Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 225, 19 May 1893 — NO BLOODY SHIRT IN THIS BUSINESS. [ARTICLE]

NO BLOODY SHIRT IN THIS BUSINESS.

An overofficious person natned John L. Stevens. representing the United States g.>vernment at Hawaii. ascertained. a few raonths ego, that tbere was a disturbance regarding the g >vernment of that insular kingdonī; thata revolutionary admmistration had heen establisheil, and that the provisional authority had determined to adopt the policy of annexation to the Unite ! States. Mr. Stevens without orders from the United States government, and transgressing ail the instructions whieh he had received. issued a proclamation in whieh he assuraed, on behalf of the United States. a protectorate over the country, and raised the United States fiag abovethe eapilol bailding at the Hawaiian capit.il. Before President Harrison went out of office he negotiated a treaty of annexation with the revolutionarv government of Hawaii, and indorsed the action of >ir. Stevens in proclaiming the protectorate and in raising the flag. When President Cleveland eame into office he did not proceed at onee to aeeomplieh annexation on the pians prepareii bv his pre<lecessor. He determined to investigate all ihe facts and the condition of affairs, and sent ex-Congressraan James H. Blount as a commi?sioner to Hawaii, with authority to ascertain all the facts relating to th« condition of affairs, and especially to report as to the circumstances under whieh the American protectorate had heen assumed and as to the causes by whieh the Surs and Stripes tiad heen raise<i, without authority, on a flagstaff above the dome of an official bnilding at the eapilal of a foreign nation. Very proper!y, Mr. Blonnt, as his first official act, recalled ihe flag from the peak wher« it never shouId have heen raised. And now comes Senator Onllom, of IIlmois, in a newspaper int*rview deciaring th*t the uniform democratic policy bas been to dia-

cmlit the Amenean flag. that h« expected nothirg of Pres;deut Cleve.dnd but that ihe sUrs ami stripes w.>uld be d shonor»*d. and tbat to lo«er ihe coh>« whieh never shou’.d have :x , en at Hawaii wa? an act of diaiovalty liiie those of the rebellion. This appears like a aupeeme maoiteatalion of uiental mibecility. Mr. Culloiu is behind ihe aue. Having taken no active and gallanl part in ihe great civil war, he does nut know thal its {>ages are written in ihe history of the distaut past. He does not know thal the colors of the **bloody shirt" faded out of sight years and years ago, and that it is no longer a lianner for partisan warfare and eonquest. The Hawaiian question iss:mple and is a niere matter of national policy. The United Stat> s do not ueeil the island group nor any olher part of Polynesia, whatever the value of the property. But an attempl to divert public attention from the practical iut«’|psts involved bv raising the bloody shirt issue is not entitled to a moment's eonsideration. [r/iicn<;o H<rnUt.\ The professional jutriots who are howling about Coummsioner Blonnt"s hauling down the Amenean flag from ihe Hawaiian government buildmgs and condenining his aelion with accompanying rabīd remarks ab«iut his Confederate affiliations should transfer lheir allegiance and their jeremiads to the service of England. Miuister Steven's hasly aelum was in line with British land-grabbing policy, Commissioner Blount's wasaccording to Mr. Cleveland’s instruclions and distinctively American in itt conservatism and dignity. [<7 hirago Time*.] Senator Cullom finds oeeaaion, in the latcst development of the Hawaiian incident. to unfurl the bloody shirt and wave it widely to tfae breeze. The absolutecertainty of early retirement to private Iif« d >esn't aeem to have the aflfect of m iking Cullom any less of an as» than he has always heen. And in that class he bas taken the blue ribbon ever since a fancied f;tcial resemblance to Abraham Lineoln gecured him prominence. [Ināīa'iapolia Sentir eī.] Instead bf indulging in feverish exhibits of pain!ully aimple misunderstanding there is mueh raore occasiou for gratitude that President Cleveland andSecretarv (»reiham are pursuing a course to save the United Statee from inortificatson and annoyance and have authorized their represent.itive lo undo some of the blunders perpetrated by the junk-dealer in diplomatic Hff.iirs. who was called m to succeed the late Mr. Hlaine in the •tate department. The alarraists who are in «ueh a flutter need have no fear. Where the American flag shouid tioat it will wave, but men of eommon sense are not insistiug that it ahall be raade an emhlem of oppression and embarrassment and that ig whal it meant when it was ineoniid«rately hoisted by the badlv rattled Minister Sl-v«us, at Honolulu. [SL P'iul .Wie*.] The native people ofthe Haw&ii. an Islands, according to the mo«t truslworlhy testimony at hand, do not desire annexation. Thev charee, as lhere is reason to believe justly, that they have been mi»-repr*-sented. and they appeal to America’s «gense of justice and honor. There ought to be no doubt that their appeai will not be j n vain. Tbe first oAieial act of Commissioner Blount gives asauranee that it will not be. [ OmnKa Bte.] There are some strong reasons why the Island shooId be annexed, and probably the most pressing is’ thst it would open an asylum for such disappointed and di9gruntled Presidenl caudidatesas Oallom. - [MinneapolU