The Daily bulletin., 1893-02-11
OPEN LETTER TO THE REV.
sERENo e. BISHOP.
DEAR Mr.. BIsHoP:--

DEAR Mr.. BIsHoP:-
In the recently published CORE
spondence upon the subject of Pearl
Harbor, my object was to show that
those who were advocating the es-
tablishment of United States naval
station at Pearl Harbor appeared to
me not to realize these facts:
1st-That the naval station would
be useless to the United States un-
less it were placed territorially un-
der the United States flag, and
2nd-That to place it under the
United States or other foreign flag
would be greater injury than adj
vantage to Hawaiian prosperity.
think the correspondence proved
clearly that even some of the legal
contributors were (no doubt unin-
tentionally) using misleading ex-
pressions regarding their own views,
and pointed out that by this misuse
of terms, suspicion Of disloyalty
and fidelity had gathered around
some men and deprived them of
their proper political influence.
At this point you interposed, and
with distinctness which no one in
this course has attempted to initiate,
you announced that you were in ia
vor of the annexation of Hawaii to
the United States, and you express
ed surprise at my apparent belief
that such advocacy was disloyal.
You further stated that this ques-
tion of annexation is likely in the
near future to become the subject of
public discussion.
| am conscious that the isolation
of Honolulu, the recent severe check
! to it's prosperity, and the fact that
the Constitution and the govern
ment are in the control of the peo-
pie, render it difficult for those who
live there continuously to avoid the
, influences of daily thought and
anxiety; but l feel also, that before
men embark on such delicate
course as the agitation for national
obliteration, they should state clear
} ly, not only the program of action
which they recommend, but the
arguments upon which they rely, to
justify such recommendation.
After considerable reflection I
have felt it my duty to take up this
Ito me) new subject, in the hope that
it's discussion may dispose some to
hesitate before they commit them
selves to that side which you have
embraced
I am aware that disloyalty is a
, very ugly word and that most men
shrink from incurring such a charge
But sometimes it has to be faced in
the interest of true honor and patri-
5 otism. Cromwell faced it when he
5 fought against his sovereign and his
flag for the honor of his flag
Washington faced it when he fought
against his sovereign and his
flag for the defence of freedom, and
, in defiance of injustice and oppres
sion. Both these men were heroes
and they stand to-day at the very
summit of historical fame; but they
S were not loyal. The revolutionists
/? of 1887 were patriots, and resisted
their sovereign for the honor of theil
flag, but surely they were not loyal
and am bound to say that cannot
n conceive any ground for describing
as loyal, citizen of Hawaii who i.
in favor OF terminating his allegiance
= not only to his sovereign, but to hi.
II flag and to his Constitution.
u u In declaring yourself in favor O.
a annexation, it appears to me, there
~ fore, that it is for you to justify ;
:. step which must be necessarily dis
- loyal though not necessarily dis
= honorable. But do not see on,
a word in your letters which can b.
o. regarded as in any way justifyine
Q the declaration you have made; ant
% % when you go on to speak approvingl,
~ of planning" for union with tn
.S .S United States, l am forced to asl
70 70 what honorable planning there Cal
- - be, to which the Sovereign, tn,
a Cabinet, and the Hawaiian peopl
~ are not parties?
~ 1t is very risky matter to tampe
@ with such questions as nationhood
= and it seems to me much more risk
:. for citizen, than for an alien to d'
~ so. There is no country where free
~ dom is better secured, nor justic
h more impartially administered thai
~ in Hawai-; and where this is tn
- - case, to claim revolution as right
20 merely to enable people to conten'
10 10 against hostile tariffs in anothe
20 country, would be to make ourselve
= 20 at once the laughing stock and tn
o. o. scorn of the civilized world.
20 Fifty years ago Hawaii was, b
-. - the free will of Great Britain, Franc
~ ~ and the United States, admitted in
a a to the family of nations. Her Sow
20 20 ereign, her flag and her Constitu
,f tion were recognized as indepen
y, w dent, and that recognition canno
~ be withdrawn. You may argue tina
=. it was mistake in 1843 to elevat
~ Hawaii from among the chieftain
IL cies of the Pacific Ocean, and t
= place her among recognized nations
ri ri you may contend that it was mis-
I,s take in 1887 to retain the Monarch
S r,S as the form of government; but
- these were mistakes, they do not en-
=, - dow those who made them with tn
~ right to unmake them, any NOR
"a than man who has made mis-
;s taken marriage, or adopted an ur
:" worthy son, can assume the right t
- cancel the deeds by which he ha
ae committed himself.
10 Pardon me for saying that cor
Ie, slider it an offence to the Unite
All States, for you to say that "interfel