Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-11-18
WILLIAM MILLER ,
EN-. PERRIN.
H,r. Severnncc's Reply.
UNITED STATES COMMISSION,
lIoNOLULU. Sent. 3. lSJ3 I

No. A..
SIR Il have the honor of receiving your
communication OF this morning, III which You
say it was resolved by the Kin. in Council on
the first day of the month, that you should pass
to me, officially. copy of the jolnt-addrcss to
Ills Majesty by The Representatives of Great
Britain and France, made on that day, which
you have done by enclosing copy No. Il Of
the ro}yncSlan, published THIS mornnr.
My anks arc due to the King ana Council
for taking Immediate measures to apprlzc me
officially Of the exact contents of the address,
which | perceive demonstrates ngainS The tex
traordnary course adopted by some American
merchants, landed pfoprictors and other cl,-
zcnS of the United States" 10 induce the King
to uhcnlte Is Sovereignty and the lndrprn-
deucc OF the Islands By mmcdac nogotlltlou
for annexation to the United States.
You are aware That the Government Of the
United States has never made any propositions
to Ills Aal"sty'> government to annex the Is
lands, though the matter has unduubtCdlv en-
gagged the attention both Of cltlZ nS of the
United States AMI of subjects of the King
/ 10 me II l. not surprising tnat the ''m"rch ants
and landed prpprclorS,' whether Ancric ms o,
others, shonIi perceive great commercial adj
vantagcS IN such connection, considering that
/ the principal TT of the commerce OF the IS
! lands IS with the the Uni ed States, an that
/ the Islands must look almost oNcu lively TO iII"
Hac!ii; coast Of the United States fora mrrkc'
for their products aud the means Of paying for
their heavy imports. perceive, therefore,
nothing very extraordinary IN the pro,c.t re-
monsratcd against. Aud if now or at any tu-
turc time II shall be found to be dccIdcd;y for
the interest of both countries to unite their
sovereign lcS, am unable to perceive any rrca-
~ l,,,I 4
forbid the desired union, or any good reason
for foreign I'M criercncc to prevent it.
French an English SUBJ rcis ufrlht still be
entitled to the privileges OF the "no,t favored
/ nation "und ON the score of commercial adyan.
taGes cannot well compaln OF being subjected
III these Islands 10 the revenue laws Of 81 cOun.
try winch consumes and pays for French man.
ulnctures and other products To the amount OF
4, forty IIIons OF dollars annual Y, and of Br
ish goods 10 the amount Of one hundred mil
lions annually -the revenue laws OF Il cOunlr,
RAPIDLY growing, and whose trade is now q
70 more value to Great Britain and France than
that of any Of their colonies, # not indeed o
all Of them added together, vast as the Eng
hsh colonies are.
% In view Of these great interests winch woul,
D be sacrificed 10y disturbance of ptcIic rtIa
+ lions, TO say nothing Of several hundred MI
lp.la VI Nll'lltdu SlpthS lclu III Europe, WHO'S
ya'uc might Tor the time be seriously affected
y It Is not to be supposed that France viii IN
T. slst on the h,le advantage Of Importing int
=, these Islands silks, wines. sc, to the amour
" of few thousand dollars at live per cent duty
y as she now does by her construction Of Ia
o treaty of 2G,h OF March lSl6 a treaty whi'
= instead of being valid reason why the Kin
,r should not transfer his sovereignty, Is a stan,
ing and powerful argument 10 justify him
l. dong So, since that treaty denies to him one
l. the I:ost important attributes Of sovereignty
t., one III the highest degree essential 20 all lud
! pendent nations.
Suil less 1t IS to be supp scl that Gre
- Britain will claim the privileges 1T the "mo
IN favored nation" under this French treaty, sin,
she has generously thrown ~ her own trca
il of the same date and tenure, and substitute
that Of ION July 1851, in accordance with Il
IT American treaty OF Washington of 2O,h Dc
sc icl0.
~ The night to ccde or acquire territory, or
nr unite two independent nations by compact,
regarded as inherent IN all ndepcudcn; 81
"' erelgnlies. 1t has certainly been practls
from time immemorlpl. The power which C
e. ccde part can ccGe all the parts. Mod
Ia history nbounds in examples, and none mt
than English and French history. AnncxatI
u" Is neither Il new thing, nor rare in our day,
the Turks and Arabs of Algcril, the Calf