The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-05-25
FATHER CASTLES VIEWS.
SOME EARLY ANNEXATioNIST
SENTIMENTS.
Part Of a Stirring Article Written For a
New York Paper Twenty Years
Ago.

lengthy extract from the article which
Father Castle wrote in 1873 for the
New York Evangelist and which re-
suited in the native indignation rally
which was recently told OF in these
columns We quote;
"rhe Islands have doubtless been an
object of desire in the past to France
and perhaps to Great Britain; but it is
hardly to be supposed that the British
Government have ever sought the SOW
ereignty Of the Islands in itself con-
sidered, for opportunities have occurred
when this end could have been attained
without censure; but it certainly has
preferred its own flag there to that of
France and perhaps of the United
States.
"Pretext has been found in debts due
from natives, the uncertainty of the ad-
ministration of justice between man and
man, the defective land titles, &c, for
pushing claims which might be fairly
expected to result in the acquisition OF
sovereignty, but hitherto the Islands
have maintained their independence.
In times of danger Providence seems
to have warded the blow and conducted
to this result. 1t has been stated to
the writer that Captain Lapace, in
1889, did not expect that the $780, 900
demanded by him could be raised, and
that in failure thereof he would take
possession as he had just done at
Tahiti. Circumstances render thus
probable Such is also believed to
have been the intention of Captain
Malet in 1912. The occupation by
the British in IS43 was to anticipate
French occupation, which they believed
from circumstances to have been de-
termined upon as was stated by one OF
the British commissioners to the writer
at the time. That occupation, how.
ever, having taken place, would have
continued, as stated by Lord Aberdeen
to Mr.. Richards at the time, if the
Admiral had not already restored the
flag. And it is stated that the Admiral
was moved to do this when he did, be-
cause Lord George did not send his
dispatches to him as he should have
done, but sent them directly to the
foreign office. Complaints were made
by some, years ago, Of the American
influence exercised by the American
missionaries. Lord Aberdeen wrote to
the British Commissioner that after
inquiry he thought the missionaries had
no influence which they had not legiti
mately earned and were justly entitled
to.
"rhe Commissioner and Consul
General, once complaining to Mr.
Wyllie- born a British subject - for
entertaining the idea that the Island:
would ultimately become part Of the
United States, the latter said thai
American missionaries and commerce
had done for the Islands everything
that had been done; and if they passeC
to any foreign power, the United State:
ought to have them-not on this &C
count only, but because Of their relative
position to the western coast of thC
United States; and he requested the
Consul-Genera to write this, as hi:
opinion, to Lord Clarendon, then the
Foreign British Secretary. Lord Clar
endon replied to this that Mr.. Wyllit
was right. Some British merchant
and others at the Islands are known tC
hold the same views, These expires
sions by British officials and private
parties, lead to the conclusion that, il
itself considered, the British Govern
ment does not seek the acquisition 0
the island sovereignty; and it recognize
their position as aftiliating them to thu
United States when their independence
lapses, which it must in time, by thu
decadence of the native population,
for no other reason. The authentiCit,
of these expressions by the British
ministers may be doubted by some
but the dispatch of Lord Aberdeen wa
read to the writer by Consul Genera
Miller, and the statement about Lore
Clarendon was made to him by MI
Wyllie. In regard to the nature o
accounts against the Government, anC
between resident foreigners, he speak
from personal knowledge, having, a
the request of Sir George Seymour
Admiral of the British squadron in tn
Pacific, Consul General Miller and tn
Hawaiian Government, in connection
with Mr. Wyllie and the Danish Cor
sui, acted as arbitrator in cases Of bot
classes In a conversation in 1855
with Prince Lihollho, afterwards Kane
hameha ~, he stated to the write
that, sad as was the thought to him {
the extinction of his own race, yet
seemed invitable; and the annexato
of the Islands to the United States wa
only a question Of time America
missionaries have given the Islands tn
most Of their literature. as well as fir:
having introduced the Christian religion
American commerce and enterprls
first gave life to the commerce an
agricultural development of the Island
OF existing sugar plantations, with
producing capacity Of about 1900
tons, three fourths are owned an
worked by Americans; and of tn
foreign population, the number {
Americans bears about the same PR
portion to the VIII lie. The record {
contributions tn the sanitary and ChTi