The record-union., 1897-06-18

WASHINGTON, June 1.-THE fol-
lowing is the full text Of the message
sent to the Senate by President McKin-
ley yesterday, TO accompany the HaW-
allan treaty:
II transmit herewith to the Senate,
IN order that after due consideration
the constitutional function Of advice
and consent may be exercised by that
body, a treaty for the annexation OF
the Republic of Hawaii to the United
States, signed in this Capital by the
plenipotentiaries of the parties on the
18th of June. For the better under
standing of the subject, l transmit, IN
addition, a report of the Secretary OF
State, briefly reviewing the negotiations
which have led to this important result.
THE incorporation of the Hawaiian
Islands into the body polite of the
United States is the necessary and nj
ting sequel to the chain of events which
from a very early period Of our history
has controlled the intercourse and pre-
scribed the associations of the United
States and the Hawaiian Islands. The
predominance OF American interests IN
that neighboring territory was first as
serted in 1920 by sending to the Islands
a representative agent of the United
States. It found further expression by
the signature of a treaty of friendship,
commerce and navigation with the
King in 1S26-the first international
compact negotiated by Hawaii. 1t was
signally announced in 1913, when the
intervention of the United States
caused the British Government to disa-
VOW the seizure of the Sandwich
Islands by a British naval commander,
and to recognize them by treaty as an
independent State, renOuncing forever
any purpose of anneXing the islands or
exerting a protectorate over them.
I'm 1851 the cession of the Hawaiian
kingdom to the United States was
formally offered, and although not
then accepted, this Government pro-
claimed its duty to be to preserve alike
the honor and dignity of the United
States and the safety Of the Govern
memt of the Hawaiian Islands.
From this time until the outbreak Of
the war in 1861 the policy of the United
States toward Hawaii and the Haw-
allan sovereign toward the United
States was exemplified by continued ne
gotiations for annexation or for re-
served ul1AOlA- iAC AcN@S%A 80
tentative was at length accomplished
by the reciprocity treaty Of 1919, the
provisions Of which were renewed and
expanded by the convention of 1884,
embracing the perpetual cession to the
United States of the harbor of Pearl
River in the island Of Oahu.
In 1888 a proposal for the joint guar
antee of the neutrality of the Hawaiian
Islands by the United States, Germany
and Great Britain was declined on the
announced ground that the relation Of
the United States to the islands was
sufficient for the end in view. In brief
from 1920 to 1898 the course of the
United States toward the Hawaiian
Islands had consistently favored their
autonomous welfare with the exclusion
of all foreign influences save our own
to the extent of upholding eventual an
nexation as the necessary outcome OF
that policy.
Not only is the union of the Hawaii
an territory to the United States no
new scheme, but it is the inevitable
consequence of the relation steadfastly
maintained with that midpacific do
main for three-quarters of a century.
Its accomplishment, despite successive
denials and postpOnement, has been
merely a question of time. While its
failure in 1898 may not be a cause of
congratulation, it is certainly a proof
of the disinterestedness of the United
States, the delay of four years having
abundantly sufficed to establish the
right and ability of the Republic of
Hawaii to enter as a sovereign contrac-
tant upon a conventional union with
the United States, thus realizing a pur-
pose held by the Hawaiian people and
proclaimed by successive Hawaiian
Governments through some seventy
years of their virtual dependence upon
the benevolent protection of the Unit
ed States.
Under such circumstances, annexa-
ton is not a change, it is a consumma-
ton. The report of the Secretary of
State exhibits the character and course
of the recent negotiations and the feat
ures of the treaty itself. The organiza-
ton and administrative details of in
corporation are necessarily left to the
wisdom of Congress, and 1 cannot
doubt, when the function of the con-
stitutional treaty-making power shall
have been accomplished, the duty of
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