The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1890-03-18

lance. that every man should let his
opinions be known. and use his
influence, be it much or little, in the
publlc interest.
In the first plsee. / have been and
am in favor Of the present Cabinet
remaining in office; not because
there are not ss good. or possibly
better men outside the Cabinet, but
because l believe these gentlemen
fairly represent the interests, and
have at heart the welfare of the COM
muuity. and because there Is not
sufficient reason for 8 change, to
compensate for the grave dissdvsn-
tsge of unsettled government.
The present Csbinet have had
many most perplexing questions to
deal with, and some of their methods
hsve been clearly open to the crit
cisms which have been bestowed
with sn undoubtedly liberal hsnd.
The state paper issued by the Cab
met upon the Chinese question, and
which was first brought 10 my notice
by colonial statesman Is, / venture
10 think. s most creditsbie example
Of the ability, industry, snd sin
cerity with which the government
have sought 10 meet 8 problem
which is embarrassing the leading
statesmen Of the day.
But / read with surprise and re-
greet portions of the reply of the
Cabinet" October 4. 1881 and of
the letter Of the Minister of the In
terror TO the Hilo Convention de
cember II. 1882. / refer 10 those
parts which come under the head of
political relations with the United
States" The Ministers do not, and
We eannot.l8y too much stress on the
value 70 this country of the friend
ship Of the United States. That
friendship political. commercial.
and RELATIONSHIPS been shown 20
Hawaii with an unstinted hand for
all these years; and | believe we are
bound in interest as well as in graft
tude, to maintain that friendship by
any means IN our power, that are
consistent with the declaration made
by the Foreign Minister October
4th. as follows: The Cabinet are
OF the opinion that the best interests
Of this country will be best served
by the continuance of Its present in
dependent state. free from any pro-
tectorate or control on the part of
any foreign government"
Ieannot take any exception TO that
platform. and l am bound 10 say |
honor the Ministers for so plainly
stating IT.
But l am unable to bring my judg
ment 10 admit that the measures re
commended by the Cabinet Will be
successful in accomplishing the Oh
iect they have thus plainly laid
down. The Minister of the Interior
states to the Hilo Convention, that it
viii be the constant endeavor of the
Government " to thoroughly secure
the autonomy and independence of
the kingdom by treaty with the
United States. whereby that power
shall guarantee such independence
against the encroachment by itself
or any foreign power whatsoever"
The Minister for Foreign Affairs
states that the Hawaiian Govern
ment propose to agree not TO nego-
tate treaties with other nations with
out the knowledge of the United
States Government"
Now. Article % of the Hawaiian
Constitution says: " The King has
the power to make treaties" and
Article Il makes the Cabinet respOn-
si5le for the use Of that power.
Is it consistent with d" the present
independent state OF this kingdom,
free from any control on the part of
any foreign government" that the
King and Cabinet shall lose the
power to make treaties
Again. assuming what 1 do not
for a moment believe) that the
United States Government would
to guarantee our independ-
enee against eucroachment by itself
on any other foreign power" could |
they leave the Foreign Minister
whoever he might happen to bel at
liberty TO provoke what quarrels he
chose with foreign powers, in reli-
ance on the guarantee Of the United !
States Government to shield him |
from the consequences Z The first |
condition imposed by the United |
States Esaa be the control OF the !
Hawaiian Foreign Office, and then |
what better would Hawaii be than i
Egypt. Tunis or Zanzibar?
II the Hawaiian nation IS pre-
pared to give up the right to make
treaties and the control of its foreign |
correspondence, that Is another mat
ter. but I cannot admit that they can
do so aud still be Independents of |
foreign control
I believe that the instinct of the
people has felt what it
felt in 1873 that the measures pro
posed would go far beyond the end
which the proposers recognised:
and no logic viii blind a people to
he instincts of patriotism
II 4