The record-union., 1897-12-07
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
The President Urges the Ratiica-
tion OF the Annexation Treaty.

By a special message delivered the
10th day OF June last, l laid before the
Senate of the United States a treaty
signed that day by the plenipotentiares
of the United States and of the Repub-
lie of Hawaii having for it's purpose
the Incorporation of the Hawaiian ISL
ands as an integral part of the United
States, and under its sovereignty. The
Senate having removed the injunction
of secrecy, although the treaty is still
pending before that body the subject
may be properly referred to in this
message, because the necessary action
of Congress is required to determine by
legislation many details of the eventual
union, should the fact of annexation be
accomplished. as I believe it should be-
While consistently disavowing from
very early period any aggressive poll
icy of absorption in regard to the Ha
waiian group, a long series of discus
sions through three quarters of a CEN
tury has proclaimed the vital interest
of the United States in the dependent
| life Of the islands and their intimate
| commercial dependency upon this coun-
try.
At the same time, it has been repeat
/
the entity of Hawaiian statehood cease
! by the passage of the islands under
the domination or influence of another
Power than the United States. Under
these circumstances the logic of events
required that annexation, before Of
fered but declined, should in the ripe
ness of time, coming about as a nat
ural result of strengthening the ties
l.
lied by the free will of the Hawaiian
State.
That treaty was unanimously ratified
without amendment by the Senate and
President of the Republic of Hawaii on
the 10th of September last, and only
awaits the favorable action of the
American Senate to effect the COM
plete absorption of the islands into the
domains of the United States. What
the conditions Of such union shall be,
the political relation thereof to the
United States. the character of the To-
cal administration, the quality and de-
gree of the elective franchise of the in
habitants, the extension of the Federal
laws to the Territory, or the enactment
of special laws to fit the peculiar condi-
ton thereof, the regulation of needs Of
labor therein. are all matters
which the treaty has wisely relegated to
the Congress.
If the treaty is confirmed, as every
consideration of dignity and honor re-
quires, the wisdom Of Congress will see
to it that. avoiding abrupt assimila-
ton of elements perhaps hardly yet fit
ted TO share in the highest franchises
of citizenship, and having due regard
to the geogra phical conditions, the most
just provisions for self rule in local
matters. with the largest political liber-
ties as an integral part Of our nation,
will be accorded TO the TTawaiians. No
less is due to a people who. after near
" five years of demonstrated capacity
to fulfill the obligations of self govern
ing statehood come of their free will to
merge their destinies in our body pol
itic
JAPAN HAWAII CONTROVERSY.
The questions which have arisen be-
tween Japan and Hawaii by reason of
the treatment Of japanese laborers en-
igrating to the islands under the Ha-
waiian-Japanese convention of 1885
are in a satisfactory stage of set
tlement by negotiation. This Govern
ment has not been invited to medi-
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 ad-
justment by the two sovereign States
in interest az shall comport with equity
and honor.
1t is gratifying to learn that the ap-
prehensions at first displayed on the
part of Japan lest the cessation Of Ha-
waits national life through annexation
might impair privileges to which she
honerabiy laid claim. have given place
to uprightness in the Government and
sincerity of its purpose to deal with
! all possible Interior questions in the
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