The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-07
ANNEXATION OF HAWAII.
Duty of Congress, the President Says,
Is to Ratify the Treaty.

Duty of Congress, the President Says
Is to Ratify the Treaty.
BY a special message dated the 10th day OF
June last, / laid before the Senate treaty
signed that day by the plenipotentiaries OF
the United States and of the republic OF
| Hawaii, having for its purpose the incorpo-
| ration of the Hawaiian islands as an in
| tegral part of the United States and under
| it's sovereignty. The Senate having removed
the injunction of secrecy, although the
treaty is still pending before that body, the
subject may be properly referred to in this
message because the necessary action of the
Congress is required to determine by legis-
| lation many details of the eventual union
should the fact of annexation be accom-
plished, as believe it should be.
While consistently discovering, from a
very early period, any aggressive policy of
absorption in regard to the Hawaiian group
a long series of declarations through three
quarters of a century has proclaimed the
vital interest of the United States in the in
dependent life of the Islands, and their in
innate commercial dependency upon this
country AL the same time, it has been re-
peatedly asserted that in no event could the
entity of Hawaiian statehood cease by the
passage OF the islands under the domination
or lnnuence or another power than the
United States. Under these circumstances
the logic of events required that annexation.
heretofore offered but declined, should in
the rlpenesS OF time, come about as the nat
ural result of the strengthening ties that
bind us to those islands, and be legalized
by the free will of the Hawaiian state.
That treaty was unanimously ratified
without amendment by the Senate and Pres
dent of the republic of Hawaii on the 10th
of September last, and only awaits the IA
vorable action of the American Senate to
effect the complete absorption of the islands
into the domain Of the United States What
the conditions of such union shall be, the
political relation thereof to the United
States, the character of the local admins
tration. the quality and degree of the elect
i've franchise of the inhabitants, the extern
sion of the federal laws to the territory
or the enactment Of special laws to fit the
peculiar condition thereof the regulation. il
need be, of the labor system therein, are
all matters which the treaty has wisely rel
egated to the Congress.
If the treaty is confirmed as every con-
sideration Of dignity and honor requires, the
wisdom of Congress viii see to 1t that
avoiding abrupt assimilation of elements
perhaps hardly yet fitted to share in the
highest franchises of citizenship, and having
due regard to the geographical conditions,
the most just provisions for self-rule in To-
cal matters, with the largest political liber-
ties as an integral part of our Nation, will
be accorded to the Hawaiians. No less is
due to people who, after nearly five years
Of demonstrated capacity to fulfill the obli-
cations of Self-goyernlpg statehood, come
Of their free will to merge their deStinies
in our body-politie.
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 con-
ventlon of 1883 are In a satisfactory stage Of
settlement by negotiation. This government
has not been invited to mediate, and on the
other hand, has sought no Intervention in
that matter further than to evince it's kind
Hest disposition towards such speedy and
direct adjustment by the two sovereign
equity and honor 1t is gratifying to learn
that sthe apprehensions at first displayed
on the part of Japan, lest the cessation of
Hawairs national life through annexation
might impair privileges TO which Japan hon
orably laid claim. have given place to con-
6dence in the uprightness of this govern
deal with all possible Interior questions in
the broadcast spirit of friendliness.