The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-07-13
After Fifty Years.


combat with manifest destiny" Haw-
ali will take her place under the flig of
the United States. Resistance to her
destined end has not come from the
island kingdom, and, more recently,
republic, or from the worlds political
powers; it has, rather, awaited the evo-
luton, in the United States, of a public
opinion favorable to annexation, and
public opinion here has deferred it's
assent till the National development,
in spirit as well as territory and materi-
al elements, should justify the union.
After the regions of the Pacific coast,
with all their immense and varied
riches, had been acquired, after those
imperial realms had been peop!ed by
hardy American emigrants and their
number was multiplying like the sands
of the sea, after lines of railway had
Joined theAtlantic to the Pacific, public
opinion began to perceive that the
National development had reached a
stage that not only removed every
reasonable objection TO ann exation, but
made annexation an imperative ne
cessity. For the Pacific coast there
was no defensive outpost.
When the powers of Europe began
to occupy the Pacific coast of Asia for
military and commercial purposes,
American apathy in respect of Hawaii
gave place TO alertness. Publicists,
statesmen, and military and naval ex-
perts, portrayed the vast importance Of
the future. commerce of the Pacific. The
great ocean rolling between Asia and
America; they pointed out, was the pre-.
destined theater of greater events than
had ever been enacted upon the Allan.
tic. Excepting these islands, every
tuft of land above the Pacifc's bosom
had been.appropriated by some one Of
the great powers of 1.-THE earth. Homo
lulu would be the port of call for ships
on all the great lines of commerce be.
tween cities of the North and the South
continents, Australia, Asia and Japan
1t was a commercial hub, and the
spokes were lines of traffic radiating tc
every port of any importance on either
coast and the continental islands above
and below the equator. The vast com
mercial importance of Honolulu began
to be understood. The value of the
group of islands of which that city was
the capital, from a military point Of
view, was explained and enforced by
writers of the rank and recognized au
thority of Captain Mahan, reinforced by
the opinions of his brothers Of the nava
service whose experience and familiari
ty with the subject, and whose compe
tency to judge, compelled attention.
Thus the matter OF the annexation o.
the Ha waiian islands stood at the be
ginning of the current year. TIL,
country had come to understand ant
appreciate fully the vast commercial
and military importance of the grouI
in relation to this Nations western
boundary. The people were ripe TO
the oft proposed and long deferred
addition of the islands to the territor,
of the United States. Their acquisi
ton had no suggestion of conquest
They belonged as naturally in tn
political system of which this Nation i
the center as this earth in the celestia
sys tenn of which the sun is the center
Their native inhabitants had been re
deemed from heathenism by American
missionaries. These missionaries an
their descendants had been the leadin
and uplifting element, morally, com
mercially and politically, on the island
for three quarters of century. Thei
political and commercial relations wit
the United States had naturally bee
of the most intimate character, and the
had looked to this country as thei
natural guardian and protector. Thei
formal annexation was practically
legal recognition of pre-existing stat
o. things.
The objections to the annexation {
Hawaii had been Of an artificial natur,
They had been theoretical, the evoll
ton of obsolete political traditions an
customs, when they had been matter
of conscience, and they had been til
suggestions of partizan politics whe
they had been clearly not matter (
conscientious conviction. An ant