The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-09-28
An American Empire.

which may receive due attention
after he Jubilee, is the conclusion
of a treaty aunexiug the Sandwich
Islands to the United States. To be
sure, as we know only too well, the
signature OF treaty with the re-
spopsible Minister of that Republic
is only one step towards its adop.
ton; very possibly the Senate,
which has wrecked the generally
popular Arbitration Treaty, will also
wreck an arrangement for which
there seems little public enthusiasm.
But possibly that incalculsble re.
preventative body, which seems to
delight in acting counter to the
wishes Of its constituents, will pass
the Hawaii Annexation by the re
quisite majority, and the States will
count one territory the more.
There is no reason for any other
nation to take umbrage at the
formal union of the Islands with
their protector. 1t has long been
recognized by the Powers doing
business aud having possessions in
the Pacific that Hawaii was espe-
cially the concern OF the United
States. If England had wished to
annex the group, she would have
done so fifty years ago; if she had
cared to object to the revolution
that deposed the native dynasty and
placed au American party in power,
she has had several opportunities of
protest. These chances and risks
having been deliberately disregard
ed, Great Britain has no more to
say. As for Germans, Japanese, and
others having relations with the
Sandwich Islands, they will gain
rather than lose by the substitution
of annexation for underlined protec-
ton. 1t was known that the "Ha-
waiian Republic" would be backed
up by the strong hand of the Uncle
Sam, if seriously threatened; yet
there seemed nothing to compel the
big Republic to assume responsible
ty for any freaks of the little one.
This was an unsatisfactory state OF
things, and it will be we'll ended.
The ABSORPTION OF Hawaii ia a
noteworthy step in the process by
which the United States are be-
coming, slo WY but surely, one of
the Great Powers. The differences
between the American Republic and
European Republic such as France
were always smaller than trans
atlantic orators and writers fondly
imagined; they were accidents
rather than essentials. The differ
ences between England and the
United States are even less import
ant. The races are similar; the pro-
blems OF government are in many
ways alike; the social difficulties
follow the same lines. The great
Republic has all along been far more
like other great States than it has
admitted; it is now to become one
of them. The annexation OF Hawaii,
two thousand miles away, is the be-
ginning OF Colonial Empire, of
Greater America. The Monroe Doc
trine must either be abandoned or
retained merely as a rational, il sell
fish, rule OF policy, by which the
United States reserve the headship
of their continent for themselves,
and exercise sort OF hegemony or
suzerainty over other American
States.
II this vision be realised in .prac-
tice, it can only be by forming a
large navy and a sufficient, though
not large, standing army. The Amer
lean Empire will then be much like
the present British Empire, and the
coalition of the two should be ire
sistible. Nor is there any likeli-
hood that British jealousy will
hamper the expansion of the new
Ocean State. The acquisition Of