The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-06-18
THE ANNEXATION TREATY
1t f. Accompanied by . Message From the
President-synopsis of the Term. Of the
Tr~eaty-strong Opposition of som. sepa-
tors-Proposition to Make Hawaii Part
of Warrington or O~regon-To Push the
Matter I'm COMMITTEES.

VI WI VI UNI JIG
Matter I'm Committee.
Washington. June 1s.-The treaty for the
annexation of the Hawaiian islands
reached the senate chamber at ) O'Clock
today. The senate at once went into execu-
tive session and as soon as the doors
were closed The message of President Nc
kinley. accompanying the treaty and the
treaty itself. were read 10 the senate.
They were attentively listened to. In one
part of the chamber there was a group
of senators who will bitterly oppose the
ratification of the treaty. Among them
were Senators Gray. Mills, White, Canrey.
Pettigrew and McEnery. As soon as the
reading Of the documents were completed.
Senator Davis, chairman of the commit
tee on foreign relations. moved that the
message and the treaty be made public.
Senator Gray objected to a vote on the
motion and under the rules a single OBJ
lection carried the motion over until to-
morrow. Senator Davis gave notice that
at the next executive session he would
press the motion for publication as all
the essential facts and an almost YER
batim copy of the treaty had been publish
ed in the press Of the country
There was some discussion as to when
the treaty might be considered. and Sena-
tor White asked if it was the intention
| " push IL dl lHlS StSSlOI III uEOu TIE
reply being made that it was possible. the
California senator said: Il desire to an
nounce that 1 am prepared to stay here
all summer to prevent the ratification of
the treaty, which / consider a very bad
proposition"
I'll join you" said Senator Pe;tigrew,
of South Dakota.
The message of the president was not a
very long document. 1t dealt with his
torical facts concerning the islands and
showed that the United States and Ha-
| wall yearly grew more closely bound to
each other. This was not really annexa-
ton, he said, but a continuation of ex-
listing relations with closer bonds between
| people related by blood and kindred ties.
| Since 1920, said the president. the pre-
dominance of the United States had been
known. The sending Of the first envoy
there brought the islands into closer re-
lationS with the United States and those
relations had grown more firm by sue
ceeding events. At the time the tripar-
title agreement was made for the govern
and rma wanted to include Hawaii in
the group over which a protectorate was
established; but the suggestion was re-
| government held that there already ex-
| listed relations between Hawaii and the
| United States which placed the islands
under the especial care Of this country.
and that this government could not allow
any other country to interfere in the
affairs of laval The annexation of the
islands, said the president, and making
L a pdIl " lhC a q III
accordance with the established policy of
this country.
The president called attention to the
fact that a legitimate and existing gov
eminent of Hawaii offered to annex the
islands to the United States in 1851. but
on account of what was deemed best
| policy the annexation was not accepted
by this country. He stated that the
United States virtually exercised a pro-
tectorate over the islands since the first
American mission. and guaranteed the
| nl1fnnnnnC of tho VIC n 2 9 4 tho
group. The islands had been largely set
tied by our people, and our people were
now Interested in them. American in
| terestS predominated and we had grown
to consider them under our own protec-
ton. The present treaty was in the light
of a consummation of what had practi-
| cally been in existence for years.
! Referring to the treaty negotiated under
the Harrison administration. President
Mckinley said that the failure TO accept
the prefer of annexation in 1893, while not
a subject of c~cngratulation. was not
wholly without its value. as it had dem
onstrated that the existing government
could be raised of the authority Of the
| present government to negotiate the
! present treaty. or of its right to yield the
| sovereignty of the islands.
| The treaty was signed at 500 o'clock
this morning at the state department by
Secretary Sherman, for the United States,
and Messrs. Hatch. Thurston and Kinney,
for the Hawaiian government. The Ha-
waiian representatives had brought with
them a gold pen in a plain holder. and
at their request this was used for ali Of
the signatures. Secretary Sherman sign
ed first the copy intended to be held here
while Minister Hatch signed first he Ha-
waiian copy of the treaty. his fellow COM
m~issioners coming next in order. Mr..
Thurston first, followed by Mr.. Kenney.
The treaties were sealed by Assistant
Secretary Cridler with a private seal car
ried on his watch chain, the copies were
handed to their respective custOdianS. and
the treaty was made as complete as the
executive branch of the government could
effect it. There was a general exchange
of congratulations between the parties to
the ceremony, and after a photograph had
been taken of the commissioners, the
ceremony was ended.
Before the final signature Of the docu-
ment the secretary of state was present.
ed with a formal protest by the Japanese
government, through it's legation here,
against the contamination of the agree
ment. The protest is understood to be
based on a proposition that the special
treaties now existing between Japan and
Hawaii. under which the Japanese enjoy
ADVANTAGES. will be arected in%iuriously
by complete annexation.
The treaty proved to be a simple docu-
ment of six articles based in its essential
details upon the treaty negotiated by
Hon. John w. Foster. during the adj
ministraticn of President Harrison. The
islands are ceded practically without con-
ditiOns, leaving the United States to pur-
sue its own course with reference to their
management. The first article reads as
follows:
THE government of the Hawaiian is
lands hereby cedes, from the date of the
exchange of the notifications of this
treaty. absolutely and without reserve. to
the United States forever all rights of
sovereignty or whatsoever kind in and
over the Hawaiian islands and their de-
tendencies. ~renouncing in favor OF the
United States every sovereign right of
which. as an independent nation. it is nov
possessed: and henceforth said Hawaiian
islands shall become and be an integral
part of the territory of the United
States
The Hawaiian government ceded to the
United States the absolute ownership of
all the public lands. public buildings.
ports. harbors. Qualifications military and
naval equipments and all other govern
ment property. 1t is specifically provided.
however that the existing land laws of
the United States shall not apply to the
public lands of Hawaii. but that special
laws shall be made from time to time for
their disposition. the proceeds Of any
sales of these lands to be applied to edu-
cational purposes in the islands.
The islands are for the present to con-
! stitute a territory of the United States,
their local laws remaining in force until
~auy nroc onoofod A Local lor;cyot,,ro