The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-03-05
CAPTAIN PALMER'S VIEWS,
ENGLAND THE TRUE GOAL OF
THESE ISLANDS
Annexation Not to lie Thought of
by the United states-The Dis
advantages of "a Republic.

EDITOR OF THE STAR: My attention has
been called to your issue OF the LIST, in
which | notice that you consider my
sentiments worthy two notes OF editorial
criticism. Until within week ! have
carefully abstained from either speaking
or writing my own opinions, save upon
one point. | belong to the nation with
whom YOU seek to form a union. As an
American | believe that all the adj
vantages OF annexation can be gained by
the United States provided we live on
terms of reciprocity. | would go further
than this and would advocate that all
merchandise passing between the two
countries, carried by vessels of either
Hawaiian or American flag, be abso-
luteiy free of custom-house inspection
or duty in either.
Were | OF American ancestry and liv-
ing here, very likely might be as en-
thusiastic an advocate of annexation rs
has always been ever since | knew him,
(now over twenty years. my hospitable
friend Dir. J. :. Mctirew. ! can see in
such u marriage great advantages for
YOU and none for the United States.
Your reporter called and was treated
| by me with that cordiality and freedom
OF speech with which my own search for
information has been greeted by many
OF your fellow-citizens. He insisted on
being informed as TO my idea on this
and that hypothesis. On the one sub
ject OF union with my own country, |
think fhave II right to an opinion; ON
the matter of what shall be your own
Government, your future or your treaties
with other powers, any suggestion from
me is as inopportune as 1t would be
should | dictate to my charming hostess
my own plans for the regulation OF her
housekeeping. He wished to know,
however, Just what thought would be
the best Government for you in future;
| told him that ! saw but three (restora-
| ton and annexation being for the
moment and for arguments sake con-
| sidered out of the question:: You could
continue the oligarchy, game a
republic, or new constitutional mon
archy. OF these | considered Il republic
the least stable, because with few voters
you would have many parties, and
| frequent elections would result in con-
slant unrest. Whenever ! have said
that, as an American, | should oppose
annexation, have seldom failed to hear
in response the threat OF an alliance
with England. To which | invariably
reply that your reasoners are correct; ii
America does not want you, she should
not stand in your way should you wish
to make any treaty with another power;
that / saw no objection but, on the
contrary, many advantages to the civil
lied world in such an alliance. |
did not say that Great Britain ought
to own these Islands, that she was
the only country capable of governing
them, nor use any language wariTanting
such an inference. On the contrary
did say that (were your Provisional
| Government to send commission to
that power as you did to Washington,
| thought she would decline to entertain
any proposal whatever of Union. did
say that supposing that l were perma-
nent resident in Honolulu, with invest
ments in Hawaii, | should feel a secur-
ity, a safety, stability under her gov
eminent, were it established here with
the consent of the people and great
powers, which | should not feel under
any other form of government. Aud
the reason for this belief was and is
that the British Government has had
great experience in ruling nations COM
posed as is Hawaii of people of widely
differing races.
JULIUS A. PALMER JR