The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-02-10
Hawaiian Annexation.

Minister STEVENS has an idea of fore
stalIing the action of the United States
government, and permitting the Presi-
dent and Congress to fall in, relative to
our relations to the Hawaiian islands. The
idea of representing anybody except those
in favor of annexing those islands to the
American eagle appears never to have oc-
Cured to him. But the notion Of his own
supreme importance is with him always
He may have rightly guessed our attitude
to the Hawaiian government, but Ger
tainly it would be dangerous indeed to
permit every pleuipotentiary to exercise
as much latitude as the dispatches say
, this upstart diplomatist has exercised I'M
der the flag Of our Union.
Instrumentation of the Hawaiian islands
to the United States has been agitated for
forty years. That the inhabitants are not
fit for self-government, particularly when
brought into contact with civilization,
has been evident to all weIl-informed
observers. 1t can be but question of
time for the absorption of the little
autonomy in the Pacific by some strong
government. The United States have the
logical, commercial and political claim
to possession when the period arrives for
the collape of Hawaiian independence.
But this must be voluntary
The monarchy being overturned by
sufficient native force and provisional
government being established, the desire
of the majority OF the people ought to be
the first consideration. Ii they wish to
place themselves under the fostering care
of the United States, other governments
have no right to deny them that privilege.
The next thing to consider is whether this
government is willing to assume the re-
sponsibility.
What real objection can there be to the
connection OF Hawaii with the United
States as territory or dependency? If the
Sandwich islands were in any sense sub
ordinate to England, like Canada or Aus
tralia, or to any other country, the case
might be different. England has become
so accustomed to laying it's hands upon
any important strategic or commercial
spot open to its grasp that the world
naturally looks for the attitude of Great
Britain in case any other government
should engage in the business of annexa-
ton. In this case she has no legitimate
ground for objection. Any other nation
having commercial relations wit hHawaii
would have as much right to object to
American annexation as England has.
If the United States do not take in the
Islands some other nation may. This is
not to be compared with the excuse of the
fellow who stole horse: 'tIf 1 hadn't
taken it someone else wonld'' In the
case suggested it would be no seizure or
forcible occupation. 1t would be simply
the connection of an organized and inde-
pendent commonwealth as a tenantry of
the United States by the will of its people
and the consent of this government.
The advantages of such a contamination
are numerous. The objection as to the
color and race OF large number of the
is OF but small value, in the
light OF the fact that SO many white peo-
pie occupy the soil and are engaged in
business there, and that their numbers
would rapidly increase under the govern
ment of the United States.
1t is possible that England may make a
pretense of hostility to the annexation.
There is no danger of war over the matter.