propriety of Stevens's conduct, opinion in Congress was divided;
but with regard to Dole's contention, both the Senate and the
House were agreed that the islands should maintain their own
domestic government without interference from the United States.
Thus left to themselves, the Americans in Hawaii bided their time
until public opinion in the United States should prove more
favorable to annexation.



CHAPTER VI. Venezuela

Probably no President ever received so much personal abuse in his
own day as did Grover Cleveland. In time, however, his sterling
integrity and fundamental courage, his firm grasp of the higher
administrative duties of his office, won the approval of his
countrymen, and a repentant public sentiment has possibly gone
too far in the other direction of acclaiming his statesmanship.
Unlike Blaine, Cleveland thought soundly and consistently; but he
was more obstinate, his vision was often narrower, and he was
notably lacking both in constructive power and in tact,
particularly in foreign relations. In his first Administration,
through his Secretary of State, Thomas F. Bayard, Cleveland had
negotiated fairly amicably with Great Britain, and when he failed
to secure the Senate's assent to a treaty on the irritating
question of the northeastern fisheries, he arranged a modus
vivendi which served for many years. In American affairs he
opposed not only the annexation of Hawaii but also the
development of the spirit of Pan-Americanism. He was, however, no
more disposed than was Blaine to permit infractions of that