani.
e Kaiulani, nee princess, is said to be on t
way to her island home from England, 6