The sun., 1893-12-24
Cleveland On Annexation

While the gravest offence OF Mr.. CLEvE-
LANDS Hawaiian policy has been the mis-
use Of his Office In the attempt TO restore
discarded and barbarous monarchy. his
surprising failure to comprehend American
sentiment and American doctrine on the
subject OF annexation also invites attention.
When he became President last March.
the Senate had before 1t a treaty for the
annexation OF the Hawaiian Islands to the
United States. OF this treaty he says that
"it contemplated a departure from un-
broken American tradition in providing for
the addition to our territory OF islands OF
the sea more than 1000 miles removed from
our nearest coast"
The mlsapprehension or misstatement
here Is In declaring that to be departure
from American tradition which was new
and striking illustration OF It, The new ac-
quisitions were TO be islands. and they were
a long distance or Now. that the element
o. distance from the United States consti-
tutes no departure from our traditions Is
shown by the annexation. In 1867. OF Alaska.
which was hundreds OF miles away from any
part OF our territory. Louisiana had been
contiguous; the Floridas had been con-
tiguous; Texas had been contiguous. But
this element OF contiguity was SO far from
being essential that without hesitation
Alaska was annexed.
The distance between Puget Sound and
Alaska is less than between California and
Hawaii. but that is a question OF degree. Or
In other words. OF expediency. The matter
O. principle, OF tradition. was conclusivelv
settled by acquiring territory separated
hundreds OF miles from our own. AS a
fact, the distance from San Francisco to
Honolulu Is less than To the furthermost
island OF our annexed Aleutlan chain.
II tomorrow Guatemala should ask to
be admitted into the American Union.
would not the element OF distance from our
present frontier lines be quite as striking
in considering the question Of annexing
that country. as 1t Is to-day in annexlng
Hawaii Yet tho parallel In that case
would be almost perfect with Alaska. which
Is separated from our main territory by
British Columbia precisely as Guatemala
IA by our other Deighbor. Mexico. But in
the case OF Hawaii there is no interposing
foreign territory between us. In that par
ticular she Is more truly our neighbor
to-day than was Russian America when We
acquired It in 1867. Aud a still further on
SET I'd Lnb tltIutuL VI hlSlhHSO 10 lllC GOu-
stantly decreasing time required for tho
voyage. lnsomuch that from San Francisco
TO Honolulu seems 10 moro now than from
Ban Francisco TO Sitka seemed in 1857
As TO the mere fact that Hawaii is an
archipelago and not a part Of our continent.
surely that Is not of fundamental conse-
quenee. Practically it would be a point OF
advantage TO the United States. in giving
us an island outpost. 1t is fact OF history
that In the first plan proposed by BENJAMIN
FRANKLIN for Articles OF Confederation. the
Bermudas were Included as among the
possibilities OF the system; and surely II
mainland possessions are alone suitable
for our American system, those dis
tant islands would never have been even
mentioned as possible members Of II. Sem
atoT MORGAN. ON tho eve Of his departure
last spring To take part In ths sessions Of
the Paris tribunal. expressed the belief
that a mistake was committed at the foun-
dalton OF our American system In its not
including the Bermudas. and 1t hardly need
he added that no il a competent judge Of
what constitutes uubFoken American tr4-
d!tion JEFFEBsuN. writing from Month
cello to President MoSEoE. Oct a, ls2i
question which has over been offered to my
contemplation since that of independence"
said " canddly confess that / have ever
looked on Cuba as the most interesting addi-
tion which could ever be- made to our system
OF States and although he proceeded to
add that he would not advise going to war for
Cuba. tits clear that he never dreamed Of the
theory that acquiring islands was opposed
TO American tradition. EDWARD EyERErT
looked forward 70 including islands Of the
seas !" In our domains: and while Secretary
Of state he declared that Cuba would bs
an extremely valuable possession. and
under certain contingencies might DO al
most essential to our safety" As Is well
known. the annexation Of st. Thomas was
al one tIme arranged for by Mr.. SEwAEU.
aud ths rejection OF san Domingo was oaly