The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-09-22
PAUL AN$WERED.
The Way an TslaUd~I Looks at
i nuexafiOU.

annex atioh Without the expression
of the will OF the" people to be an
nexed.
Mr.. Neumann has declared that
annexation 'is undeniably impossi-
bic without an expression of the
will of the Hawaiian people. The
United States would not without
such an expression annex this
country in any form or under any
conditions" The above, fairly in
terpreted, aims to have the reader
believe the United States never
did annex territory without first
getting a willing expression of the
people to be annexed that it is
and always has been the settled
policy of that country not to annex
a territory if the people objected.
Mr.. Neumann is a learned man,
we'll acquainted with history, and
he knows the acts of the United
States when annexing territory
have invariably been the opposite
of what he would have US believe.
The United States government has,
1 believe, always dealt with the
government having jurisdiction
over the territory sought Cor annex
alton, and has never consulted the
people.
When Florida was obtained from
Spain, Mississippi from France, or
Alaska from Russia, no "expres-
sion" was asked of the people; one
government wanted to sell and the
other to buy; neither consulted
with nor cared what the people of
those territories preferred. The
two governments did all of the bust
ness.
When Texas was annexed, the
government holding it in posses
sion was the only party consulted.
Mexico claimed it, but, not being
in possession, it's claim was not re-
garded. Texas wanted a stable
government-as Hawaii now does.
The United States annexed the ter
ritory and gave it stability, and
prosperity followed in consequence,
as was the case with all former an
nexations made by the United
States. Therefore, from past pre-
cedents, prosperity must attend
Hawaii after annexation.
When New Mexico, Utah, Ari-
IONA and California were annexed,
Mexico and the United States did
all the bargaining. The people of
that territory were not consulted
if they had been, no annexation
would have taken place, as an
overwhelming number of the citiz-
ems were natives of the soil, and
were of the same race as the Next
cans, used the same language, lived
in the same manner, had the same
religion, sympathized with and had
willingly fought on the side of
Mexico against the United States
in their war, then just ended. And
they would have voted as they had
fought and prayed, if they had been
allowed an expression"
If the annexation question had
been left to the people of those ter
ritories to decide, that whole terri
tory would yet be Mexican, and no
more advancement or improvement
made in it than there has been in
Lower California, Senoro and other
almost lifeless states Of Mexico
during the last forty years.
Fortunately for the world, the
statesmen of those countries did
what they thought best, as it was
impressed upon them by their sur
roundings and their foresight of
coming events, without stopping to
say grace by consulting the people,
the majority of whom, as a rule,
know no more about political econ
omy or what would be best for
them or their country than a pig
does about literature. To leave
such great questions to be decided
by them, with their prejudices,
selfishness and ignorance, instead
of by intelligent craftsmanship,
would be to thwart manifest des-
tiny in its progress in the world
it would almost defeat the newt
able.
Now comes Mr.. Neumann, the
"genial Paul." the esteemed citizen,
the learned lawyer, the skilled
diplomat, the ex-minister, the hon
orable noble, the would-be states
man, the brainy politician, the elo-
quent advocate-and sinks him
self from his honorable position to
that of a pettifogger, by pleading
to the people who are the jury in
this case, endeavoring to make
them believe that all of the above
facts relating to annexation of ter
ritory by the United States are
only fancies.
He pleads not by presenting
facts, not by reasoning, not by
pointing to presidents, but by his
eloquence, by his assertions, by his
assumptions, by his advice, by his
flattery and by his threats he tries
to make us disbelieve what we
know to be facts. He endeavors
to convince Us that the United