Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-02-04
THE HAWAII PUZZLE.
A FINE LETTER WHICH STRONGLY OP.
POSES ANNEXATION,
Acquisition Of the Islands Would subvert
the Fixed Policy OF the Government
from Its Foundation to the Present.
LYNcHRrRG. January q. 1894.

Ill Nlfbi ~. JdHHdIy 81. 1917.
To the Editor OF the Dispatch:
Your paper has been all along plainly
espousng the cause OF annexlng Hawaii.
In your issue OF yesterday you so a
bow-shot beyond and encourage the wild
and bewildering idea. as | cannot but re-
gard IL. Of our acquisition of territory
"in another continent and another hem
isphere" You characterize those who OPP
pose these views as "superservicesble anti
annexationists" There Is no reason"
YOU say. why monarchical countries can
acquire foreign possessions, while free
countries must content themselves with
the territory they live upon" And in
your paper Of this morning you reiterate
the same extreme doctrine and insist that
"our free institutions are entitled 10 be
represented anywhere in the world by
the free government OF the United States
Of America" You quote the familiar
couplet Of Sewall Tor rather you misquote
II. since you make IT read for instead
OF butt. and apply to our case his
"pont-up Utica; but you forget that
his lines limit the aspiration 10 the
"whole boundless con,iuent"-not the
whole boundless universe, as you would
have IT: or. as you put 1t, anywhere in
the world Yours Is lalpabiy oah case
o. JingOism.
Won hut advocate openly and honestly
what others. less ingenious are seeking
20 accomplish by subtertuge. The report
OF the Senate Committee on Foreign Al
fairs that 1T Is lncxpedient under eX-
listing ambitions To consider at this time
any project of annexation or the lla-
waiian Territory TO the United States
implies. as YOU very justly remark, not
only the right and power. but the wisdom
and expediency Of the annexation Of these
islands at some future day. This ~ an
implication Eut with you there II no cir
cumlocutlon-no disguise. Indeed. you
seem 10 me To go very far. much farther
than many who are, i'm the MAN, IN sym
pathy with your views.
or those who insist upon closer political
ties are two classes: The ore ftNCrins
a protectorate by the United States; the
other looking forward to annexation. I'm
mediate or utimate-tO tn" political and
territorial absorption Of III 'se ISLANDS into
the bOly-p0litic Of the United states. II
Is true that the aspect OF the question as
presented 10y It's discussion IN congress
and in the leading journals OF The country
is one Of simple international risht ana
construction: but ne is superficial oh
server who does not detect an Interior
and deeper interest than mere solicitudc
for the proper Interpretation of the law
Of nations as applicable to the case.
II IL not tha object Of this cOmmunica.
ton to consider the circumstances under
which the late queen was deposed; or the
question whether any interference by the
United States with the existing govern
ment would be a violation OF the interna-
tiona code.
THE FEASIBILITY.
without, then. entering upon the much
mooted question as TO whether Mr. Cleve-
land Transcribed his prerogatiye in his
efforts TO restore the status IN quo. | desire
70 consider solely the question of the fea-
siblity and drsirabity OF anneXing Ila-
wall even If that important step could be
legally accomplished.
80 ono would dispute the right Of the
United States to annex these islands r.
such were the clearly ascertaincd wish
Of its inhabitants: nor could there be- much
question that according to the prevalent
ethics among the leading European powers
the United States might rightfully cstab-
fish Il prOtectorate over them. n such az
ton were deemed essential to security of
our commerce and our Pacific scabOard.
Irrespective Of these postulates, J wish TO
indicate some reasons why. as IL seems 10
me- the sober minded and conservative
press and people Of this country should
now AT the outset Of what threatens to
be a fierce agitation. set their faces like
flint against the annexation view, and ia,
sist that no political utilization. no public
policy. shall bee seriously considered except
the assurance Of our existing commercial
privileges and The prevention of any dau.
gerous or injurious Interference by other
uatiOnalitics
SCBVERT THE POLICY.
Nothing is more certain. if the warn
ings Of history are worth anything. than
that the acquisition Of the Sandwich
Islands will subvcrt the fixed policy Of
the government from it's foundation 10
the present hour, and project il upon Il
career of foreign conquest and colonial
ton such as charactcrizes the principal
nations Of Europe This would be the be-
ginning Of such a career. What would be-
the end An, what would be the end d"
The sad sequel would bee To- transform
the government from a republic To an
empire. No sooner would Hawaii De- an
neXed as Territory" Of tn. United States
than Americans for the most part spoil
ators and adyenturers would flock thither
10y the thousand and would before many
moons begin 10 clamor for admission as
full-ledgel State. And then. the pre-
ccdent being set for the territorial eXten-
sion Of the republic beyond the conGn 50
OF the continent, the rage Of foreign con
quest would iniiame the ambition am
arouse the restless spirit of the young and
adventurous, till presently their demand
would bee that acquisition should follow
acquisition until tho march Of American
principles and American predominancc
shall track the course of the circlins
hours and wake up the morning on every
line Of longitude around the rolling orb
And then Will be- eXtinguished. finally and
forever, the hope OF preserving on tins
continent an approximately homogeneous
people. The foreign-born element of cur
population is already Il cause of uneasi-
ness 10 many thoughtful persons. F0rtu-
Hatcly for US in the South this element Is
with us small and OF the better class
But in some Of the New England and
Northwestern States 1t Is not only alarm
ingly dense. but Of such character as
seemingly to justify the declaration OF
Mr. In gals that these States are largely
made up OF the sewage Of the nations.
But how harmless is any inundation of
the Caucasian races, however great, com
pared with the incorporation into our
fcderatiye system Of emasculated and dc
graded Malayan ana Monaghan communi-
ties.
MALANS AND MONGOLS
In this aspect OF the case, how mon
strous Is the proposition Of anneNiHs
Hawaii. or its 5000 inhabitants one half
are natives, some 50,00o are Chinese ana
japanese; about 100 are Portuguese, ami
there are in the neighborhood Of 500
English and fundamentally Amerl-
cans, so that seven eighths Of the popdia-
ton consists Of Malays and Mongols-
races with whom the idea Of intimate
political or social assimilation is ethno-
logically impracticable and morally dis
gushing. And then, too, as an enocOmic
question. how inconsistent and insane the
suggestion! Anrighted by the spectre OF
Chinese cheap labor we are, by the
rule of might rather than right. deport-
ing the Acknowledged Cclestials back 20
their Asiatic homes: and yet il Is proposed
To introduce as AN incorporate part Of our
Union a distant Pacific island, inhabited
by a motley and heathenish mass OF Ash
atcs and Polynesians
In the memorable debate between Doug
las and Lincoln in 1858 the latter main
tanned that a union Of States. partly free
and partly slave, could not last; that In