The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-01-24
AN ENGLISH OPINION.

man ON the question of the United
States annexing this country:
The acquisition of the Sandwich
Islands by the United States is al
event Of more Importance thar the
public of this country may ger egelly
suppose. In tn first place, it shows
that the American Government, for
getful of the emphatic warning given
by Washington, is determined to OBJ
tain foreign possessions, and to ex-
tend its sovereignty over places not
situated on the North American con-
tinent. This policy on the part of
the American Government is not
new. Some years ago they attempted
to purchase from Spain one of the
smaller of the Balearic Islands, for
the ostensible purpose Of having a
port in the Mediterranean, in which
the American squadron could refit.
Spain, however, very properly
thought that it would be unwise
either to sell or even lease a portion
of her territory to 80 go-ahead a
nation az the United States, and thus
their first attempt to obtain locus
stendi, and right to dabble in Eu-
ropean politics, was defeated by the
prudence and discretion of the
Spanish Government. Very recently
it has been stated that the Americans
have been in treaty for the purchase
of the small Republic of San Marine,
no doubt with view, some day or
other, to the possible annexation of
the whole of Italy to San Marino,
when Yankee institutions and power
shall have been sufficiently CONSOLE
dated in that spot. These rumors have
been contradicted, and, therefore,
We must content ourselves with be-
lieving that American rapacity is at
present exclusively devoted to the
acquisition, per fas aut nefas, of
Cuba. and the purchase of the Sand
witch Islands, in the North Pacific
Ocean. The condition of these lat
ter islands can never be viewed with
Indifference by the people Of this
country. On the principal one of
the group-Hawaii-our great cir
cumnavigator. Capt. Cook, met his
death in an affray with the natives.
In more recent times, English and
American missionaries lave succeed
ed in converting the heather inhabi-
tants to knowledge of Christianity;
the arts Of civilized life have been
introduced; settled form of gov
eminent has been established, and
trade and commerce have sprung up
to an extent which hardly could have
been expected in so remote part of
the world. In fact, the ports of this
group have been found to constitute
excellent stations for the large num-
Der of vessels employed by the Amer
leans in the whaling trade; and
American merchants and American
missionaries have lately exercised so
much influence over the native gov
eminent, that everyone must con-
slider the acquisition of the Sand
WITCH Islands by the United States
most natural and convenient ar
rangement for both parties-the
king being pensioned off, and the
group being admitted into the Amer
lean Union as sovereign though
trans marine State. Louisiana, at
the commencement of this century,
was sold by France to the United
States the Sandwich Islands are
now to be sold to the same power by
the native government and we
must congratulate the Americans
upon their honesty in paying a Pc
cuniary consideration, when they
might easily have followed the pre-.
cedent which was set by another
nation in reference to Tahiti, and
have obtained them by the same
means. 1t may be asked, if the
United States have long exercised
paramount influence in the Hawaiian
Islands, why should the ceremony of
annexation be gone through, and a
new State added to the Union This
question can only be answered by
reference to the geographical posi-
ton of these Islands, midway be-
tween California and China and
Japan = countries which have re.
Gently attracted so much CT the spirit
and enterprise of the people of the
United States. The great discov.
cries made in the Eastern and Pa
cific Ocean by Quiros, Mendana,
Tasman, and other foreign navi-
gators, were completed by Captain
Cook and most of the countries
and groups In both these oceans
were taken possession of by him on
behalf of the British Crown. At the
present time we have under our rule
Australia and New Zealand, and the
benevelence and piety Of the people
have sent missionaries to almost
island, and we have made no
tematic attempts either to retain
In. ur !oWplnands the rich commerce
Ok That portion of the world, or indie
finitely to extend our political infiu-
ence there. France possesses New
Caledonia and Tahiti, and now the
United States will have the Ha-
waiian Islands, which they can
easily make most important mill.
tary and naval station. Fifty years
ago the British trade on the South
Seas and Pacific amounted to three
millions but the American
trade is much more consid.
cradle, and the North Pacific
IS now traversed by large fleet OF
American whaling vessels. II the
Americans are DESTROYS Of. acquiring
monopoly of the trade of China and
Japan they have only to start a steam
communication between California
ana those countries, making the Ha
waiian Islands their great central
station. The multitudes of groups
OF islands, rich In native nro6nco