The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-14
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.
SOME OF THE PLEAS FOR THE
ANNEXATION OF HAWAII.

On Fr1da morning we presented
come reflections Of two eminent writer's
upon the subject of the Hawaiian an
uexatiOn, and promised to give a
glimpse in another article of some of
the points of the Right Honorable
James Bryce, of the British parliament.
The paper is too remarkable to be over
looked. A distinguished English states
mans view. and n noted for his
friendliness to this country, as we'll as
for his s~oundness of judgment, must
command attention Of rejecting men.
He disposes of the argument relative
to the annexation of Cuba and Hawaii
Strengthening the strategic position of
OUT country by showing how excep-
tiOnally strong is the position which
America already holds He says of all
the great powers of the world the
United States and Russia are the only
ones that have no insular territories to
defend. All the territory of DUR DUN
try is territory on their own continent.
Except Russia, every other great
European power has territories which
lie at the mercy of a stronger hostile
fleet. If tn United States owned Cuba
and Hawaii, and a war should occur,
they would be seized by a fleet Of AN
enemy shat were stronger at sea. 1t
could not be prevented unless the
both in the Pacific Ocean and in the
Gulf of Mexico, powerful enough to- de-
fend both islands. Of course this
try could build large fleets. but Mr..
spend the hundreds of millions that
would be needed in order to build such
fleets. He says that of all great DOW
-ers she is the one least likely to be at
tackled, and because no other state or
country has anything to win by fight
ing her. He thinks there is not a pow
er on the globe which would not loose
by war with America. A great navy
would be a luxury and a very costly
one. He va that the annexation of
Cuba and Hawaii would be a source of
weakness and not of strength. He says
thu mother idea presented is that
both the islands are so attractive that
they would be desirable properties fit
for American immigration. He says
that they are not suitable, really be-
cause of climate being 50 excessively
hot, for the settlement of the Anglo
American race. He says that both of
~ -1orIc orn o1r.no6v nnOn1n6 NV
races from much hotter countries. AS
TO Hawaii, it is a climate that is more
agreeable than Cuba, but the strong
sun forbids that u race should at
tempt physical outdoor labor, and the
trades and professions are already
overrun by Americans and other
nationa1ities. He says that Hawaii has
not enough people to make a respect
able state, and the quality of the pop
ulation is by no means desirable. 1t
would increase the black element in
the American union. According to the
census of 1896, the population of the
Hawaiian Islands constituted in round
numbers, 40, 900 pure and mixed ma
tives; Japanese, $4,000; Chinese, $4,000;
Portuguese, Is, 900; Americans, 5000;
British, 1000, and Germans, 1,5O0. There
are about 100, 900 in all. He says tina
the inhabitants out there are are not
qualified to govern Ven themselves,
much less to help govern their neigh
bors. He gives an account of a pain
full experience of his own country in
dealing with some of her colonies. The
democratic system is much less adapt
ed to the anomalous addition of terri
tory than a strong government is
1t would involve considerable danger,
evidently, to set up among an inferior
and dissimillar population institutions
ike u own, and SO far departed from
all our own traditions as to attempt to
govern that population and it's own
citizens abroad by despotic methods.
Evidently, this country has nothing to
gain by territorial annexation. We
have a great country, a vast domain,
y capable Of supporting easily three or
four times it's present population. The
Of u country are immense,
and the plea that we need domains
> elsewhere, is fallacious, deceptive, n
really baseless. Mr.. Bryce refers to
the plea that is put up by certain dem
who may say that it is to the
Interest and duty of our country to
spread democratic principles, but he
Gays, very truly, that Polynesfans,
-Asiatics, Creole S~paniards, and mulat-
toes, are not fit to receive those prin-
cip1es, and he says further that meth
er are negroes fit, as the history of
Hayti and Of most of the South Ameri-
can so-called republics pro-es."
We conclude by quoting me follow
fng paragraph, which is the asst in Mr..
BTyce's discussion:
|"The United States has already a