Middletown transcript., 1897-12-11
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CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.I
shall be honorable and enduring. If it
shall hereafter appear to be duty imposed
by our obligations to ourselves, to civiliza-
tion and humanity to intervene with force,
it shall be without fault on our part and
only because the necessity for such action
will be so clear as to command the support
and approval of the civilized world.
HAWAIIAN ANNExATIoN.
By a special message dated the 10Th day
of June last, laid before the Senate trea-
ty signed that day by the plen;potentiaries
of the United States and of the Republic of
Hawaii, having for its purpose the incor-
poration of the Hawaiian Islands as an
integral part of the United States. and
under its sovereignty. The Senate having
removed the injunction of secrecy, al
though the treaty is still pending before
that body, the subject may be properly re-
ferred to i'll this message, because the ne
cessarY action of the Congress is required
to determine by legislation many details of
the eventual union should the fact of
annexation be accomplished, as I believe
it should be.
While consistently disavowing from a
very early period any aggressive policy of
absorption in regard to the Hawaiian group,
a large series of declarations through three
quarters of century has proclaimed the
vital interest of the United States in the
Independent life of the islands and their
intimate commercial dependence upon this
country. At the same time it has been
repeatedly asserted that in no event could
theentity of Hawaiian statehood cease by
the passage of the islands under the domina-
tion. or influence. of another power than the
United States. Under these circumstances,
the logic of events required that annexa-
ton, heretofore offered, but declined,
should in the ripeness of time come about
as the natural result of The strengthening
ties that bind us to those islands and be
realized by the free will of the Hawaiian
state.
That treaty was UNANIMOUSLY ratified
without amendment by the Sena + and
President of the Republic of Hawaii an the
10th of September last, and only awa,s the
favorable action of the American Senate to
effect the complete absorption of the is
lands into the domain of the United States
What the conditions of such union shall
be, the political relations thereof to the
United States, 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
condition thereof, the regulation, if need
be, of the labor system therein, are all mat
tiers which the treaty has wisely relegated
to the Congress.
If the treaty is confirmed, as every con-
sideration of dignity and honor requires,
the wisdom of Congress will see to it that,
avoiding abrupt assimilation of elements
perhaps hardly yet fitted to share in the
highest franchises of citizenship, and hav-
ing due regard to the geographical condi-
tions, the most just provisions for self-rule
in local matters, with the largest political
liberties as an integral port of our nation
will be accorded to the Hawaiians. No
less is due to the people who after nearly
five years of demonstrated capability to full
fill the obligations of self-governing state
hood, come of their free will to merge their
destinies in our body polite.
The questions which have arisen between
Japan and Hawaii by reason of The treat
ment of Japanese laborers emigrating to
the islands under the Hawaiian-J Japanese
convention of 1888, are in satisfactory
stage of settlement by negotiation. This
government has not been invited to medi.
ate, and On the other hand has sought no
Intervention in that matter, further than to
evince its kindliest disposition toward
such a speedy and direct adjustment by the
two sovereign states in interest as shall
comport with equity and honor. 1t is
gratifying to learn that the apprehensions
at first displayed on the part of Japan lest
the cessation of Hawaiis national life
through annexation might impair pri-
vileges to which Japcn, honorably laid
claim, have given place TO confidence in
the uprightness of this government, and in
the sincerity ofits purpose to deal with all
possible ulterior questions in the broadest
spirit of friendliness.