The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1882-07-26
vi Vi tue naNhllhn DoAIu.
4. Coax, President.
sscrstarr R1nine,s Letter.

Last week We were only able to give an eItrac
from Mr.. Blaine's important letter; We publish il
this week in full for the convenience of our reader
who may wish to file it away.
CH1cAGo, July 3.-The Times has another long
letter of instructions written by Secretary Blaine
| to Minister Comley, at the Sandwich Islands, De
cember l. 1881. II says: My late instructions, and
| especially that of the 18th ult., will have shown
you the deer interest with which the United States
| observes the course of events in the Hawaiian
Islands The apparent disposition to extend other
influences therein lines parallel TO offsettng
| our own, must be watched with care and consider
| able tirmness. The intelligent and suggestive
character Of your recent dispatches naturally leads
me to review Of the relationship of the Hawaiian
Kingdom TO the United States at a somewhat
greater length than was practicable IN the limited
| scope of my instruction of November 18th. That
dispatch was necessarily confined to the consider
alton of the immediate question of possible treaty
engagements with Great Britain, which would give
to that power in Hawaii degree of extra territory
of jurisdiction inconsistent with the relations of
the Islands to other Powers, and especially to he
United States. With the abandonment Of a feudal
government by King Kamehameha III in 1852 and
the inauguration of Constitutional methods, the
history of the political relations of Hawaii to the
world at large may very properly be said to begin.
The recognition Of independent sovereignty by the
Great Powers took place soon after. which act
on the part of the United States, dated from 1874
Even at that eayly day, before the United States
had become power on the Pacific Coast, the
Tested in their intercourse with the islands of
Oceanica, of which the Hawaiian group is the
Northern extremity. In lSiS, the treaty of eau
deloupe Hidalgo confirmed the territorial extern
sion of the United States to the Pacific, and
gave TO the Union coast line that ocean
little inferior in extent, and superior in natural
wealth, 10 the Atlantic seaboard of the original
thirteen States. In 1883. the discoveries of
gold in California laid the foundation of the
marvellous development of the western coast, and
that same year the necessities of our altered re-
lationship to the Pacific Ocean found expression
in n COMPROMISE treaty of friendship commerce
and navigation with the sovereign King of Hawaii.
material connection between the Hawaiian
Islands and the Pacific coast of the United States
was natural and inevitable. But lately admitted
TO the family of separate States Hawaii was nee
essarily drawn into closer kinship with California
then Just entering upon a path of prosperity and
greatness, whose rapidity of development had new
er been equaled. Hence the movements towards
intimate commercial relations between the two
countries, which after the progressive negotiations
Of 1866, 1857 and 1865 eliminated in the existing
reciprocity treaty Of January 30, 1875, which gave
to the United States in Hawaii. and 10 Hawaii in
the United States trading rights and privileges
terms denied to other countries. | have spoken
of the Pacific coast line given TO the American
Union by the cessiOn Of California in 1S4S as little
inferior IN extent and superior in natural wealth,
to the Atlantic seabOard OF the original Union.
Since that time our domain on the Pacific has
been vastly increased 10y the purchase of Alaska.
Taking San Francisco tue commercial centre
on the western slope, drawn northwestardly to the
Aleutlau group. marks our Pacific border almost
TO the confines of Asia. A corresponding line
drawn southwardly from San Francisco to Homo
lulu marks the natural limit of the ocean belt
within which our trade with the Oriental countries
must How, and Is, moreover, the direct line of
communication between the United States and
Australia. Within this belt lies the commercial
domain of our western coast have had recent 90
cason 70 set forth the vitality integral Importance
of our Pacific possessions in a circular letter ad
dressed on the oath Of JUne last TO our representa-
tives in Europe, touching the necessary guarantee
of the proposed Panama Canal, purely American
water way, to be treated as our coast line. The
extension of our commercial empire westward
from those States Is no less vitality important to
their development than is their communication
with the coast by the Isthmian channel, and when
we survey the siupendous progress made by the
western coast during the thirty years of its national
life last past our dominion, its enormous in
crease of population, its vast resources of agri-
culture, and its bOundess enterprise it is not easy
to set limit 10 its commercial activity, foresee
a check to its maritime supremacy in the waters
of the Orient long as these waters afford, as
now free and neutral scope for Pacific trade.
In thirty years the United States has acquired le
gitimate and dominant influence in the North
Pacific, which il can never consent to see decreased
by intrusion therein by any element or influence
hostile to its own The situation of the Hawaiian
Islands, giving them strategic control of the North
Pacific brings their possession within the range of
questions of purely American policy, as much so |
as that of the Isthmus itself. Hence the necessity
as recognized in our existing relations of drawing
ties of intimate relationship between the United |
States and the Hawaiian Islands, SO as TO make |
them practically part of the American system,
without derogation Of the absolute Independence. |
The reciprocity Treaty Of 1915 has made Hawaii |
the sugar-raising field of the Pacific Slope, and /
gives to the manufacturers therein the same free
dom as IN California and Oregon. That treaty
gave Hawaii its first great impetus in trade and de-
yelOped that activity Of production which has at
tracted the eager attention of the European pow
~ nd
which the United States have created in mid-ocean.
From the first full year succeeding the conclusion
Of the Reciprocity Treaty in 1880 the imports from
Hawaii 10 the United States nearly doubled in |
creasing from - l50-3j IN value to "a GS IA and
in the same period the exports from the United
States TO Hawaii rose from 81, 2729i9 10 81 92 no
In word, Hawaii Is, By the wise and benifcent
provisions Of tho treaty. brought within the circle
IF the domestic trade off the United States and our
interest IN its friendly neutrality is the same that
We feel in the guaranteed Independence of the
lsthmus Of Panama On the other hand, the
interests OF Hawaii must inevitably turn toward |
he United States in the future as In the present
rs the natural and sole ally in conserving the do
ninion Of both in the Pacific trade This Govern !
nent has on previous occasions been brought face
% face with the question OF a prOtectorate over
he Hawaiian group. II has, as often as il arose.
)een set aside in the interest Of such commercial
lnion and such reciprocity benefits as would give
Hawaii the highest advantages, and at the same
lime strengthen its independent existence as SOW
reign State. In this have summed up the whole
disposition Of the United States toward Hawaii in
IS proper condition. The policy Of this country ],
With regard 10 the Pacific, is the natural compls4
nent to its Atlantic policy. The history of our
European relations for fifty years, shows the
oalous concern with which the United Sides Ia 5
guarded it, control Of the coast from foreign in
erference and this without the e1teDeon Of terri
orial possessions beyond the maitland, 1t has
lways been its aim TO preserve me friendly neu-
rality OF the adjacent States and insular posses
ions. Its attitude towaF}S Cuba IS in point.
hat rich island. the keyIo the Gulf Of Mexico
nd field for our most attended trade in the West
m Hemisphere IS tnough in the hands Of Spain,
art of the Amey<can commercial system Our
Citations. prusey n aud prospective, towards Cuba,
ever have bsen more ably set forth than in the
note addressed-by my predecessor,
ecreta Everett, to the Ministers Of Great Britain
nd Elance in Washington. on the 1st of Deem
ev(1s52, in rejection Of the suggested tripartite
eutrality OF the Spanish Antilles. In response TO
be proposal that the United States, Great Britain
nd France should severally and collectively agree
0 forbid the acquisition Of control over Cuba by
ny or all Of them. Mr. Everett showed that With
ut forcing, or even c0veting possession of the
Stand, its condition essentially an American
uestlon, and OF our contingent interest therein
e would be far procder than like remuneration
rom Great britain or France. That II ever oeas-
NJ to be Spanish. Cuba must necessarily become .
.merican, and not fall under any other European ,
ominiop, and the ceaseless movement Of segrega-
ion Of American interests from European control
nd unifcation IL the broader American sphere Of 1
becked BY any arbitrary agreement Nearly
hirty years have demonstrated the wisdom Of the
ttitues then maintained By Mr.. Everett, and have