The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1889-02-04
WI u
MONDAY, iEB. 4, 1889.
A SPIRITED FOREIGN POLICY.

Whether Senator Fryc's speech on
the affairs of the Samoan Islands be |
taken as part OF Mr.. Blainc's cam
paign for the snice Of Secretary Of |
State, OF only as Il sign Of what blr. |
Blaine's policy would be, it is worth
careful attention. If there is any
thing settled in our foreign policy,
it is the fixed aversion of the coun-
try to anything like colonial under
takings and complications. Three
extensive and convenient islands, or
groups Of islands, have been thrown
at our heads in recent years, and
have been rejected, almost with con-
tumely. In the case of Santo Do
mingo, the whole power of President
Grant, then at the height of his
popularity, was unayailing to secure
ratification of his treaty of annexa-
ton, or even TO secure the support
OF his OWE party for it. The only
effect OF the measures which he en-
ployed was to produce a feeling of
bitterness inside the party which led
to the revolt of 1872. This schism
had its starting point in the attempt
to discipline Senator Sumner for
his course IN opposition to the
treaty, by deposing him from the
Championship of the Committee on
Foreign Relations. The ignoble
plan WAS carried out, but even those
who consented to be the instruments
of Executive vengeance would not
consent to the treaty, nor would
they admit that their course towards
Sumner was based upon his mere
opposition TO the treaty: they in
sisted that it was the mode and
manner of his opposition that called
for his displacement. The treaty
had its supporters, but they were so
overborne by public opinion averse
to the acquisition Of foreign terri
tory, especially of the insular sort,
that not even the favorable report
of the special Commission appointed
to visit the island had any percepti-
bic influence.
1t is hardly necessary TO allude to
the rejection of the Island of ST.
Thomas after treaty had been
negotiated with the King of Den
mark to bring that colony into our
possession bIr. Seward was deeply
humiliated by that affair, and it was
understood that the Danish Govern
ment was scarcely less SO. On the
other side of tue Continent the Ha-
waiian Islands have been dangling
before our eyes for haIf-a-cenJury.
These islands, if any, would be a
valuable acquisition, and might be
had for the trouble of accepting
them, but there has been no public
appetite for them, and there is none
now. The Am arican instinct is
strongly opposed to the requirement
Of distant territory, which is certain
to cali for large naval resources and
is liable to produce complication:
with European Powers. The in.
stinct is perfectly correct and show;
no signs Of abatement at the presen
time.
What are the Samoan Islands
about which the present fuss is str
red up? They are group of thir
teen rocks in the Pacific Ocean
about 500 miles south of the equa
tor and about 400 miles north of The
Fijis. All but three Of them ar,
uninhabitable, and these three con
tain population of not much abov,
80, 900 inhabitants. The position o
the islands is convenient for a coains
station, and that is the only chaTac
teristic that gives them any import
ance to any civilized nation. They
are less important, however, in thH
regard than st. Thomas, SautC
Domingo, or the Hawaiian Islands
all of which we have declined tC
bring under our jurisdiction wher
they were freely offered to us.
Although the specific charge
brought by Senator Frye ogains
Secretary Bayard is that he hal
tamely allowed our merchants to b
boycotted and our Consul to be in
suited by Germany, the genera
charge is that we have alloweC
Germany TO acquire preponderat
ing influence there by deposing ia,
rightlul King and setting up anothe
in his place According TO Mr.
frye's view, the deposed King ha,
q right to look TO us for protection
II he had a yight TO look TO us foI