The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-11-06
THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.
The Reciprocity Treaty with the Sandwich
Islands as a Measure Of State and
National Polity.
REPoRr OF THE CHAMBER OF CoxxkRcE.

REPORT OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
l.. The Sandwich Islands lie of the coast Of Lowe
California. Their united area is about G. 900 sauar,
miles, of which oRe-eighth. or 500. 600 acres. is rep
resented as fit for grazing and tillage. They pos
sess a climate salubrious for Europeans and citi
zens of the United States, ane harbors and sheltere,
ancborages in fact, all the requisites for a nava
depot, re6tting and yietualing station for a first
class Power, combined with considerable interna
productive capacity.
2. They are owned and occupied by about IS. 0eC
native Hawaiians and half castles, and about 8 ,OOt
Europeans and Americans. The native population
is rapidly decreasing, and In all human proba
bility will during the present century either be
come extinct or lose entirely its indigenous char
acter, by admixture with foreign races. In 1882
when the Grst official census was taken, their pop
ulation numbered l30,3l3. In subsequent censu.
takings the numbers read 100000, "a, 1000, 5000
1000.
8. The soil is in the hands, mainly, of native
chiefs. The Government is monarchieal-moulded
partly on that of England. The sympathies of The
native population lean to that form of Government
The preferences. of the King are understood TO be
American. while those Of the royal family incline
towards England, at the Court of which nation
from time to time, its various members have been
entertained.
4. England, France and the United States cove.
the possession of these Islands and have each
made, in past years, both covert and open attempts
to obtain them. They are the object of a tripartite
treaty existing at present between those Powers
in which each pledges itself not to seize them but
almost innumberable have been the secret negotia-
tons. couspiracies and diplomatic bar gainings by
each Power to get their possession without seizure.
Some of these attempts would have long ago been
successful, were it not that each Power has vigil
lantly watched and contemplated against the
others.
8. The reasons for this anxiety are obvious. So
long ago as lS41, James Jackson Jaryes, of Boston.
in his work on the Islands, says: Should any of
the great Powers seize upon them, it might be
considered as holding the Key to the North Pacific {;
for no trade could prosper, or eUen 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: "a military colony once fairly estab-
lshed on them might put at defiance any means of
attack which could be brought to bear against
Them"
Since the time Mr.. Jarves wrote, the progress of
events has to the United States added ten fold
force to these facts. What was evident in 1871. is
in 1861 of paramount Importance. Since that time
the whole Pacific coast, from the frigid zone to the
edge of the tropics Except British Columbia has
become the seaboard of the United States. The
third capital of in the Union has arisen
on this Bay a railroad is being made to unite
New York with China, via San Francisco {; steam
lines, connecting, branch out from this point to
China, Japan and the Eastern Indies and Archi-
pelagoes to 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 whaling feet swarm everywhere
in the North Pacific.
Opposite the very portals of this commerce. and
directly In its track, lay these Islands, keeping, as
- WNACf "oASA AS
entire coast and its commerce. 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 commerce a Power
with a feet consisting of only the Florida and the
Alabama would, entrenched in these marine for
tresses, harass all profit out of it. In the hands Of
France or England, the effect would be to enable
either of those Powers to shut US ont of the great
highway of the Pacific, and lock us up, so far as
commerce Is concerned, within our own mountain
ranges, absolutely at Its pleasure. The United
al ~ Iaonin0 mn an pnnrmnuG naval arnna-
ment on this coast, could carry her Gag with her
floating batteries in defiance OF such Powers and
their mid-ocean fortress, but commerce you'd be
suspended; and so important has this Of
the Pacific become to the United States, so great
its present proportions, and so intimately blended
with the nations hopes and interests is its pros
pective growth, the very knowledge that a hostile
so located, could at will destroy it, almost
without cost, would compel the United States, in
all international intercourse, to take a humber
tone and be less independent In urging its own
views. for nations, like men, intuitively bate their
breath in he presence of a Power which can, if
inaiot on them a great injury with small
effort.
Secretary Seward is in a position to fsel this
daily far more wildly than we can do. His re-
ossce compels him constantly to pause as
he dictates his foreign dispatches and think, " can
l urge this or that, and If it gives umbrage dare
persist, and if 1 persist what will be the conse-
~ Give France, for instance, these ISL
ands and with them the power to destroy American
commerce in the Pacific, and the Secretary would
from the consequences OF giving offence to
that Power, even were his views the desire OF the
nation and entirely just in themselves.
This great statesman looks to the time when
British Columbia win fall peacefully, and by the
mere force of circumstances, into the United States.
Already he is clearing away the impeachment of
private interests by negotiating for the Hudson
Bay Company's property and claims. These &C
uuired, British Columbia will be only a wedge OF
coast uncomfortably inserted IN American territory,
D cause of irritation by the United States without
corresponding benefit to Great Britain-a distant
and isolated appendage of that Power, costly to
entirely unremunerative, q mere care,
of honor, and nationally Valueless, which,
in the progress of the present consolidating policy
Of Great Britain. will be yielded to the United
States for some equivalent advantageous to both
and thus become a portion OF this COM
pacted Republic.
6. The policy of the age is to natural compact
1ess-to territorial unity with broad and marked
Great Britain is compacting; Germany
IS compacting; Italy Is compacting; this Republic
IS compacting, and with this compacting. nations
ire Kidding themselves and the world of a thousand
irritating points of contact, which, however puerile
md slight in themselves, have been fruitless
causes of great wars.
Our business is with the Pacific Coast. Let us
suppose that Secretary Stewards magnificent poll
", seconded by the nation, natures into success,
md from Alaska to Sonora there is no foot.of
,oast, no harbor, landing place or anchorage, which
s not American. and that these islands become,
instead of a hostile stronghold, an outpost of Anne
lean unity-an American fortress guarding this
ong line OF seaboard, ana VatcDlng IN mia racine
,yeT our extended and extending commerce. It's
is evidently assured. Where could q hostile
lower obtain an inch Of terra .fr7na on which to
liant his foot? Where an anchorage, a landing or
shelters Where could he get fuel or water for
lis feet? Where repair his machinery, reHt his
hips or hospital his crews, except in the tropics
of us. or in China? And is ii probable that
nv such Power will come all afoat from the other
ide of the world to butt his prows against an i'm
nenss line of coast, if forced to renovate his ships
nd men amongst the fevers of the tropics? Will
,ecome a voyage of 10000 miles into a sea where
Land ho!' cannot be sung from the masthead
Vithout " Wear OF" being echoed back:
There appears but one conclusion on this topic,
il: That the honor and influence of the United
tates as a nation, the safety of its commerce gen
rally, and the prosperity of the of this
tate and Coast particularly, would be promoted
resent, and their ultimate peaceful acquisition
Will this treaty secure these objects! Can they