New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-18
SECRETARY SHERMAN'S REPORT.

SECRETARY sHERMANs REPORT.
THE NEGOTIATIONS REVIEWED AND THE
TREATY EXPLAINED.
Washington. June 17.-Accompanying the
message the following report from Secre-
tary Sherman:
The President: The undersigned, Secretary
of State, has the honor to lay before the Presi-
dent for submission to the Senate. should 1t be
deemed for the public interest to do So treaty
signed In the city OF Washington on the loth
inst. by the undersigned and by the duly EN-.
powered representatives of the Republic or
Hawaii, whereby the islands constituting the
said Republic and all their dependencies are
fully and absolutely ceded to the United States
of America forever. 1t does not seem necessary
to the present purpose OF the undersigned to
review the incident Of 1893. when a similar
treaty of cession was signed on February IA
and submitted TO the Senate, being subsequently
withdrawn by the President on March follow
ing. The negotiation which has eliminated in
the treaty submitted has not been mere
resumption Of the negotiation OF 1913, but was
initiated and has been conducted upon inde-
pendent lines; Then an abrupt revolutonary,
movement had brought about the dethronement
of the late Queen and set up instead or the
Heretofore ttular monarchy PROVISIONAL GOV.
eminent for the control and management or
public affairs and the protection of the pubic
peace. such Government to exist only until
terms of union with the United States should
have been negotiated and agreed upon. Thus
sef-c onsttutedc It's promoters claimed for It
only de facto existence until the purpose OF
annexation in which 1t took rise should be &C.
compshed -
AS time passed on and the plan Of union with
the United States became an uncertain con-
tingency, the organization OF the Hawaiian
Commonwealth underwent necessary changes
the temporary character Of its first Government
gave place to permanent scheme under con-
stitution framed by the representatives OF the
electors Of the islands, administration by an
Executive Council not chosen by suffrage. but
self-appointed was succeeded by an elective
and parliamentary regime, and the ability OF the
new Government to hold-as the Republic or
Hawaiian independent place In the family OF
sovereign States, preserving order at home ana
fulfilling International obligations abroad, has
been put to the proof Recognized by the row.
ers OF the earth sending and receiving ENJOYS.
enforcing respect for the law and maintaining
peace within it's island borders Hawaii SENDS
senting a successful revolution but the ac-
credited plenipOtentiary Of constituted ana
firmly established sovereign State However
sufficient may have been the authority or the
Commissioners with whom the United states
Government treated in 1893, and however salts
fed the President may then have been OK their
power to offer the domain OF the Hawaiian ISL
ands to the United States, the fact remains that
what they then rendered was territory rather
than established government. country
whose administration had been cast down Dy d
bloodless but complete revolution and COM
munity in a state Of political transition
HAwAIrs PRESENT STATUS.
Now. however the Republic Of Hawaii ap-
proaches the United States as an equal, ana
points for its authority to that provision OF
Article XXXII OF the Constitution promulgated
July a. 1894 whereby 1.-The President with the
approval Of the Cabinet, Is hereby expressly au.
thorized and empowered to make a treaty OF
political or commercial union between the Ike.
public Of Hawaii and the United states or
America subject to the ratincatioh Oh the sen
ate"
The present negotiation u.s. therefore, az has
been said. not a mere renewal Of the tender or
Hawaiian territory made in 1893, but has re-
sponded to the purpose declared In the Hawaiian
Constitution, and the conferences OF the plenpo-
tentiaries have been directed to weighing the ad
vantages Of the political and the commercial
union aternatively proposed, and relatively con-
sidering the scope and extent thereof II soon
appeared to the negotators That a purely COM
mercial union on the lines OF the German Zo-
verein could not satisfy the problems of admin
istration in Hawaii. and OF the political assoca-
ton between the islands and the United States:
Such a commercial union would on the one hand
deprive the Hawaiian Government Of its chief
source Of revenue from customs duties by plac-
ing its territory in a relation Of free exchange
with the territory Of the United States. its main
| market of purchase and supply. while on the
| other hand IL would entail upon Hawaii the
| maintenance Of an internal revenue system on
! q par with that Of the United States. or else in
yove the organization OF a corresponding branch
| of our revenue service within foreign Jursdic-
| ton. 49,.
We have had with Hawaii since 1879 a treaty
| of commercial union. which practically assimi-
lates the two territories with regard to many OF
| their most important productions, and excludes
other nations from enjoyment Of its privileges;
vet although that treaty has outlived other less
| favored reciprocity schemes. its permanency has
| at times been gravey imperilled. Under such
| circumstances to enter upon the radical expert
| ment of complete commercial union between
| Hawaii and the United States as Independently
| sovereign, without assurance OF permanency
and with perpetual subsection to the vicissitudes
| OF public sentiment in the two countries, was
| not TO be thought or
| Turning then, to the various practical forms
| Of political union. the several phases of pro-
| tectorate, an offensive and defensive alliance
| and a National guarantee we're passed In re-
view In all Of these the independence Of the
| subordinated State is the distinguishing feat
| ure and with 1t the assumption by the para
! mount state of responsibility without domain
| The disparity of the relative interests and the
distance separating the two countries could no,
| fail to render any form OF protective assoca
| ton either unduy burdensome or illusory in Its
| benefits so far as the protecting State Is con-
| cerned: while any attempt to cOunteract this by
| tributary dependence or measure or suzerair
| control would be retrograde movement toward
| a feudal or colonial establishment. alike mex.
pedient and incompatible with our National
| policy.
ANNEXATION THE ONLY SOLUTION
There remained, therefore. the annexation o.
the islands and their complete absorption int
the poutical system OF the Unit61 States as tn,
only solution satisfying all the given condition:
. and promising permanency and mutual benefit
The present treaty has been framed on tina
| basis thus substantially reverting TO the orig
! inal proposal of 1899. and necessarily adopting
! many Of the features of that arrangement A:
| 10 most OF these, the negOta tors have been con
strained and limited by the constitutional powers
! of the Government Of the United states. AS II
previous instances when the United states hai
| ACQUIRED territory by treaty. II has been neces
sary to reserve all the organic provisions for tn
| action Of Congress. II this was requisite In thu
| case Of the transfer to the United States OF {