The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-02-03
HAWAII ASKS ADMISSION.

I'M w All AOhO dDMISSION.
Another of those periodical revolutions
have occurred in the Island Empire and
this time The provisional government
asks admission to the Union. Repre-
sentatives of the de facto government
and that of the deposed queen are in
this country to argue their respeC tive
causes before Uncle Sam" There are
several reasons why we cannot ignore
this call for annexation and offer of a
country, least of all can the United
States allow England or any other power
to occupy the islands. Our policy has
been distinctly against annexation, but
on the other hand as regards Hawaii was
definitely settled fifty years ago.
On December 81, IS42, President TYLER
officially declared that inasmuch as Ha.
waii was far removed from the dominion
of European powers, while five-sixths of
Its commerce was with the United States,
this government could not permit any
subversion of Hawaiian Independence by
foreign nations. Daniel Webshr, then
Secretary of State, formally announced
IN even palmer language that the United
States can never consent to see those
Islands taken possession of by either of
the great commercial powers OF Europe"
decade later President Fillmore, in
speaking of Hawaii, said: "We are in
huenced by desire that these islands
shall not pass under the control of any
other great maratime Staten William
IL. Marcy, Secretary of State under Pres
ident Pierce, stated explicitly that 1--WE
are resolved that no other power or State
shall exact any political or commercial
privileges from them (ths Hawaiians),
which We are not permitted to enjoy"
Hamilton Fish, President Grants Sec
retary of State, speaking in his official
capacity, declared that, in view OF the
fact that the Sandwich Islands cOnsti-
tute IAN outpost fronting and command
ing the whole of our possessions ON the
Pacific Ocean," the United States ''can-
not be expected TO assent to their trans
fer from their present control tO that of
any powerful maritime or commercial
nation" Secretary Fish drew striking
parallel between the results of European
occupation of Hawaii and the possession
OF Bermuda by Great Britain when he
declared that the transfer of control in
Hawaii to any foreign nation "would
threaten military surveillance in the
Pacific similar to that which Bermuda
has afforded in the Atlantic" "We de-
sire" he declared, mo similar outpOsts
IN the hands of those who NAV at any
future time use them to our disadvan-
tage." This is strong language. The
following statement by James G. Blaine
while Secretary of State is not less strik-
ing: The United States has acquired
legitimately dominant influence in the
North Pacific, which it can never consent
to see decreased by the intrusion therein
of any element of influence hostile to It's
own. The situation of the Hawaiian Is
lands, giving them the strategic control
OF the North Pacific, brings their posses
sions within the range of questions OF
purely American policy"
This being true it is highly probable
that the discussion sure to follow will
crystalize into Protectorate, which
means, ultimately, that Hawaii will be-
come one of the Union of States.