The morning call., 1893-02-05
How Hawaii Missed Being
a Part of Our Republic.
SOME UNWRITTEN HISTORY.
The Treaty Would Have Been Signed
in Few Hours, but Death Stayed
the Kings Hand.
Written for THE MORNING CALL-


Hawaii, instructed and empowered to ar
range for the annexation Of the Hawaiian
group to the United States are already in
Washington. The proposition for the an
neXation this time comes from Hawaii. and
is the first proposition OF the nature which
has ever emanated from that island king
dom to any Government in the world.
In 1854 during the administration of
President Pierce, with William L. Marcy
Secretary Of State. the project to annex the
Hawaiian Islands TO the United States
was made directly from Washington.
Whisperings of a scheme Of similar nature
bad been made during the Presidency Of
Willard Fillmore. with Daniel Webster Sec
rotary of State. but upon the strong antag-
onism If Secretary Webster the scheme was
abandoned. Mr. Webster was indIs-
posed 10 acquisition of territory not
geographically adjoining the United States,
and viewed even the extension of
the country upon the Pacific Coast with
q sfav0r. lie regarded Oregon Territory
and California as barren regions. of COM
paT8tively Indifferent worth IN either terri
t0riai possession posi- bic future Importance
IN Industrial and mercantile wealth, or IN
strengthening the naval power Of tie re-
public.
Secretary Marcy was possessed Of differ
ent views as 0 the Importance of the Pacific
Coast and outlying islands, and in c0mpre-
heusive craftsmanship he considered the
nossesSion of the Hawaiian islands by The
United States of commanding importance
In view Of tie SURPRISING advantage to
ensue from he control Of the commerce Of
Asia by the United States IN closer cODnec-
ton with California.
TIE scheme TO rev0lutionize and make
conquest of Cuba by the Lopez expedition
lad diSastrously failed during the pTeced-
ing administration. President Pierce,
nevertheless, looked forward TO the event
Ual possession by the United States Of Cuba,
and IN similar spirit Of territorial island
aggraHdiZement within the lines OF the
NJ nrOe doctrine he contemplated the peace
ful annexation of the Hawaiian group.
Secretary Marcy earnestly entertained SINH
lar views as TO the project of 1854. TO secure
the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands TO
the Uaited States. The island kingdom had
been established early In the century by he
great Hawaiian chief who had made the
conquest Of ne other Islands of the group
and proclaimed himself as King Kane
hsmeha !. His successor. the second OF MS
line. with his queen. visited England, where
they were received at court with much
honor The two lied while absent from the
Islands. England had, in consequence of
the visit, inaugurated a guardianship or
protectorate over Hawaii, without pretenSe
uT clam 10 sovereign authority.
kamebamsha III succeeded to the crown
in 1913 and the commander of French war
slip made the capture Of Honolulu and
claimed Hawaii for France. The British
Government InterpOsed ana the indepeDd-
ence Of the Hawaiian Kingdom was accord
ingIy mutually agreed upon by Great
Britain and France and rec0gn Zed by other
European powers. It was recognized
furhsF by .he United States.
The population Of the islands in 1884 was
about SQO00 OF whom less tnan 1000 were
vs. ite foreigners. mostly Americans and
Europeans-principa English. The great
mass were natives. uniformly a kindly.
peaceful people, indisposed to hostile
methods and readily converted TO Chris
tianifv American Protestant mission
aries visited the islands early in the
progress of the kingdom, and I'D
10 1874 they had gained very potential
mastery over the submissive Kanskas and
considerable influence in the Government.
Tie commercial prospects Of the Islands
were Of Insignificant value, the annual
domestic exports barely reaching $500, 600.
Cane sugar was the sole important crOp,
estimated at about 100000 pounds year,
raised mainly on the most westN ardly
island, Atau al. by DR.. Wood. an American
resident There was also inconsiderable
crops Of coffee, pull and tropical fruits.
The chief Industry and commerce OF the
ngdom was the whale fishery Of the
Arctic and tie Equatorial sea lati;udes,
cutie wholly engaged IN by wha.eTS from
Ne England and merchants Of the North
ern States, principally from Boston, New
bedford, Nantucket, New London and New
0r6. The yearly average OF whale ships
was upward Of 500. The yearly arrivals Of
merchant ships old no: exceed $50. The
total annual imports were valued above
81 80 COO The total revenue Of the king
dom was about 10000 The King re-
ceived only So, eco per annum and low sal
aries ruled IN the few Government Offices.
The administration was conducted with
economy throughout
The project # snneXa ion was strenuously
antagOniZed by nearly all the American
missionaries and by the great majority Of
the resident American merchants and those
engaged In the whaling industry. The mis-
s0narles dreaded the influx of Ameri-
can emjgTants IS the consequence would
b. % impair the mission influence
and disastrously affect the revenues
If the church organization; the merchants
ana whalers feared the coming of lawyers
10 make trouble and increase the cost be-
tween shippers and cOnsIgnees and sailors,
from which there was total exemption under
the local laws of the kingdom. The whal-
Ing feet provided the bulk OF the public
revenue, and upon annexation the traffic
would depart from the Islands and become
established on the Pacific Coast most prob
ably q California.
Besides this influential local antagouism
% annexation to the United States was the
very active opposition OF the English and
ries and official agents of the TWO European
powers in Hawaiian waters and employed
81 the service of their respective
Governments These we're led by Gen.
eIal Miller, the British Consul General,
very vigorous British army veteran who
was tie dean Of the diplomatic legations at
Honolulu, and by Mr. Perrin, the Consul
General Of the French empire. Two French
ships OF war and the British frigate Trim
eoma.ee were anchored in the barbor Of
Honolulu. King Kamehameha III was
faYorablv disposed 70 the annexation Of the
kingdom 70 the United States. He pre-
feTrei Americans 10 any other Of the for
eigu peoples, beyond any Of European ma
tiYiUy; felt kindly to American Protestant
missionaries and had appointed several
Of them to high places in his Cabinet
and IN official leading stations Of
dignity and respOnsi Olity, and also
70 lucrative emDlOyments in the Gov
eminent He had designated Prince Alex
aHdeT as his successor TO the throne. Alex
andef was the younger OF two brothers,
sons Of High Chief KuKcanoe, Governor of
Oahu, the principal island of the group,
with Honolulu as capital and chief port.
Tie Princes Alexander and Lot had been
placed under care OF Dr. Judd, a foreign
missionary and principal minister of the
kingdom, in q tour to the Atlantic States
and Europe IN 1880. They were young men
Of handsome figures, but both were dark
comDlexioned Al the East the two
were elected from hotel table
on account of their color - having
been mistaken for negroes. They were
high spirited, as became their rank,
and rearing, and b th were indignant at the
deep affront. The incident Impressed them
with dislike Of the American people in the
States. notwithstanding their early train
ing under American missionaries in their
native Hawaii, and the high estimation
with which they held many of the Ameri-
caH residents in the islands. In cOnse-
quence Of the offensive treatment ia the
states while upon their tour in 1850 A lex-
ander and Lot were alike much disnclin ed
toward annexation.
The King would not agree to the treaty
unless Prince Alexander, as his success oT,
should also yield assent TO it. Missionary
influence pressed him to persist in the re-