The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-18
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Text of the Document Submitted to Senate
Yesterday.
Washington, June 17.-The following is
the full text Of the message sent to the
Senate, yesterday, by President McKin-
ley, to accompany the Hawaiian treaty:
To the Senate of the United States: I
transmit herewith to the Senate in order
that, after due consideration, the consti-
tutional function of advice and consent
may be exercised by that body a treaty
for the annexation of the republic of
this capitol by the plenipotentiaries of the
high contracting parties on the 10th of
June, instant.
For the better understanding of the
subject, transmit, in addition to a re-
port of the Secretary of State, briefly re-
viewing the negotiation which has led to
this important result.
into the body polite of the United States
is the necessary and fitting sequel to the
chain of events which from very early
period of our history has controlled the
intercourse and prescribed the association
of the United States and the Hawaiian
islands. The predominance of American
interests in that neighboring territory
was first asserted in 1920 by sending to
the island a representative agent of the
United States. If found further expression
by the signature of a treaty of friendship,
commerce and navigation with the King
in 1826-the first international compact
negotiated by Hawaii
1t was signally announced in 1S43,
when the intervention of the United
States caused the British government to
disaYow the seizure of the Sandwich
islands by British naval commander
and to recognize them by treaty, as an
independent state, renOunclng forever any
purpose of annexing the islands or exert
ing protectorate over them. In 1851 the
cession of the Hawaiian kingdom to the
United States was formally offered, and
although not then accepted, this govern
ment proclaimed its duty to preserve alike
the honor and dignity of the United
States and the safety of the government
of the Hawaiian islands.
From this time until the outbreak of
the war in 1861 the policy of the United
States toward Hawaii and of the
Hawaiian sovereign toward the United
States was exemplified by continued
negotiatios for annexation or for re-
served commercial union. The latter
alternative was at length accomplished by
the reciprocity treaty of 1875, the pro-
visions of which were renewed and ex-
panded by the convention of 1884, en-
hracing the perpetual cession to the
United States of the harbor of Pearl river
in the island of Oahu.
In 1888 a proposal for the joint guaranty
of the neutrality Of the Hawaiian islands
by the United States, Germany and Great
Britain was declined on the announced
ground that the relation of the United
States to the islands was sufficient for the
end in view
Briefly from 1920 to 1893 the course of
the United States toward the Hawaiian
islands has consistently favored their
autonomous welfare with the exclusion
of all foreign influence save our own to
the extent of upholding eventual annexa.
tion as the necessary outcome of that
policy.
: Not only is the union of the Hawaiian
territory to the Uniteda Statesl no new
scheme, but it is the inevitable conse-
quence of the relation, steadfastly main
tanned with that mid-Pacific domain for
three-quarters of a century. Its accom-
plishment, despite successive denials and
postponements, has been merely a
question of time. While its failure in 1898
NAV not be cause for congratulation. it
is Certainly proof of the disinterested-
ness of the United States. The delay of
four years having abundantly sufficed to
establish the right and the ability of the
republic of Hawaii to enter, as a sovereign
contractant upon conventional union
Continued from Second Page.