Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-06

| OF the obligation this Government owes to
itself, to the people who have confided 10
it the protection of their interests and
| honor, and to humanity.
, Sure of the right, keeping free from all
offense ourselves. actuated only by upright
and patriotic considerations. moved neither
by passion nor selfshness. the government
will continue its watchful care over the
rights and property of American citizens
! and will abate none OF its efforts to bring
about by peaceful agencies a peace which
shall be honorable and enduring. If ii shall
hereafter appear to be duty imposed by
our obligations to ourselves, to civilization
and humanity to intervene with force. Ii
| shall be without fault on part and only
because the necessity for such action Will be
so clear as to command the support and
| approval of the civilized world.
HAWAIIAN ANNEXATION.
BY special message dated the 10Th day
| of June last, 1 laid before the Senate a
| treaty signed that day by the plenipoten-
tisries of the United States and of the Re
public of Hawaii. having for its purpose
the incorporation of the Hawaiian Island
as integral part of the United States
and under its sovereignty. The Senate hav-
ing removed the injunction of secrecy, al
|
that body, the subject may be properly re-
| ferred to in this Message because the nee
| essary action of the Congress is required
| to determine by legislation many details
of the eventual union should the fact of an
neXation be accomplished, as / believe it
should be.
While consistently disavowing from a
very early period any aggressive pol
| icy OF absorption in regard to the Hawaiian
i group. long series of declarations through
| three-quarters of a century has proclaimed
| the vital interest of the United States in
the independent life of the Islands and
their intimate commercial dependence upon
| this country. AT the same time it has been
! repeatedly asserted that in event could
the entity of Hawaiian statehood cease by
the passage of the Islands under the dom
| ination influence of another power than
the United States. Under these circum-
stances the logic of events required that
| annexation, heretofore offered but declined,
Should in the ripeness of time come about
as the natural result of the Strengthening
ties that bind us to those Islands, and be
| realized by the free will of the Hawaiian
| State.
The treaty was unanimously ratified with
| out amendment by the Senate and Presi-
| dent of the Republic of Hawaii on the 10th
| of September last, and only awaits the ia
| vorable action of the American Senate to
| effect the complete absorption of the ISL
| ands into the domain of the United States.
| What the conditions of such union shall
| be, the political relation thereof to the
| United States, the character of the local
| administration, the quality and degree OF
| the elective franchise of the Inhabitants,
| the extension of the federal laws TO the
! territory or the enactment of special laws
to fit the peculiar condition thereof, the
| regulation if need be of the labor system
| therein. are all matters which the treaty
| has wisely relegated to the Congress.
| If the treaty is confirmed as every con-
| sideration of dignity and honor requires,
| the wisdom of Congress will see to it that,
| avoiding abrupt assimilation of elements
| perhaps hardly yet fitted to share the high
| est franchises of citizenship and having
| Que regard TO the geographical conditions.
| the most just provisions for self-rule in
local matters with the largest political lib
critics as an integral part of our Nation
] will be accorded to the Hawaiians. No less
is due to people who. after five years of
| demonstrated capacity to fulfill the obliga-
| tions of sclf-governing statehood. come of
| their free will to merge their destinies in
| our bodypolitic
The questions which have arisen between
Japan and Hawaii by reason of the treat
ment of japanese laborers emigrating to
| the Islands under the Hawaiian-Jap anese
| convention of 1883, are in a satisfactory
state of settlement by negotiation. This
| Government has not been invited to nedi-
ate, and on the other hand has sought no
intervention in that matter, further than
| to evince its kindliest disposition toward
| such a speedy and direct adjustment by tie
two sovereign states in interest as shall
comport with equity and honor. 1t Is graf
| flying to learn that the approximations at
first displayed on the part of Japan lest
| the cessation of Hawaifs national life
| through annexation might impair privileges
| to which Japan honorably laid claim, have
given place to confidence in the upright
| ness of this Government, and in the sin
certify Of its purpose to deal with all posi-
BILE Interior questions in the broa1est spilit
of friendlness.
MINISTER MERRY'S CASE.
AS to the representation of this Govern
ment to Nicaragua, Salvador and Costa
RIGA, I have concluded that Mr.. William
L. Merry. confirmed as Minister of the
United States to the States of Nicaragua,
Salvador and Costa Rica. shall proceed to
San Jose, Costa Rica and there temporarily
establish the headquarters of the United
States to those three States. 1 took this
action for what / regarded as the para
mount interests of this country. 1t was
developed upon an investigation by the
Secretary of State that the Government
of Nicaragua, while not unwilling tc receive
Mr.. Merry in his diplomatic quality, was
unable to do so because of the compact
concluded June 20. 1895. whereby that Re-
public ard these of Salvador and Honduras
forming what is known the Greater Re-
prblic of Central America, hai surrendered
to the representative Diet thereof their
right to receive and send diplomatic agents.
The Diet was not willing to accept him
because he was not accredited to that body.
could not aecredit him to that body be-
GAUGE the appropriation law of Congress
did not permit it. Mr.. Baker, the present