The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-13

True American Policy.
BY the death Of His Kanaka Majesty Kane.
hameha V. without o successor. appointed or
proclaimed, the throne of the little kingdom
of the Sandwich Islands has become vacant.
Several parties have appeared as candidates
for the crown. the first in the field being VIII
liam @. Lunalilo, son of Kekauluohi, the
daughter of Kamehameha L. with pronun-
ciamento, in which he says that, ''notwith-
standing that according to the law OF inheri-
lance am the rightful heir TO the throne, in
order to preserve peace harmony and good
order, desire to submit the decision OF my
claim to be freely and fairly expressed by
plebiscihsm" Then, after pledging himself 70
the constitution, he gives notice, December
16. five days after the death of the Late King.
that 80 poll will be opened on Wednesday.
the LIST day Of January, 1873, at which all
male subjects of the kingdom may by their
vote peaceably and orderly express their free
choice for king" The election officers are
to make return of the vote to the Legislative
Assembly summoned to meet on the 9th OF
january, and whore the officers refuse to act
the people may choose others in their places
to conduct the election.
Iunalilo, son of Kekauluohi, thus boldly pre-
sents his claims and his appeal To the people
A HERALD correspondent ct Honolulu, in
speaking of this proclamation, says that it
"fell like bomb in the ranks Of the adj
herents of other candidates." that "there was
hurrying to and fro, anxious consultations,
and every effort made to counteract the inAu-
ence that was spreading through the land in
favor of Lunalilo;" that the late Minister Of
Foreign Affairs, G. G. Harris, who is support
! ing the pretensions of rival candidate,
"called upon the authorities and asked that
steps be taken to stop such incendiary pro-
ceedings, but was only assured that there
3sas 10 inosndiarisM Ii Said proclamation"
| Prince Lunalilo is admitted to be ahead in the
race and the natives are reported as heartily
in his favor by large majority. On the
ison, of the Interior; s. H. Phillips, Attorney
General; and R. Stirling, Minister Of Finance
| 1.-TWO Americans, we understand, and one an
Englishman), have issued an edict to all off,
GERS throughout the kingdom, reminding them
of the improperly "of any official interference
in determining the question Of succession to
the throne;" that it is 'the Legislative Assem-
bly, to whom, by the constitution, the right Of
choosing successor belongs" and that " no
executive officer has any official right or duty in
the matter, least of all in an official capacity,
to hold or preside at any election for which
the sanction of official authority is claimed"
This appears to flank Lunalilo, the son of
Kekauluohi, and his plebiscitum has probably
been q fasco.
Meantime another descendant of the Kane
hamehas, Kanaka belle, married to a Con-
necticut carpet-bagger Of the name of Bishop,
has put in her claim for the crown. Her
prince consort is said to be q man Of consider
able influence among the Sandwiches, 20
cute Yankee and an ambitious speculator.
And here we strike the annexation question.
The Sandwich Islands, nominally independ-
ent, are practically under the control Of
Americans. The bulk of the trade OF those
islands, some two millions in imports and in
exports is with the United States. Twenty
years ago, of the two hundred and eleven ships
from foreign ports arriving at Honolulu one
hundred and thirty-seven were from the
United States and only five from Great
Britain. Our great trade by steamers and
sailing vessels, which has grown up within
the last ten years between San Francisco and
the Sandwich Islands, has greatly strength
ened the influence of Americans over their
government The population of these islands,
which, in the time Of Captain Cookies than
hundred years ago-was two hundred thou
sand, does not now exceed seventy thousand,
such have been the deadly effects of English
and Anglo-American civilization upon those
poor natives. The foreign population Of the
islands is about three thousand, mostly Ameri-
cans, and the lions share of the trade of the
kingdom is theirs. Our government, there
fore, has only to give the hint to secure the
annexation of these islands to the United
States by the will of their people.
The opportunity is favorable and the bait is
very tempting. The port OF Honolulu is the
halfway house of all our transpacifc trade
and of all our whalers in those northern SEAS
There our Pacific traders find their principal
depot of supplies Of all kinds, and, in short, if
those islands were sunk in the seq by some
volcanic CONFUSION the loss to us would be
incalculable. And yet, we fear, the sinking of
those islands in the sea would be better tor us
than their annexation to the United States.
But what is the object of the presence at
Honolulu of the Admiral and the General
recently sent out by our government to that
port? We are told that these officers are there
only to look to the protection of American
interests pending this conflict for the success
sion to the throne; that Mr.. Fish is not an
annexationist; that General Grant breads the
fire, having burned his fingers in st. Domingo,
and that if We keen n cha rn 1ookout whor The