The Hawaiian gazette., 1897-07-06
Secretary Sherman Re-
views Negotiations.
Annexation Not Incompatible With
Past Attitude of United States
Towards Islands.

THE undersigned, Secretary of State,
has the honor TO lay before the Presi-
dent for submission to the Senate, should
il be deemed for the public interest TO do
so. a treaty signed in the City of Wash
ington the 10th inst. by the undersigned
and by the duly empowered representa-
tive OF the Republic of Hawaii, whereby
the Islands constituting the said Repub-
lie of Hawaii and all their dependencies
are fully ceded TO the United States for
ever. II does not seem necessary TO the
present purpose of the undersigned TO re-
view the incident of 1898, when similar
treaty of cession was signed on Febru-
airy I4th and submitted TO the Senate,
being subsequently withdrawn by the
President on the 9Th of March following.
The negotiation which has eliminated
in the treaty now submitted has not been
a mere resumption of the negotiation OF
1898. but was initiated, and has been
conducted upon independent lines. Then
an abrupt revolutionary movement nau
brought the dethronement OF the late
Queen and set up instead OF the neIetO,
fore titulary monarchy PROVISIONAL
Government for the control and manage
ment OF public affairs and the protection
Of the plIblic peace such Government TO
exist only until terms of union with ths
United States shall have been negotiated
and agreed upon mus StII-GOuSIlLultN,
its promoters claimed for it only a de
facto existence until the purpose OF an
neNation in which it took rise should be
accomplished. -,
with the United States became an uncer-
tain contingency the organization OF the
Hawaiian commonwealth uhuerWeht ne ~
essary changes; the temporary character
of its first Government gave place TO a
permanent scheme under Constitution
framed by the representatives OF the
eli Of ha TSla
by an Executive Council, not CHOSEN Dy
suffrage, but self-appointed, was sue
ceeded by an elective and parllaIneh1Ia TAR:
regime and the ability OF the new Gov
eminent TO hold, as the Republic OF Ha-
wall an independent place in the family
of sovereign States, preserving order at
home and fulfilling international ohhga-
lions abroad, has been put TO the proof;
Recognized by the powers OF the
earth, sending and receiving ENJOYS, en-
forcing respect for the law ana mann
tanning peace within its island borders,
Hawaii sends TO the United states not a
Commission representing a successIul
revolution, but the accredited plenipo-
tertiary of a constituted and firmly es-
tablished sovereign State. however SUI
ficient may have been the authority OF
the Commissioners with Whom the Unit
ed States Government treated in 1898, and
however satisfied the President may then
have been of their power TO of1er the DO
main of the Hawaiian Islands to the
United States, the fact remains that
what they then rendered was territory
rather than an established Government,
a country whose ADMINISTRATION hau oeen
cast down by a bloodless but complete
revolution and a community in a state
of political transition.
Now. however, the Republic of Ha-
wall approaches the United States as an
equal and points for its authority TO that
provision OF Article +aS 81 OF the isS4 be
President, with the approval of the Cab
met is hereby expressly authorized ana
empowered to make treaty of political
lie of Hawaii and the United States of
America, subject TO the ratification of the
Senate
THE present negotiation is, therefore,
as has been said, not a mere renewal OF
the tender of Hawaiian territory made IN
1898, but has responded to the purpose
and the conferences OF the plenipotenti-
aries have been directed to weighing the
advantages of the political and the COM
mercial union alternative proposed here,
relatively considering the scope and eX-
tent thereof. II soon appeared to the ne
gotiators that purely commercial union,
on the lines of the German Zollverein
could not satisfy the problems of the
administration in Hawaii and of the po-
Htical association between the Islands
and the United States. Such a CONNER
cial union would, on the one hand, de-
prive the Hawaiian Government of its
chief source of revenue from customs du-
ties by placing its territory in a rela-
ton of free exchange with the territory
of the United States, its main market
other hand ii would entail upon Hawaii
the maintenance of an internal revenue
system on par with that of the United
States, or else involve the organization
of CORRESPONDING branch of our reve-
nue. service within foreign jurisdiction.
We have had with Hawaii since 1875
a treaty of commercial union which
practically assimilates the two terri
tories, with regard TO many of their most
important productions, and excludes
other nations from enjoyment of its pri
vet a q <
outlived other less favored reciprocity
schemes, its permanency has at times
been graVely imperiled. Under such cir
cumStanceS, TO enter upon the radical
experiment of a complete commercial
union between Hawaii and the United
States as independently sovereign, with
out assurance of permanency and with
perpetual subsection to the yicissitudes
of public sentiment in the two countries,
was not to be thought of.
Turning then TO the various practical
forms of political union, the several
phases of a protectorate, an offensive
and defensive alliance and a national
guarantee were passed in review. In all
of these the independence of the subor
dinated State is the distinguishing fea-
ture, and with IL the assumption by the
paramount state of responsibility, with
out domain. The disparity of the rela-
tive interests and the distance separating
the two countries could not fail to rem
der any form of protective association,
either unduly burdensome or nlusory in
its benefits. so far as the protecting State
Is concerned. NIlIc any
teract this by tributary dependence or
measure of suZerain control would be
a retrograde movement toward a feudal
or colonial establishment, alike ineXpe-
dent and incompatible with our national
policy.
There remained, therefore, the annex
alton of the Islands and their complete
absorption into the political system of
the United States as the only solution
satisfying all the given conditions and
promising permanency and mutual ben
eft. The present treaty has been framed
on this basis, thus substantially revert
ling to the original proposal of 1893, and
necessarily adopting many of the fea-
lures of that arrangement. AS TO most
of these the negotiators have been con-
strained and limited by the constitutional
powers of the Government of the United
States.
AS in previous instances when the Unit
ed States has acquired territory by
treaty, IL has been necessary to reserve
all the organic provisions for the action
of Congress. If this was requisite in the
case Of the transfer to the United States
of part of the domain of a titular SOW
ereign, as in the cession of Louisiana by
France, of Florida by Spain or of Alas
ka by Russia, ii Is the more requisite
when the act is not cession, but union,
involving the complete Incorporation of
an alien sovereignty into the body po-
lite of the United States. For this the
only precent Of our political history is
found in the uncompleted treaty con-
cluded during President Grants admins
tration. November ., 1853, for the an
nexation of the Dominican Republic TO
the United States.
Following that example, the treaty