, 1898-03-23

form, and there were seVerRl ClIs'HiS' H"Co'
which produced it. OF these, the most import
mt was the fact that the States had lately
been involved in a difficulty with England
concerning the Venezuelan Boundary Cues
lion; a difficulty which it was supposed at
the time, might lead TO u war, though now
this seems not ut I'LL probable. Another was
the strong desire Of Il certain party call
cd by thor opponents Jingoes, ChHhvlhlsts
etc. 10 make the United states II great naval
power, in consequel &c Of which Hn outlying
naval and coaIing station IN the Caribbean
WIS considered H. cessary, and tins 1t was
thought tn 1t st. TIomts. with its
Gus harbour aud convenient situation, COULD
we'll supply. The subject was also consider
ed in connection with The Nicaraguon Canal
Scheme. which it was proposed to cHrry
through with American money.
in support of this policy il was pointed out
that is. they sought 20 IN Ike themselves
and others belieye-tha' should America not
buv the islands. they would lie taken over by
some other power. which would lend to I'M
pleasantnesS and dit1icplIes There even APP
peared in the New York JourunI' II 18th
November 1897 an article to the effect tlnt
Denmark on being INTERCEPTED, had declared
Tint the islands were for sale. and also that
in case America refused 10 buy, they would
be offered to Germany or England. We my
consider both these assertions AS eng equal
" tIue-or untrue. 1t il well known how
ever. TINT American politics, neither IN tho
pres. nor elsewhere tnke much stock in the
truth. so long aA the object is attained.
la HE above mentioned article 1t Is fnrtllor
stated that the Islands, besides being ofg'e"t
value a. q naval station, seeing mat they com
maud the Caribbean Alchipelngo and tho
approach to the Nicaragoan Canal, would al
so he of value as the first step toward the ex-
a1,,.. 6 ENMrAl,Auu- ruIa nm tN6 W 6SI6llL
Hami4nhAra and the establishment Ut Amerl-
cas- supremacy IN it.
Here we have the pith of the matter. IU
is this point Of view which caused the zeAl
Of IA certain party for the annexation or
Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. concerning
which a Bill now lies before the Senate.
This policy il, as before mentioned, directly
opposed to the principles Of tie Republic IN
tIhe past, and has a large purity against it.
That it does conflict with the former
principles Of the Republic, is generally 40
know lodged, even by the p"rtis"ns them
selves, and for my part ! feel snre-perhaps
here somewhat at variance with my hOnored
friend Judge Rosenstand-that this was the
main reason why the sale came to nothing
in 1867.
No less Competent n writer with regard TO
American affairs than Oh. dc Narigny re-
marks in "Revue DIES deux Mondes' at q
time too (lst january I09f) when neither
the questions Of Hawaii nor Of these ISLANDS
were under discussion. attempts at annex
alton 0his was said with regard to Cuba
from Americas side, have no FdlSOn detre,
and are in themselves ant"goniStic 10
the national Il, e. American) traditions.
which from the very beginning Of the
Republic have been opposed to the ne
QUESTION of insnlar ter itory." "and with
good reason" says the writer, "for the
mainland is, as the Americans acknowledge,
more than enough" Quite Enthusiastically
he adds, "Ihe United States of North
America, led astray for a moment by party
spirit. seemed to be directing THEN attention
toward islands in the American Mediterranean
e.. Q. the Caribbean Sea). though this was
really nothing more than the desperate at
tempt Of a desperate party to bring pressure
to bear upon the Administrations, and 10 Sc
duce it into the region Of dangerous odven-
ture. But America has steadfastly resisted
the temptation, and both in Congress and in,
the Press. at critical times, mighty voices
have been raised in protest against these ten
denotes, to defeat the passion fer annexation
and to repudiate this unjust and aggressive
policy"
That which was expressed four years ago
10y Chas. de Varigny holds perfectly to this
dow tbOnrb of courSa this dOas NOT imn1V