Evening star., 1897-03-27

circle whose radius Is approximately, and |
very closely. the distance from Honolulu |
to San Francisco. From San Fran 4
cisco to Honolulu, 2. 100 miles, easy steam /
ing distance, is substantially the same as |
from Honolulu to the Gilbert, Marshall. |
Samoan, Society and Marquesas groups the |
nearest inhabitated islands,, all under Eu- |
ropean control, except Samoa, in which we
have a part influence. Too much |
stress cannot be laid upon the I'M |
mense disadvantages to us of any maritime
enemy having coaling station well within
$500 miles of every point of our coast En.
from Puget sound to Mexico. Were there
many others available We might find ii dlf- i
ficult to exclude from all. There is, how
ever but the one. Shut out from the
Sandwich Islands coal base, an
enemy Is thrown back for supplies of fuel
10 distances of $500 or 1900 miles-or be
tween 1.rpo and 5000. going and coming
an impediment to sustained maritime OPP
erations well nigh prohibltive- 1t is rare
ly that SO important factor in the attack
or defense of coast line-of a sea frontier
is concentrated in a single position, aud
the circumstance renders II doubly impera-
tive upon us 10 secure Ii, II we righteous
ly can then he adds. referring to the
pending subject of annexation: This is a
question of a principle, a policy, fruitful
of many future acts. to enter upon which,
in the fullness of our national progress. the
time has arrived" This view is also
strongly emphasized by Admiral Walker,
from whose reports have already quoted.
He says: 1T should not he forgotten that
Pearl HarbOr offers, StrateglcdllN ana Otii-
erWise. the finest site for a naval and coal
ing station TO be found in the whole Pa
cific.'' This manifest fact the LONDON
Times terSely recognizes: The maritime
power that holds Pearl river ard moors
its fleets there possesses the key to the
northern Pacific"
Duty of Annexation.
If then. In view of our great and rapidly
growing interests in the Pacific. ii has be-
come a political and military necessity that
these islands should not pass into the con-
| troll of any other nation. and if it is mani
| fest that such a contingency now threatens
| them. it is. in my opinion, the plain duty of
| the United States to annex them to its ter
| ritory. And in a matter which involves the
| interests and destiny of a great nation of
1o.Dpo, 900 of people no mere technical ques-
tons of procedure should be allowed to en-
| barrass our action. The present govern
ment of Hawaii is as fully de facto and
! de jure government its predecessor, ard
| is as heartily supported by the Inhabitants.
But. during past history, in our ac-
QUESTION of territory, We have manifested
| no sensitive disposition to inquire into the
| rghtfulness of the title by which the gov
| ernments with which We treated secured
| power We acquired the great Louisiana
| territory by purchase Fl ON u monarch who
| had not only a questionable right to Its
| transfer. but who had usurped power by a
| revolution. and held it by force of arms.
In the case of Florida our title came TO us
from a sovereign who was ruling in def
| ance of the constitution and against the
| will of the people, and who was kept on
| his throne by the influence of foreign pow
| ers. We acquired California and all that
| vast region from Mexico through a treaty
| made with authorities who had only few
| months before seized the government by
| means of pronunciamento, and In little
| while by similar means were driven from
| power.
But in addition to the fact that the reg
| ularIy constituted government OF Hawaii
Iii, ion -ln mi -pT u
| We have a strong equitable claim to the
| islands The people of the United States
| con- ributed millions of dollars to bring the
| Inhabitants out of wretched state OF
| barbarism and servitude, and to secure
| them a place among the civilized peoples OF
the earth. Americans gave them written
| language. organized their schools, taught
| their kings the principles OF government,
| for more than half a century were the real
| administrators of public affairs, and untli
| the rulers demonstrated their utter inca
| pacity We're, the firmeSt supporters OF nauNe
| government.
The United States has, by means of the
reciprocity treaty, brought life and Pros
perity to the islands, and enabled lis mer-
| chants and planters to grow rich at our
| expense 1t is today virtI1lly an American
colony. The paramount inference Is Ameri-
| can In no part of the United States is
there more intense loyalty shown TO our
| country or its institutions. During the civil
| war Hawaii contributed much more than
its quota of Americans TO maintain the
| Union. Every year the Fourth OF July Is
| celebrated with much enthusiasm by pub
| lie meeting in Honolulu. On Decoration
day the post of the Grand Army of The Be
| public repairs to the cemetery TO kee =
| green the memory of the soldiers who lie
| buried there. Thanksgiving Gay Is annual
| ly observed with even more solemnity than
| in the native land. The Americans of Ha-
| vail are loyal and patriotic sons of the
fatherland and it would be cruel fate to
| abandon them to the rule of some foreign
| power. Four times in its past history Tor
eign flag other than of the United States
| has fioated over the islands-first the Rus
sian, then the French. afterward the Brit
ish, and again the French Any one OF
these powers would gladly assume sover-
| eighty again, and to them Is to be added as
menace the rising power of Japan.
: No Political DfHiculttes.
To my mind annexation presents no po.
+ ntical or administrative difficulties. During
| the discussion four years ago it was sug
gested by certain writer's of standing in the
legal profession that there was no author
. ity given in the Constitution of the United
= | States to annex territory not contiguous
+ | When the purchase Of Louisiana was frs
, | suggested, Mr.. Jefferson, strict construc
: zionist. thought it could not be accom-
plished except by an amendment of th'
, | Constitution but when the opportune mo
. | ment arrived he heartily approved thu
: : treaty, and nothing further was heard Of
! the constitutional amendment. The objec
1 ton now advanced does not seem 10 nave
, | had any weight with the executive or witt
: Congress when Alaska was acquired, mol
will it with enlightened statesmen today
, The islands should be admitted. not as g
= state but as a part Of the territory of the
= | United States, to be organized in such man
, | ner as Congress In its wisdom may deter
= | mine We have already three forms Of ter
: ritorial government under authority Of Con
gress-in the District of Columbia, in tho
| organized territories and in Alaska. One o.
1 | these may b, applied to Hawaii or new
. ore instituted. Under whatever form o
. government, doubtless the native Hawaiian
| and those of American and European or
| igin would be granted the right of suffrag'
: under proper conditions. and to the Asiat
' | les would be applied the existing prohibi
: tive laws of the United States as to natur
I alization and immigration, which woult
4 lead them to gradually return to their owl
i countries.
do not regard the suggestion Of a pro
e tectorate as practicable. We cannot as
: | sumo 1t without becoming responsible 70
q the government Of the islands. and W
: should not become responsible for the gov