The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-12-16
HAWAIIAN ANNEXATION.

Inc 1OllOWlng is the tull text or the
message upon Hawaii and Japan:
BY special message delivered on
the 10th day of June last | laid before
the Senate of the United States a
treaty signed that day by the plenipo-
tentiaries of the United States and the
Republic of Hawaii, having for its
purpose the incorporation of the Ha-
waiian Islands as an integral part of
the United States, and under its SOW
ereignty The Senate having remov-
ed the injunction of secrecy, although
the treaty is still pending before that
body, the subject may be properly re-
ferred to in this message because the
necessary action of Congress is re-
quired to determine by Legislation
many details of the eventual union,
should the fact of annexation be ac-
complished, as | believe it should be.
While consistently disavowing from
a very early period any aggressive pol
icy of absorption in regard to the Ha-
walian group, a long series of discus
sions through three-quarters of CEN.
tury has proclaimed the vital interest
of the United States in the independ-
ent life of the Islands and their init
mate commercial dependency upon
this country. At the same time it has
been repeatedly asserted that in no
event could the entity of Hawaiian
statehood cease by the passage of the
Islands under the domination or influ-
| ence of another power than the Unit
ed States. Under these circumstances
the logic of events required that an
neXation, before offered, but declined.
should in the ripeness of time, COM
ing about as natural result of the
strengthening of the ties that bind us
to those Islands. be realized by the
free will of the Hawaiian state.
That treaty was unanimously rati-
fed without amendment by the Sen
ate 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
complete absorption of the Islands in
to the domain of the United States.
What the condition of such a union
shall be, the political relations thereof
to the United States, the character of
the local administration, the quality
and degree of the elective franchise of
the inhabitants, the extension of the
| federal laws to the territory or the
enactment of special laws to fit the
| peculiar conditions, thereof, the regu-
| lation of needs of labor therein, are
all matters which the treaty has very
wisely relegated to the Congress. If
| the treaty is confirmed. as every con-
sideration of dignity and honor re-
| quires, the wisdom of Congress will
see to it that, avoiding abrupt assimi-
lation of elements perhaps hardly yet
fitted to share in the highest franchIs-
es of citizenship and having due re-
gard to the geographical conditions,
the most just provisions for self rule
in local matters with the largest po-
litical liberties as an integral part of
our nation. will be accorded to the
| Hawaiians. No less is due to n peo-
pie, who, after five years of demon
strated capacity to fulfill the obliga-
tions of self-governing statehood,
come of their free will to merge their
destinies in our body polite.
JAPAN AND HAWAII.
The questions which have arisen be-
tween Japan and Hawaii byreason of
the tratment of japanese laborers EN-
igrating to the Islands under the Ha-
Waiian-Japanese convention of 1855,
are in a satisfactory stage of settle
ment by negotiation. This govern
ment has not been invited to mediate
and on the other hand has sought nc
Intervention in that matter further
than to evince its kindliest disposition
toward such speedy and direct adj
justment by the two sovereign states
in interest, as shall comport with eq
uity and honor. 1t is gratifying tC
learn that the apprehension at firsl
displayed on the part of Japan lest
the cessation of Hawaii's national life
through annexation might impair pri
vileges to which Japan honorably LAID
claim, have given place to contidenc,
in the uprightness of this government
and the sincerity of its purpose t.
deal with all possible ulterior ques
tions in the broadest spirit of friend