The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-11

Of the North Pacific. brings their posses
sion within the range Of questions OF
purely American policy"
When the time came for the renewal Of
the reciprocity treaty of 1875 the instru-
ment which President Arthur had sent to
the senate, simply extending the previous
treaty for another term of seven years,
was enlarged by President Cleveland BY
adding two articles ceding to rs Pearl
River harbor and giving the United Ststes
exclusive Jurisdiction over its waters.
This annexation of Pearl harbor was sup
ported by the leading men of both parties.
including Senator Edmunds, and It WAS
ratified in the senate by . vote Of - to IL
When the British minister, Sackviiie
West, protested that the guarantee made
by France and England stood in the way
ofthis cession of Pearl harbor and that
England by treaty had right to enter all
Hawaiian ports Secretary Bayard re-
sponded February Is, 1888, that the
United States had Especial and important
reciprocities" with the island and that 'it
does not seem needful for the United
States to Join With other governments in
their guarantees to secure the neutrality
Of Hawaiian territory nor to provide tor
that equal accessibility Of all nations to
those ports which now exists"
This record of our diplomatic utterances
from 1912, from Secretary Webster under
President Tyler to Secretary Bayard under
President Cleveland, shows that the gov.
eminent Of the United States, whether
ruled BY Wings or Democrats, by Republic
cans or Democrats. has always insisted
that American interests were paramount
in the Hawaiian islands to those Of any
other nation. For fifty years We have
maintained this policy without annexa-
ton; through this policy We have today
nine-tenths of the trade Of the islands and
We have the concession Of the Pearl River
harbor rs naval and coaling station. We
have today all we need out of the islands
without annexation: annexation is not
necessary to maintain henceforward a. We
have In the past unchallenged American
supremacy in these islands, and because it
10 not necessary annexation will not take
place. American control of Hawaii Is in.
dispensible and inevitable, and the ques-
ton, ~ Mr.. Blaine said, will be sure to
have Tan American solution"
No other power will DO permitted to oc-
cupy the group or share our ascendancy
there, but to this end there - NO present
evidence that annexation is necessary,
and If it is not necessary it is certainly not
desirable. A protectorate may some lay
seem necessary, but certainly there is no
proof today that to maintain American
supremacy, which has been unbroken for
fifty years. it is necessary to load upon
our government $4,000 kanakas and 10000
Chinese and a debt of 100000. There 10
no probability that any foreign power
would forcibly object to our annexing the
islands. but with no necessity for annexa-
ton it would not b worth while to risk .
wrangle over question that We could not
possibly at present enforce by arms il
Great Britain forcibly objected 30 annexa-
ton.
Great Britain for number of years has
tacitly acknowledged the justice Of our
claim to paramount right OF control and
supremacy in these islands. She has no
interests there Of consequence beyond tho
money she has loaned the Hawaiian gov.
ernmsnt: she has dropped the islands
from her admiralty list, and she probably
would not object today to our annexing Of
them. but annexation Is not necessary to
maintain our supremacy and control. and
until annexation Is absolutely necessary it
would be undesirable and injudicious.