New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-08
THE STATUS or WAI.

Hawaii has not merely been annexed to the
United States 1t has been annexed in n par
ticularly definite and explicit manner. leaving
10 doubt whatever as To its national and inter
national standing In that respect annexation
bv act of Congress is better than annexation by
treaty would have been for the act covers the
whole ground of acceptance and adminlstra-
ton. while the treaty would have needed to be
s,,pplementcd by legislation. The measure
which has been adopted by both houses of Con
crcss. after almost unpreccdcntcdly full DELHI
Grafton. by overwhelming majoritcs. which
was Yesterday signed by the President, and
which. we may unhcsitatngy declare. Is cor
daily approved by the sober judgment of the
great majority Of the American people, Is a
plain and busincssike document. every one oi
whose provisions is easily to be understood
hricf ANALYSIS OF II. however. Invested Of even
the little technical verbage of the original, may
be of interest at this time
The legitimate Government Of Hawaii, hav-
ing offered to transfer its sovereignty unre-
scrvcdly to the United States, the United States
Government accepts the offer and thus he
comes the sovereign ruler OF the islands and the
owner of all the public property upon them.
The islands do not become a State OF this
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Delegate in Congress. but merely "a part OF the
territory of the United States. Ia be governed
by Congress according TO It's pleasure. as pro-
vided by our Constitution That point. ny the
way. deserves special emphasis in view of some
wild hints and apprehensiOns more or less cur
rent The people Of the United States have no
ideo in onnoyng Hawaii Of admitting Il TO the
Union rs n State or of providing for its ultimate"
oil
appeared in the act of annexation, or had the
idea prevailed that the act might prove ut any
time m opon!ng wedge for such admission ~
Hawaii the resolutions could not nj present have
nassed Congress. and 1t is doubtful! If they could
ever have passed. Let that he kept clearly IN
mind. The people Of the United States desired
the annexation of Hawaii, and are now rejoicing
in the fullilment of their desire. Bur they have
no intention Of making annexation mean adiIllS-
sion to the Union any more IN the case or ia
wall than in the case OF Alaska.
The new possessions OF the Union then. are
TO be mere possessions, and no, partners In pro
prietorshlp and they Will be treated accord
ingly Until Congress passes further special
laws for the government; Of the islands their
present local laws Will, so far as permls-
slblo under our Constitution, remain in force,
under the discretion and authority Of the
President Of the United States. All foreign
treaties made by the Islands are now 10 be alb
rogatcd and replaced by the treaties Of the
United States The customs laws Of the ISL
ands are to remain in force toward this AMI nj!
countries until replaced by new ones made by
! Congress- and while they thus remain In force
the local Government Of Hawaii shall pay The
! In NH ic oif of
principal Of that debt. not to exceed Si,OO0,ooO,
is assumed 10y the United States. The public
lands Of Hawaii except such parts Of them AS
ere occupied by this Government for civil, mill
tary or naval purposes, are TO be administered
solely for the local benefit of the Islands. The
Chinese immigration laws Of the United States
are extended to Hawaii, and Chinese migration
from the islands to the States is forbidden. And
finally five commissioners at least two Of them
Hawailans, are to be appointed to devise and
recommend n general scheme Of government for
! the Islands.
Such Is the purpOrt OF the Annexation Act,
and such is the status Of these new possessions
of the United States. The whole matter Is nd
mirably conceived. being explicit and positive
on all essential points and leaving all minor
points to that Executive discretion in which
I
implicitly to conide. The hideous bogies which
have been nuncrously con1ured up by oppo-
nents Of the traditional policy Of the Nation
have been dlssipated into thin air. rotten
borough State" Chinese invasion, hostile com
plcatlons with foreign Powers and all the other
dire evils prophcsied by the foes Of annexation
are seen In the clear Hight Of this bill to be rs
chimercal as was Josiah Quincys vision Of the
Constitution being rent asundcr in the endeavor
TO stretch II over lands west OF the Mississippi
And we have no doubt that the not distant fut
ure will see the wisdom Of this act as amply
indicated, even To the conviction Of its most
sincere and resolute opponents, as has been that
Of Jef1crsons purchase Of Louisiana or that of
any other Of the territorial extensions which
have been a frequent and consistent feature OF
our National growth