The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-01-15
DEALINGS WITH WEAKER
POWERS.


rendered the American steamer Hay
ten Republic which had been seized
for landing arms on the coast for
the insurgent forces. 1t has given
up the captured vessel under the
menacing guns of squadron sent
to enforce the demand made from
Washington. The Galena and the
Yantic were dispatched to Port-au-
Prince for that purpose about the
middle of December. Upon their
arrival, the captured ship was sur
rendered to her owners. Now there
is no doubt that shipments Of arms
were made by this vessel to the in
surgents and were successfully de-
livered to them. From this fact the
impression has been created that the
seizure of the ship was a lawful one,
that she was Justly forfeited, and
that the peremptOry claim from
Washington for her surrender was
the oppressive act of a powerful
government towards a weak one,
which had the right to defend itself
from invasion, but whose rights we're
nullifed by its strong and unscrupu-
lous neighbor.
As our dealings are mainly with
the same great nation, we are di-
rectly and very deeply interested in
observing how she treats insignif-
cant parties like Hayti and Hawaii.
We are glad, therefore, to be able to
say that her recent dealings with
Hayti are IN accord with her tradi-
tional policy, and are fully sustained
on grounds of international law as
we'll as of equity. No blockade of
the Haytien ports existed. There
were, it is true, two armed patrol
vessels, but they were wholly made
quate to constitute anything that
could be called blockading force.
No blockade had been proclaimed.
No notice of any blockade had been
sent to the American government.
Even if there had been, it is the
settled policy of that government to
recognize no blockades which exist
only on paper. Therefore the Hay
tien Republic violated no blockade
by landing arms on the coast, and
could not lawfully be captured for
doing so. Her seizure was wholly
unwarrantable. The United States
Government did only its plain and
simple duty in compelling her re-
lease. Heavy damages are demanded
by her owners, and will no doubt
have to be paid by Hayti. It should
be noted that the existing govern
ment of Hayti, known as the "Legi-
time Government" is itself the crea-
ton of a recent insurrection, and
that the so-called insurgents are the
adherents of the former government.
The United States probably know
little, and care little for the claims
to ascendeney Of either party; mol
will they interfere except to restrict
them to decent behavior to their
outside visitors.
4 The past record of America il
dealing with weaker powers, has, OF
the whole, been one of just and con
siderate treatment. Hawaii has rea
son to congratulate itself that it is
virtually in the hands of such {
neighbor, rather than in those O.
any other of the great powers Of the
world, who are all too much accus
toned to the violence of war, to b'
either mild or scrupulous in theil
treatment of small and weak states
{ Our internal peace, our business
prosperity, and even our indepen
dent existence would be in constant
{ peril if a great power moved by thu
same spirit which Germany ha
. shown in Samoa occupied the rela
tions to us, geographically and com
mercially, which are now filled 81
satisfactorily and safely for ourselves
by the great Republic.