Hawaii Holomua, Volume I, Number 87, 30 December 1893 — Dccidedly Amcrican. [ARTICLE]
Dccidedly Amcrican.
» One of the cant epihets put u|x>n President C'eveland’s policy in the Hawaiian atfair is that it is “un-A:nerican.” Only the mnst braren hypocrisy or purblind partisaoship would venture upon that obvious deceit. The Presideot's policy is distinctly aml decided American. If it isn’t American, genuinely and characteristically American, itisu’t anything. It cert»inly is not the policy that w. uld have heen purgaed by Kngland. or France, or Russia, or German\. or Spain, or ltaly, or any othtr power under the sun exoept the Tnited Statcs. Ko country *»nd nf< people except our own eouhl have brought forlb a policy so unseihsh, so jnst, and »o honest. The President and his 4»Ileagocs, convinced from infbrmalion of indubitab!e accuracy that a uionstrous wrong had beeo oommitted in the name ot the Amenean peoule and under tl»e violated authority of the Government. bravely and boldly determined to rigbt that wrong. They <iec:ded tbat the elolen gnods ahoold be relarued. 0f oourse, Ihoee who haJ pbved lae priacipai part ia the pobbery protest agamst such a course. Unfortnnate!y. too, tbey 1 bave succeeded in corrupting the 1 puhlie couscience—seducmg it by anui reminders of the magnifieeoee of tbe surrendered plunder— < and eo they are enabled to make a | 1 fine show of popular support in 1 1
! their attacks npon the procedure of tb“ pre»ent Adminislration. There is no denying that it was a terontmg plum th«t it was proto drop i«to Columbia’fi «mple lap. Hawaii woohl be an acqnisitioa of whieh any country might be proud. It is the gem of the Pacific. It may even be Uaen as a fact that of the $36.500,000 at whieh the valuation of the Hawaiian kingdom is put, merchants of the United States owu 28,500,000, and that this sum wouid rapidly increase if Ainerican don.mance in the islands were assured. But these circumstances ean have no weight in the disjx>sition of the question by an enligbtened and Christian community. Tbe matter had to be determintd ou princip!es of absolute right and wroug. And every honest cilizeu of the repub!ic may rejoice tbat the representatives Washington had the honor and nerve to throw profit and popularity t*i the winds, and lo settle this affiiir with a smgle eye to justice and equity.