The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-09-26
PAUL ANSWERED.
The Way an Islander Looks at
Annexation.

annexation without the expression
of the will of the people to be an.
nexed.
Mr.. Neumann has declared that
annexation is undeniably impossi
bic without an expression of the
will OF the Hawaiian people. The
United States would not without
such an expression annex this
country in any form or under any
conditions" The above, fairly in.
terpreted, aims to have the reader
believe the United States never
did annex territory without first
getting a willing expression of the
people to be annexed; that it is
and always has been the settled
policy of that country not to annex
a territory if the people objected.
Mr.. Neumann is a learned man,
well acquainted with history, and
he knows the acts of the United
States when annexing territory
have invariably been the opposite
of what he would have US believe.
The United States government has,
1 believe, always dealt with the
government having jurisdiction
over the territory sought for annex
alton, and has never consulted the
people.
When Florida was obtained from
Spain, Mississippi from France, or
Alaska from Russia, no "expres-
sion" was asked of the people one
government wanted to sell and the
other to buy; neither consulted
with nor cared what the people of
those territories preferred. The
two governments did all of the bust
ness.
When 1eXaS was annexed, the
government holding it in posses
sion was the only party consulted.
Mexico claimed it, but, not being
in possession, its claim was not re-
garded. Texas wanted stable
government-as Hawaii now does.
The United States annexed the ter
ritory and gave it stability, and
prosperity followed in consequence,
as was the case with all former an
nexations made by the United
States. Therefore, from past pre-
cedents, prosperity must attend
Hawaii after annexation.
When New Mexico, Utah, Ari-
zona and California were annexed,
Mexico and the United, States did
all the bargaining. The people of
that territory were not consulted
if they had been, no annexation
would have taken place, as an
overwhelming number of the citiz-
ems were natives of the soil, and
were of the same race as the Mexi-
cans, used the same language, lived !
in the same manner, had the same
religion, sympathized with and had
fought on the side of
against the United States
in their war, then just ended. And |
they would have voted as they had |
fought and prayed, if they had been
allowed an expression"
If the annexation question had |
been left to the people of those ter
ritories to decide, that whole terri
tory would yet be Mexican, and no
more advancement or improvement
made in it than there has been in
Lower California, Senoro and other
almost lifeless states of Mexico
during the last forty years.
Fortunately for the world, the
statesmen of those countries did
what they thought best, as it was
impressed upon them by their sur
and their foresight of
events, without stopping to
;ay grace by consulting the people,
he majority of whom, as rule,
know no more about political econ
,my or what would be best for
hem or their country than a pig
loes about literature. To leave
3uch great questions to be decided
" them, with their preiudices,
ielfshness and ignorance, instead
If by intelligent craftsmanship,
would be to thwart manifest des-
iny in its progress in the world
t would almost defeat the newt
LbIe.
Now comes Mr.. Neumann, the
genial Paul, the esteemed citizen,
he learned lawyer, the skilled
liplomat, the ex-minister, the hon
rable noble, the would-be states
nan, the brainy politician, the elo-
.uent advocate-and sinks him
elf from his honorable position to
hat of a pettifogger, by pleading
0 the people who are the jury in