Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-02-10
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 10, 1898.
Hawaii Now Under Our Protection

At the request Of tho provisional gov
eminent Of the Hawaiian Islands the Hon.
JonS l.. Sryvrxs. the United States Min
ister to that country, has established n
proiectorate over those islands tor the
greater security Of life and property, and
onr fac now floats over the chief govern
fnent buildings at Honolulu.
In An address issued 90 the Hawaiian
people Mr.. STEVENS states that there VIII
he no Interference on his part with the
administration Of public affairs by the
provisional government. and that ms nc
tion Is taken pending end subject to neeo'
t,ations at Washington. The Minister )
nct,on was apurovcd and executed 10y
CAPTAIN q. c. WILT-F. Commanding the
United States steamship Boston now lying
anchored in the port of Honolulu.
The establishment Of protectorate
seems t. have been rendered necessary 10y
the incessant agitation and threatenings OF
certain whites who are hostile to tho
provisional government. though that
government has been recognized by Great
Britain. France. Germany, Austro- Hunga-
~, Japan. Chile. Denmark, spain, fortu-
gal. Peru, and the Netherlands. The new
uawaiian government doubtless felt that
II was powerless to maintain itself against
tho plots of It's enemies; but II may have
also thought that the step 1t has taken
would be "a good move III the direction of
annexation and ITS appeal 10 Mr.. STEVENS
may thus really have been based on a
double reason. There Is no telegraphlc
communication with Hawaii. and 80 Mr..
SrrvENs and Captain WrL1sE acted upon
their own responsibility and quite proper
Is. il would seem.
Most people will be inclined to look upon
the establishment OF the protectOrate rs
M advance in the direction Of annexation.
The Hawaiians--the Queens party and the
Revolutionists alike-are incapable OF sus-
taining themselves against cOnspirators
within and enemies without, and the pres
ent dominant party asks us to come. and
take lIawaiI into our Union.
If either Hawaiian party were able
e. sustain itself and could command the
confidence of the people there would be
some plausibility at least i'll the conten-
no place IN the affections of the people.
But as IT is, the world will take for con-
fessed the fact that the Sandwich Islands
heed a moro stable government than any
they have had, and ought to be placed in
q better condition. American interests
are so large in those islands that interna-
tional law might justifably be " stretched
- l.. lei. a.tt
OF the objects had in view by what NAV be
called the "Revolutionists," or. III other
words, the men of intelligence, education,
and property.
We say this without meaning TO utter a
word against the good people of Hawaii.
who. according to good authority-thati Is,
persons who know whereof they affirm
are all that UNCLE SAM could desire them
20 be- Not that the Chinese laborers ought
to be eniranchIscd. or the POlynesian con-
tingent honored 10y comforting upon
them the rights of citizens of the United
States, but that the men who are fit to
take charge of the political interests of the
islands ought to be permitted to do so un-
der the Constitution and laws of the United
Statos--not under IA prOtectorate.
Hawaii has asked for annexation TO this
country just at the very moment when We
need most the advantages which the pos
session of these Pacific Ocean islands will
give us. They knock at UNCLE SAN
door Just as he is asking for the ley to the
Pacific, just as no is considering the i'm
mense advantages to his commerce with
foreign nations that will follow the con-
ttruction of the Nicaragua canal.
Let us not hesitate. Our doubts
are traitors and make us lose the
good We oft might gain 10y fearing TO at
tempt Who else except US can open the
Nicaraguan gateway Who else could
daily with such question Who can say
NJ navc