, 1893-02-04
THE CRISIS IN HAWAII.
By Franklin Smith.

within the past few days, it possesses a personal
interest to Americans. Sooner or later they
must he asked to consider seriously the ques-
ton of annexing the Kanaka people or pro-
tecting them from foreign aggression. In
fact, it is understood that Mr.. Paul Newman,
formerly the Attorney General OF Queen Lilluos
kalani .andnow on his way to Washington, hopes
to induce our Government to assist III their ex-
t~rication from their deplorable situation.
Of the commercial and political causes to
which this situation is due, the former date
from the enactment Of the Mckinley law,
That measure put an end to the reciprocity
treaty with the Islands, paralyzing the large
sugar industry that had been called into ex-
~istence during its operation and bringing
about a general and very severe commercial
depression. With this misfortune has come
not only a heavy decrease In the public re-
venues, seriously Gripping the Government,
but much popular sdiscontent. Political adj
venturer3, INSCRIPTIONS agitators, and dlsap-
pointed office seekers have seized the oppor-
tunity to embarrass the Government still fur
Their. 50 great is their power that they,were
able recently to overthrow a cabinet two hours
and a half after its appointment. Before they
will give their support to another, they de-
mand that the Queen submit It's members to
them for APPROVAL requirement which her
view of royal prerogative and legislative aus
thority does not permit her to accept. They
refuse, moreover, to grant supplies to Gov
eminent. 1t is rot outside Of probability, GER
tainly it is not without interest to add, that
some of this disturbance may come from the
agents who are taking advantage Of the II
nAncial and political situation to secure the
grant Of a charter to establish a lottery IN
the Islands. They have made offers most
seductive to an idle aud impoverished people,
one of them being the promise OF 100000 i
year to be devoted to various public works,
such as a. cable to the United States, railroads,
'harbor Improvements etc.
Although it is reported that the hnd Of
England, which is accused Of beng ambitious
to annex the Islands. must be numbered +.
among these causes Of trouble, and til It the
United States cruisers Boston and Alliance
are in the harbor at Honolulu to thwart this
ambition, as well as to protect American c.ti-
Gems in case Of an outbreak, there are strcng
reasons for not accepting this view. Such al
act on her part would be in disregard Of the
declaration of Great Britain with France rela-
tive to the Independence of the Sandwich Is
lands and III defiance ofmany other declaration
which the United States have made on the
same subject. The Anglo-French Declaration,
which was signed on the 2Sth Novomb ], IS t3,
stated that the sovereigns of the two powers
''have thought it right to engage reciprocity
TO consider the Sandwich islands an"ndepeud-
State and never to take possession, either dI-
rectly or under title of protectorate or under
any other form, of any. part of the territory OF
which they are composed" AS both Of these
powers have previously been suspected OF SIN
lister designs on the Islands. the Government
of the United States had felt called upon dur
ing the previous years to indicate It's policy,
5 which was that ANY attempt by any other
power to take possession of the Islands,
~oolonize them, and subvert the native Govern
ment' would create dissatisfaction" Later,
Mr.. Webster, as Secretary of State under
President Fillmore, used the following expll-
cit language: While the Government Of the
United States itself ~sciupulously re-
CARDS the independence of the Hawaiian Is
lands, it can never consent to see those Islands
taken possession of by either of the great COM
mercial powers of Europe; nor can 1t consent
that demands manifestly unjust and deioga-
tory and inconsistent with bona fde inde-
pendence shall be enforced against that Gov
ernment.'. From time to time since then the
United States have announced the same po-
licyHin almost the same words. The last an
nouncement was that of Mr.. Blaine when he
was Secretary of States in the Garfield Cabl-
net. "The position of the Hawaiian islands in the
- &c GOOD , Ln UvrOfo Gond