The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-04-17
THE PACIFIC
Commercial obertiset
SATrRDAY. APRIL IL.

The REMARK Of the Minister Of Foreign Affairs
at the conclusion OF bis brief speech on the occa-
sion Of the public demonstration Of the 9th inst.
10 the effect that, " % long as the treaty with the
United States exists, the Independence Of this
Kingdom y assured, "-embOdies a pregnant
truthJ The assurance that is now afforded by
enc decided vote Of the Senate OF the ultimate
confirmation Of the treaty next winter, removes a
heavy load Of apprehension for the future from
the minds Of all true friends Of Hawaii mel. For
had the treaty failed at this time in the executive
body OF the American Congress, our prospects
for the coming years would indeed have been
gloomy. However manlully We might have
struggled TO maintain ourselves, the agricultural
and commercial decadenee that was inevitable
and which would have been almost universal,
without the advantages Of a free market now
promised, would necessarily ere long have made
an Efficient and independent government an i'm
possibility. From an impoverished people and a
government without resources the maintenance Of
law and order is not 70 be expected, and in our
extremity We should have been compelled to seek
the protection Of or be annexed by some one Of
the Great Powers. That in this event we should
turn first to the Great Republic would scarcely
be natural, hat country having declined to assist
US with the solicited commercial facilities. And
to say that the United States, in the contingency
supposed, would not look idly on and see us abb
sorbed by a European power, does not make the
case any better for Us.
Butt has always been the policy of the United
States, ever since there was anything like a gov
eminent here, to recognize and support our indie
P~endence. This was emphatically declared by
Daniel Webster. when Secretary of State in 1912,
and has been repeated by successive administra-
tons down to the present. The words of Mr..
Webster, addressed to Messrs. Haalilio and Rich
ards, the Hawaiian Commissioners, were these
The United States are more interested in the
fate of the islands and of their government than
any other nation can be, and this consideration
induces the President to be quite willing to de-
clare, as the sense OF the Government of the
United States, that the Government of the Sand
witch Islands ought to be respected; that no
power ought either to take possession of the
islands as a conquest or for the purpose of coloni-
cation, or exercise any undue control over the
existing government" That the sentiments OF
liberality and friendship towards Hawaii which.
so long ago inspired those words OF the greet
statesman still exist, is evinced by the action of
the Senate in the present instance.
The term Of the treaty is limited to seven years,
having in this respect been conformed to the pro-
posed treaty of 1867 but it win undoubtedly be
for us to decide, by the course which we may
pursued during that period, whether or not it shall
be continued for a longer term. Now,.more than
ever, will our political and social progress or
decline be closely observed by the American
Government and people. II. by our prudent and
enlightened improvement Of the opportunity for
advancement thus afforded we shall prove our
selves worthy OF the boon Of reciprocal iree-trade,
there surely should be no reason why it may not
be continued beyond the term Of seven years. or
that our independence, founded on the friendship
and good will OF the great powers,-and more
intimately on that OF theGreat Republic, our
nearest neighbOr,-shOuld then be less assured
than now. | ~
The contamination Of this treaty will be Ha-
waits opPOrtunity-an opportunity the like Of
which was never before afforded any other nation
under similar circumstances. But Hawaii must
work, in order to improve it. The pathway of
progress will be thrown open and unobstructed
before the nation. and If We do not press forward
therein to general prosperity the fault will be
with ourselves. A liberal policy must succeed
the old-time obstructionist way Of dealing with
people who are enquiring for lands. We must
encourage agricultural enterprise if we expect to
SEQ our now desert wastes occupied with new
plantations and our exports doubled within the
next five years. result that can be accomplish
ed. BY means of the loan which was authorized
by the last legislature, needed works Of irriga-
may be built, that will bring into the mar
ket and utilize large tracts of land now lying
unoccupied. And in the meantime we need a
compiled and printed descriptive list of
Nil government lands throughout the group.