. ▁ ▁The ▁Queen ▁stated ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁leg ally ▁bound ▁to ▁follow ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 7 ▁Constitution ▁( ir on ically , ▁forced ▁on ▁her ▁brother ▁Kal ā k au a ▁by ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁us ur pers ▁in ▁question ), ▁which ▁required ▁either ▁ban ishment ▁or ▁death ▁as ▁a ▁pun ishment ▁for ▁tre ason . ▁▁ ▁Will is ▁reported ▁to ▁president ▁Cleveland ▁that ▁she ▁had ▁told ▁him ▁that ▁the ▁consp ir ators ▁should ▁be ▁" be head ed ". ▁The ▁press ▁quickly ▁infl amed ▁the ▁situation , ▁reporting ▁that ▁the ▁Queen ▁intended ▁to ▁dec ap itate ▁every ▁white ▁person ▁in ▁Hawai i . ▁ ▁The ▁reaction ▁among ▁white ▁people ▁in ▁both ▁Hon ol ulu ▁and ▁Washington ▁was ▁ri ot ous , ▁and ▁Cleveland ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁abandon ▁his ▁course ▁of ▁action , ▁hand ing ▁the ▁matter ▁over ▁to ▁Congress , ▁who , ▁t iring ▁of ▁the ▁conflict ▁and ▁lack ing ▁the ▁means ▁to ▁restore ▁the ▁Queen ▁without ▁risk ing ▁a ▁f ias co , ▁recognized ▁the ▁Republic . ▁ ▁Cleveland ▁ended ▁his ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁Queen . ▁ ▁His ▁own ▁political ▁position ▁was ▁increasing ly ▁sh ak y . ▁ ▁His ▁strong ▁st ances ▁for ▁the ▁gold ▁standard , ▁for ▁the ▁u ph old ing ▁of ▁treat ies ▁with ▁Native ▁Americans ▁( which , ▁in ▁one ▁case , ▁returned ▁four ▁million ▁acres ▁to ▁the ▁Win ne b ago ▁and ▁Crow ▁Creek ▁pe op les , ▁anger ing ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁American ▁sett lers ▁who ▁had ▁gathered ▁in