The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-01-18
From the Alta California;
THE ISLANDS.
The Reciprocity Treaty with the Sandwich
Islands as a Measure Of State
and National Polity.



The sandwich Islands lie off the Coast of Lower
California. Their united area is about 5000
square mIies, of which one-eighth. or 500, 600
acres. is represented as fir for grazing and tillage.
They possess a climate SalubriOus for Europeans
and citizens Of the United States, fine harbors
and sheltered anchoragcs; in fact, all the requis-
ites for a Naval depot. reftting and yietualins
station for a frst-class Power, combined with
considerable internal productive capacity.
III.
They are owned and occupied by about 81, 900
native HawAiians and half castes. and about 1000
Europeans and Americans. The native population
israpidlv. decreasing. and in all human probability
will during the present century either become
extinct or lose entirely its indigenous character.
BY admixture with foreign races. In 1882, when
the first official census was taken. their pupula-
takings the numbers read los 900, $1,000, 49,
zoo. % 900.
III.
The soil is in the hands. mainly, of native
chiefs. The Government is monIrchical-moulded
partiy on that of England. The sympathies of
the native population lean 10 that form Of Gov
eminent. The preferences of the King are under
stood to be American, while those OF the royal
family incline towards England. at the Court of
which nation, from time 10 time, its various
members have been entertained.
".
En1lanl, france ana tie United States cDyet
the possession Of these Islands and have each
made, in past years, both covert and oJen at
temp;s 10 obtain them. They are the object of a
tTiIaFtite treaty existing ut present between those
Powers, in which each pledges itself not 10 SEIZE
them; but almost ~innumcrable have been the
secret negotiations, conspiracies and Diplomatic
bargainings BY each Power 10 get their possession
without seizure. Some of these attempts would
have long ago been successful. were il not that
each Power has v~igilantly watched and counter
plotted against the others.
V.
The reasons for this anxiety are obvious. So
long ago rs lSil, John Jackson Jeryis, of Boston.
in his work on the Islands, says: Should any
Of the great Powers seize upon them. il might be
considered as holding the Key to the North
Pacific for no trade could prosper, or eren erist,
while a hostile Power, possessing an active and
powerful marine, should send forth its cruisers to
prey on commerce." Speaking of the Islands for
defence, he says: ~ military colony once fairly
established on them might put ut defiance any
means of attack which could be brought TO bear
against them"
Since the time Mr.. Jeryis wrote. the progress
of events has to the United States added ten fold
force 10 these facts. What was evident in lS4l.
is in 1867 of paramount Importance. Since that
time the whole Pacific Coast, from the frigid zone
To the edge of the tropics Except British Column
bIa,) has become the seabOard of the United
States. The third capital of m in the
Union has arisen on this Bay a railroad is being
made to unite New York with China, RIA San
Francisco steam lines, connecting, branch out
from this point TO China, japan and the Eastern
Indies and Archipelago 10 the west of US To
Oregon and British Columbia to the north To
the south. Mexico, Chile, Peru and Australasia.
Our merchant marine, our coasters and our whal-
ing feet swarm everywhere in the Northern
Pacific.
Opposite the. very portals OF this commerce,
and directly in Its track, lay these Islands. keep
ing. AZ ii were, watch and ward over US and over
this entire coast and it's ommerce Plant an
active enemy ON them, and let him fortify himself
there, If he were the smallest of the marine
powers, he would probably annihilate this COM
imerce a Power with a fleet consisting of only
the Florida and the Alabama would, entrenched
in these marine fortresses, harasS all profit out of
1t. In the hands of France or England, tke effect
would Ice 20 enable either of those Powers TO shut
Us cut of the great highway of the Pacific, and
lock Us up, 80 far "a commerce Is eoncerncd.
within our own mountain ranges, absolutely at
its pleasure. The United States, by keeping up
an enormous naval armament on this coast, could
carry her flag with her floating batteries in def
of such Powers and their mid-Ocan fortress,
bf commerce could b. suspended: and 50 import (.
ant has this Of the Pacific become To
the United States, 80 great it, present proper
tons, and 80 intimately blended with the nations
hopes and interests Is its prospective growth, the
,ery knowledge that a hostile power, so located,
could ut will destroy it, almost without cost,
NOuFl coinIti the Onltel States. an all internal
intercourse, to take a humber tone and be
independent in urging It's own views; for
nations. like men, intuiTiyely bate their breath in
the presence Of q Power which can. if disposed,
infiict ON them a great injury with small effort.
Secretary Seward is in n position 20 feel this
daily far more wildly than We can do. His res
Oaice eomrels him constantly to pause
lie dictates his foreign dispatches and think,
can l urge this or that. and If it gives umbrage
dare | persist. and If persist what will be the
oDnsequenees?" Give France, for instance. these
islands and with them the power to destroy
American commerce in the Pacific, and the Secre-
tlry would shrink from the consequences of giving
offence To that Power. even were his views the
desire of the nation and entirely just in them
This great statesman looks to the time when
Columbia will fall peacefully, and by the
mere force of circumstances, into the United
States. Already he i clearing away the impede
ncnt Of private interests by negotiating for the
Bay C~omIany's property and claims.
These acquired, British Columbia will lie only n
wed.e Of coast uncomfortable inserted in Ameri-
an territory, n cause of irritation by the United
Siates without corresponding benefit to Great
Briiain-a distant and isolated appendage of that
Power, costly To maintain, entirely unremunera-
tive. a mere care. barren of honor. and nationally
which. ia the progress of the present
consolidating policy of Great Britain, will be
Welded to the United States for some equivalent
advantageous to both nations, and thus Become a
portion of this eompacted Republic.
VI.
The policy Of the age is to natural compactness
to territorial unity with broad and marked
Great Britain Is contracting: Germany
Is compacting; Italy il compacting; this Repub-
lie l. eompacting, and with this compacting,
are Kidding themselves and the world OF a
irritating points Of contact. which,
howeyer puerile and slight in themselves, have
been fruitless causes Of great wars.
Our business IL with the Pacific Coast. Let Us
suppose that Secretary Stewards magnificent
rolfcv. seconded by the nation. natures into sue