The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-09-19
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OPEN LETTER.
EDITOR BULLETIN:-

CDITOH DULLEIlN'-
Sir:-Now that the first excite
ment of the Hawaiian revolution
has passed away, it is evident thai
more attention is being paid to the
principles, as apart from the profit.
of the movement; and in this con.
nection l have been interested il
three publications which have re
Gently come under my notice:
l. An article from the pen of Mr..
Curtis j. Lyons, published in the
Hawaiian Star of July 9TH, entitled,
"The Constitutionality of Annexa
ton"
2. An article published in the New
York Times of July 2Sth. entitled
"To Convey Stolen Kingdom"
g. The report Of the Hawaiian
Evangelical Association for 1885,
(p. l4) under the title, The End o
the Old Order"
If ever the Hawaiians had dis
interested friend, it was the late
Rev. L. Lyons of Waimea, and :
know that his son carries the SAM
loyalty of heart. 1t was therefor,
with peculiar satisfaction that | sa
down to peruse the article to which
| have referred. treating as it doe
of a subject which has been strange
ly neglected by the advocates of an
nexation. l mean the constitution
ality of Chat is the principle in
volved in) the recent political event,
at Honolulu.
Mr.. Lyons draws very useful ano
l,st;,,t;-n Lat -,
terual and International relations
and he maintains that "Constit ution';
are only for internal guidance
whereas he asserts that Equity, OK
pediency, reason, moral force, anG
material force are the elements tina
enter, or at least ought to enter, into
all international dealings"
One Of the most surprising feat
ures of the recent crisis has been tn
absolute state of hux in which ma
tional names and emblems havc
seemed to be held; so that it ha
been difficult to say whose flag wa
being hoisted, and whose flag wa
being hauled down.
This condition has tended to pro
duce amongst strangers, especiallj
in foreign lands, public opinion
which has been most detrimental t.
Hawaiian regulations. In evidenc,
of this statement | quote from the
article in the New York Times, al
ready referred to. After recitin.
the terms of the new treaty, b,
which the Provisional Government
of Hawaii proposes to cede to tn,
United States "all rights of sover
eighty" and to transfer "the abso
lutte fee of all government and crown
lands, public buildings, ports ant
harbors, Notifications, military O
naval equipments, and all othe
public property" the article pro
ceeds as follows:
'It is doubtful whether it woult
be advisable for the Government o
the United States to accept thi
muniticent offer, with all the respon
sibility that its acceptance woul'
involve, if it came from the owner
of the sovereignty and public pro
perty in question. But in point O
fact, it is a proposition to conve
and make over to the United State
stolen kingdom, and the Govern
ment of this Republic cannot atfor
to put itself in the position of TT
ceiver Of stolen goods, even if tn
value to it of the acquisition wer
beyond question. The so-calle
Provisional Government has no righ
to dispose of the sovereignty an
public property of the Hawaiia
Islands. 1t can only acquire tina
right from the people, from whol
alone all just powers of government
are to be derived, When it shew
title in the consent of the governe
it will be time enough for til
United States to negotiate with j
Until then it is in the attitude {
offering to dispose of stolen good
We cannot honorably consider th
question OF receiving them"
This is terrible indictment, bu
it cannot be met by the assertio
that it is mere newspaper partisan
ship. | do not know what part tn
New York Times has generally take
up in the annexation discussion, bu
do know that this articl
voices the belief of the large majc
rity OF people on this side of th
Atlantic, and OF very large nun
Der, if not a majority, on the othe
side. The honor of men, especial
of Christian men, demands that h
indictment should be met squarel,
and now that Mr.. Lyons has draw
attention to the principle OF distin'
tion, | trust that it will be dea
with clearly.
1t is manifest that a Hawaiia
and an American citizen must loo
at the matter from different stanC
points, they may act together l