Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-24
The Hawaiian Islands.
For the Dispatch.)

For the Dispatch)
The question of the annexation Of the
Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands Will oc- !
cupy the serious attention of the United |
States Senate next session. How Will our !
Virginia senators vote on this interesting |
subject? The appearance. at this time.
of the third volume of the Letters and
Times Of the Tylers," by Lyon G. Tyler,
president Of William and Mary College,
revives the memory of how the ISLANDS
were regarded ffty-odd years ago by
southern statesmen, such as president
Tyler and Hugh S. Legare and Judge a.
y. Upshur, who were his secretaries OIL
state at that time. The period OF Tyler's
administration was undoubtedly one ol
great possibilities for the statesman.
There was a diplomatic contest between
the United States and Great Britain, ana
the great question at issue was which
power should rule upon the American
Continent. Securely entrenched along our
northern border, Great Britain held the
whole line from Maine to oregon In dis
pute. and British money and British
agents were actively at work seeking TO
establish the British authority on our
Southwest and West, where Texas was
struggling for independence OF Mexico.
and where stretched the vast unsettled
territory now occupied by Colorado, New
Mexico, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Wyo-
ming, Nevada, California, oregon, ana
Washington. In 1912 the "opium war
gave England a footing in China, facing
California, while the Hudson Bay Com
pany, from the side of British America,
pushed men and settlements into oregon.
In this game for power the possession OK
the Hawaiian Islands, midway between
China and the coveted coasts of Califor-
mia, would have been a decided gain 10
Great Britain. She was known to nave
her eve upon them, and the omnipresent
British agent, fomenting disturbances
was there. Now 1t seems that kamme-
hameha, one Of the native CHIEFS,
had for the first time brought the
islands under one settled govern,
ment. Still he had received no rec
ognition as an independent sovereign
from the nations Of the world. President
Tyler. seeing the danger Of British in
PREVENTION. played an effective card by
setnding a message to Congress on De-
cember 90 1872, in which he recognized
Kammehameha, and argued against tho
right of any European Power TO colo
nize or take possession of his Islands.
This stand was bold one, and taken just
in time. In February, 1913, Lord
George Paulet, commanding the British
feet in the Pacific, made descent upon
King Kammehameha, seized the Islands.
and ran up the British flag over n
capitol. The President was at his coUn-
try seat in Charles City county, Va.
when apprlsed OF these occurrences By
a letter from his Secretary of State.
Hugh s. Legare He wrote In reply:
You will remember the message sent
10 Congress by me during the late SEES
sion. recommending the establishment or
a consular agency in the Islands, In
which + said that we could not witness
their occupancy by any other nation,
without entering against II a solemn pro-
test. / had hoped that declaration SO
emnhatic would have been respected by
Great Britain and regret now TO learn
the contrary" In the Presidents name
Mr.. Iegare directed a strong note 10 the
British Government upon the subject
which was followed by disclaimer from
them of Lord Paulets conduct ana the
withdrawal of the British FORCES rom
the islands. Commenting upon this, the
President wrote to Mr. Webster: you
will perceiye in the newspapers the dis
claimer OF the British Government as 10
the Sandwich Islands. 1t has been highly
gratifving. but inasmuch as there seems
IA he an unnecessary assertion OF right 10
enforce its claims for indemnity ior
xyroncs committed on British subjects,
&, MT. Fry's letter, it was con-
sidered proper in the reply "a
Judge Upshur (who succeeded Lesaie
as Secretary of State 10 suaru
against any ambiguous OF hiodeh intent.
The Diplomatic situation, as WEI
known, finally resolved ltseh oeciue1,s
to the advantage OF the Ohlteu ol@seS -
ALI directions. The boundary line on the
worth was settled by the Washington
treaty of 1912. Texas and the West pc
came a part OF the United States, ana thiS
government assumed the character OF
nrotectorate over the Hawaiian lslahos.
This was done with the consent OF the
whole country, and the ISLANDS, Dy ties
OF commerce, have closer cohIec'ion
With this Union to-day than ever before
Tho question OF annexing the Islands Is
now directly presented to the public by
president Mckinley, and what snal the
answer be? For one. am Tor the an
nexation The only objection nave seen
advanced that appears 10 nave any
weight is that the annexation OIL inc
islands would compel a large augmeh'a-
ton of the navy and consequent eA
pense. But the objection Is appalvh'
rather than real. According 70 the poiicy
PURSUED by Tyler and approved by an
BIC successors' we are bound to defend
these islands against the aggressions OF
anv. foreign Power; and this responsipii-
itv, which no one denies, requires for its
nroner discharge quite as much or meet
"a the actual annexation. On the otner
hand. the possession Of the islands would
give us many advantages We are now
without. From them we could dictate
laws to all the immense commerce OF
the Pacific. and in their harbors our fleets
could find abundant refuge and protection
and opportunities for coaling.
ANNEXATIONIST.