The Hawaiian gazette., 1897-03-19

hood by the diversion of the trade that
will surely result from the change in our
relations. II is all very well TO say that
this trade need. not be diverted, or that
If it is the fleet can be employed, in some
other trade. The essence of the treaty
was that so long as il remained in force
| the Hawaiian Government would make
no similar treaty with any other nation,
and that the privileges and rights which
! under the treaty We enjoy should be
ours and ours only. 1t is this clause of
! the treaty. and this clause alone, which
| has kept the British merchant from
swamping US out there as he has swamp
/ ed us in every other foreign port, and
| the ABROGATION of the TREATY
WOULD AS SURELY mean our LOSS
| of PRESTIGE as PUNISHMENT FOL-
| LOWS SIN.
Canada and British Columbia stand
ready to make a treaty with the Ha-
waiian Islands. Their agents and their
emisSaries have been pleading during
the past year for them to make com
mercial treaty, but they have declined
10 do so up TO the present time, because
in this contract with us they declare
that they would not entertain a similar
proposition with any other country. But
the moment it, is cancelled they stand
ready 10 do it.
on the question treated by the Senator
from Alabama as t. whether the cession
Of Pearl Harbor would fall with the alb
rogation of the treaty of reciprocity, l
other question of diplomatic policy, there
seems to be quite as much to say on one
side as on the other. What would APP
pear to be indubitable evidence exists
that Secretary Bayard held during Presi-
dent Clevelands first administration that
the cession and the treaty were co-ter-
minouS; and though the manner of look
ing at things may have changed, the
things themselves can not have altered.
We may cOnstrue one way in lSS5-1SS9
and another way in 1S93-1S94, but ii might
be as well If We remembered, during this
process of construction, that some of the
very worst of national regulations have
been gained by the insistence of strong
powers in eXacting from weaker nations
what they have been pleased to style
vested rights" as the residue of can
celled treaties And closely in connec-
ton with this fact lies that other ex-
tremely significant fact, that the present
head of the Hawaiian Government has
not hesitated TO express his opinion that
Pearl Harbor reverts to the Hawaiian
Islands on the cessation of treaty re-
lations. The very dissonance of opinion
upon this section of the question lends
an additional gravity 10 the situation
and bids US beware.
The way of abrogation, indeed, is beset
with danger signals which it would be |
criminal to ignore. The LOSS of the |
FRIENDSHIP of a NEIGHBORING |
POWER. SMALL but IMPORTANT: ir- |
reparable INJURY to a TREATY-FOS-i I
TERED TRADE: the FALL of our
FLAG; the wretched suspicion of a pow
erful nation STOPPING to entertain |
grudge against a weakling: the possible
LOSS of a STRATEGICAL POINT as I
has been pointed out by the Senator
from Alabama, whose serious value every
other government understands and whose
loss we may one day bitterly regret: the
insensate play into the hands of grasp
ing competitors-all these things STAND
as the SIGNS of the TIMES. whose
we should be most BLIND
and most UNPATRIOTIC to MISREP-
RESENT
Let us then stand by the counsel of
that able, that wise, that diplomatic
Senator from Alabama who has given
us these wise words of counsel today
Let the Republicans join with the Demo
Gratis upon one proposition and give a
unanimous vote to retain this provision
in the bill.