The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-08-02


about annexing Hawaii?
Do the Hawaiians want to be an
nexed?
Do the American people want Ha-
wall?
Would congress confirm a treaty of
annexation?
Being neither prophet nor the son
of a prophet the writer hereof will
make no attempt to solve any of these
riddles, but will rather invite the at
tention of the reader to some consider
alton of the part occupied in the past
history of our country by this same
policy of annexation. But for such
policy in the past manifest destiny
would have been thwarted, and in all
human probability we would be today
a very insignificant factor in the fam
lily of nations.
The original thirteen colonies owned
and occupied the Atlantic seaboard
from what is now Maine to the south
ern boundary of Georgia, and among
them they laid claim TO the country
Immediately west of the mountains
and extending as far as the MISSISSIPPI
river.
When the war closed they had
actuaI possession of what Is now
Kentucky and Tennessee, by many
thousands of settlers, and they also
had slight military occupancy OIL the
illinois, country, which had been con-
ouered during the war by General
George Rogers Clarke. But In the
negotiations for peace the BRUSH
commissioners insisted strenuousIy
that the northwestern boundary or
the new nation should be the OHIO
river. and they came near carrying
tbair noiut. Suppose they had, and
that all the rich region lying between
Pennsylvania and the Mississippi ana
the Ohio and the great lakes were TO-
day a part of Canada?
it had been so declared by act oi the
British parliament, passed In IH4,
and there is no doubt that ooth rance
AID SDain would have been glad TO
see such boundary established and
maintained. The representative OF
the latter country wrote TO his govern
ment shortly after the treaty was con-
cIuded: "This federal republic Is BORN
q niomy. A day will come when III
will be a giant, even colossus, Ior-
midable in these countries"
porrSDARIES ESTABLISHED IN 17S3.
The boundaries, as finally fixed by
the treaty, were, on the northeast ana
north, substantially as they now eX-
ist. from the mouth OF the SAINT
Croix river along the watershed be-
tyeen the Atlantic and the saint
Tawrence river, along the forty fifth
raraiIeI and up the Saint Lawrence
and through the middle OF the great
IaI-aa To the northwest corner OF the
ToEe of the Woods, thence to the MIS-
sissinni river and down that stream.
Certain points of the northeastern
boundary, which were not sum
GENTLY defined at the time, were after
wards settled by the Ashourloh treaty
w. 1910 The Mississippi was the
Jyastern boundary from its source
down the stream to Florida which
tban extended from the peninsula OF
that name westward to the river.
And right here IS curious poinG.
C1,,nosa Won were asked which state
In The Union extends furthest north!
II ia said that such question was pro-
Rounded in a civil service eXamlna-
zion a few years ago ana that hooouy
guessed it. The proper ansW ", +he
SIinnesota. There Is Jog III tue
boundary of that state which came
ut in this wise: When our country
,,nrcbased louisiana from France the
Question of boundary again came up
betveen our government ana tnaC OF
Graat Britain and was not settled
until the treaty of peace at the close
IF tbe war of IS12-14. By the second
.,rticle of that treaty it was proVluea
that the boundary between Loui Isi iI
anJ the British possessions should pc
O., OF the northwest corner of the
3aka of the Woods, and run thence
-,1aSt1vard along the forty-nlntn par
NIIoi and if said point of beginning
ast,onId not be situated in said parallel
9ben the line should run north or
sonth. as the case might require, I'LL
said forty -ninth parallel should De
intersected, thence westward along
;d ,,araIIel of latitude to the Stony
fountains. When the line was actu-
III rnn it was found that the forty
ninth parallel was some
! u, miles south of the northwest
LINER of the Lake of the Woods, and
ond thus it is that Minnesota has a
SbarD point, which extends thirty
s,,iIes further north than any other
american territory outside OF Alaska.
THE FIRST ANNEXATION.
T,renty wears elapsed before the
,-onno republic made its first acquisi-
yion of territory, but its very hrst
s-enture in this field showed that the
tudoment of the sagaclouS SpanlaTu
was not at fault in his confident pre-
Jiction of our future greatness.
Tn ISO3 Thomas Jefferson, President
Of the United States, purchased Louis
lana of France. That territory then
not only included the present state
hearing that name, but all of the vast
and rich empire lying between the
Mississippi river and the Rocky
mountains and extending to the Brit
ish possession on the north. 1t gave
ms clear title to all that region, and
also a claim not quite so well denned
lngton.
purchase was SIS, 100000, and the
tinted States assumed the payment
of certain claims existing against the