The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1897-07-22
THE HAWAIIAN TREATY.
Views of Secretary Sherman and
Senator Davis.

/
Senator Davis.
George Alfred Townsend iu NeW York Sun.
| Secretary Sherman was sit
ting by his office lamp when |
called on him at 9 o'clock at
night. Several newspaper re-
] porters were coming in NOM
entarily on little inquiries.
The Secretary has rather
extended white beard and mus
taches and looks more veneer
able than of yore, but still com
Portable and benevolent. No
body guarded him but white
waitress, and it was an easy
picture of republican careless
ness and state.
at is not the fact that you
were opposed to the Hawaiian
treaty, Mr.. Secretary"
! mo. / was in favor of it. In
other times and under other
circumstances l opposed acqui-
sitions Of territory merely for
that purpose, such as was done
to extend slavery and to threat
en- some peaceful neighbor; al
so to bring into our country a
mass of unassinilated aliens
and mixed people. There is
my record. With propriety it
can be read and, republished,
but the inference that | oppos-
ed this treaty was far-fetched.
The former occasion, when |
did not accede to the annex
alton, was of a different char
acter. A pressure not justly to
be brought against American
derived people of the islands
justified us in taking them in
to our territorial family"
"Have we all the powers to
accept and govern colonies?"
1--WE have all the powers of
sovereignty of any other nation
acting externally. We bought
Louisiana and all the people in
it. We acquired the lands and
persons of Indian nations
wherever we went, and in Ohio
the Indians were instigated and
supported against us by anoth-
er nation. The nearest resemb-
lance to the Hawaiian treaty
was the acquisition of Texas, l
suppose. 1t turned out to be a
good thing, opprobrious as the
deed was at the time, in depos-
sessing fellow republic of her
best province. But we got
with it California and New
Mexico, and so came to be a
great power on the Pacific and
to have more free States
"Was Texas acquired by Sc
cret treaty and the act suddenly
sent to the Senator"
mo, it was done quicker
than that. It was done by joint
action of the two houses of
Congress. We coded all claim
of Texas to Spain in exchange
for Florida in 1919. Then, in
1927, Mr.. Clay, as Secretary of
State, offered to buy Texas from
Mexico. Gen. Jackson sent
Houston to Mexico to annex it
by stealth after Mexico abolish
ed slavery and the internal dis
orders of Mexico favored the
Acknowledgement. But Presi-
dent Van Buren, rejected Texas
and was injured in his ambi-
ton for doing SO. The North
did not oppose Texas on ac-
count of Mexico, but on account
of slavery. Nothing could be
done till John Tyler renegaded
from his party, and as an offer
ing to the opposite party he re-
opened the Texas scheme full
eight years after Texas had
been declared independent by
the Americans there. Mr.. Up
shur, Iyler's Secretary, lost his
life and Mr.. Calhoun took his
place and followed up Mr.. Up
shur's negotiations with the
authorities of Texas who were,
like the Hawaiian leaders, of
the American affinity, but slav-
cry was feature of that an
/ nexation which we have not
now to deal with. Texas, too,
had great gifts of land to help
her into the Union. The lobby
was all for Texas. Calhoun's
treaty was, however, rejected
by the Senate, which was op-
posed to Tyler. The subject
was carried into the Democrat
ic party convention the follow
ing month, and Mr.. Polk, as an
annexationist, beat Mr.. Van
Buren,, and was elected. Tyler
then pressed for the admission
IF TayaS and the iSSua was