The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-01-31
Mr.. Armstrong; Remarks at Their
Last Meeting.
THE OLDEST ANNExATIoNIsT SPEAKS.
He Began to Hope For 1t in 1853, But
1t Was Postponed from Year to Year.
Att'y-Gen. Smiths Address to the
CIub-Our Ability to Govern Wisely.

At the last meeting of the An
nexation Club, w. 0. Smith and
w. n. Armstrong made some re-
marks which have not been re-
ported but which deserved larger
audience. The following account
gives the substance of what they
said on the occasion
Mr.. said that he was, prob
ably, the oldest annexationist present
in the room, as he was interested in
| the subject in 1853, and made q speech
to the boys in the school in the United
States, where he was fitting for col
lege He expected annexation then in
ten years, but got left. While he was
with KaIakaua in Vienna in 1882, he
met his old friend VIM. Walter
Phelps, then American Minister to
Austria, and they discussed the ques-
ton of the future of Hawaii. Mr..
Phelps advocated annexation, and in
sisted on his seeing Mr.. Blaine on his
return to Washington, and took the
trouble to write Mr.. Blaine on the
subject. He did see Mr.. Blaine, and
found that he took q warm interest in
the matter, but President Garfield
died at that time, and Mr.. Blaine left
office. On his return to America in
1882, after resigning the Office of At
tOrney- General here, he had q long
conversation with Mr.. Frelinghuysen,
then Secretary of State, on the subject
of the future of Hawaii. Mr.. Freling-
huysen was much interested in the
! subject He said that the American
people had no definite foreign policy,
beyond that invo we'd in the Munroe
doctrine; that tine country was so
| large, and its resources so great, the
| people did not think of much beyond
it, excepting that they wanted no
foreign interference. Mr.. Armstrong
said that the English statesmen had
adopted broad and well-defned liz es
of foreign policy, which did not ma
terially change with the change of
cabinets; that cabinet in power
would continue, generally, the policy
of the opposition party, so far as
foreign nations were concerned. he
said that Mr.. FreliDghuysen remarked
that there was 10 such tradition or
rule in Washington; that the
people of America needed education
in the matter of the annexation of
Hawaii, and it would take some time
to do it, 1t would be hopeless task
for hims elf, or any one in his position
to commence it, as they remained in
office only short time, and his sue
ccssor might drop the subject He
thought that the movement would
come from the people and operate on
the government in the course OF time,
but whether it would come sooner or
later he could not tell.
Mr.. Armstrong said that he believed
that the process of education was
hnf of n
rival of the Commissioners in Wash
ington there was much enthusiasm,
and, If vote had been taken at once
in the Senate, the treaty would have
stood fair chance of being made,
although this was not certain. As
time passed, the second thought came
to Senators, a;d there was DISPOSE
ton to move slowly and look upon
the matter with great deliberation y
there was much yet 10 be done,
and it would take time to bring about
the union. He thought that the un-
fortunate action of Mr.. Cleveland and
his representatives had been of great
value in drawing tie attention of the
people Of America to the islands,
though that action had caused great
distress and injured many. interests
in Honolulu. It had created a strong
bond of sympathy between the two
countries, and he hoped that SYM
pathy would take a more enduring
shape and result in transferring the
great American flag over yonder
building to the staff upon the Govern
ment building. He believed that Mr..
Cleveland was a thoroughly honest
man, but had, before he became Presi-
dent, been misinformed by those in
whom he had right to trust as to
the situation here. Acting on this
information, he had unfortunately
taken a course which he would not
have taken If he had better under
standing of the situation.
Mr. Smith said in substance: Mr..
Armstrong; reference to the neces-
sity of educating the American peo-
pie upon the subject of annexation
suggests the subject Of the Importance
of showing our ability To govern
wisely, and so meet the exigencies of
the times. Carl SchurZ wrote and
published one of the strongest argu-
ments against annexation, aud one of
his points was the undesifability, from
the American poiut of view, of add
ing TO the difficult problems, already
before the United States Government,
of governing Hawaii with its MOngreI
population. He said they already
had Negroes. and Indians and GreaZ
eTs to deal with, and trouble enough.
He dwelt on other features but this
one of the objection because of our
inability to maintain self-govern-
ment, is one which is of great i'm