The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-07-26

Every now and again paragraphs oc-
cur in the papers of the mainland show
ing that the position of these Island and
of Porto Rico and the Philippines is
misunderstood. The Hawaiian Islands
are in an entirely different category
from the two latter A recent telegram
states that the "Insular Commission"
has reported that the position of Porto
Rico Hawaii and the Philippines is
practically the same as that of terri
tory acquired from Mexico in the War
of 1876"
Hawaii has not been acquired by
war. 1t has become a part of the Unit
ed States by voluntary act, not by mill
tary conquest Porto Rico was acquir-
ed by war; and the Philippines are in
process of being acquired by the same
method. Hawaii on the other hand,
voluntarily came into the Union. There
had been for years agitation asking for
annexation. During the Harrison ad-
ministration a treaty had been nego-
tiated, which the Cleveland adminls-
tration had refused to carry out. The
Legislature on two occasions passed
resolutions asking for annexation. And
when annexation came we flew to it as
it were a bird to it's nest
But this was not the position of Porto
Rico. 1t was regularly occupied by
troops. is so occupied now, and has a
military governor. The Hawaiian ISL
ands are part of the United States at
the present time. 1t is this which we
claim, it is for this that we have work
ed and this is the reward that We have
justly acquired.
II Congress has failed to recognize
our right, and will not do so until next
session, it takes nothing away from our
right A man may not be installed in
his property, but 1t may be none the
less his. We are now part of the Unit
/ ed States, and as F. M. Hatch said the
/ other day, We must strongly urge our
claim. 1t is none the less our claim,
because some people say it is not. The
point we are after is really ours and no
amount of sophistry can deprive us of
it. If justice is dealt us that claim will
be recognized by the United tates.
We had nothing to do with Spain,
nor had we anything to do with the
Treaty of Paris. The annexation came
perhaps as an incident of the war Is
true. But it came as a recognition Of
the part we took by throwing in our
lot with the United States. We were,
at the time tho war broke out, an in
dependent republic. We could have
proclaimed our neutrality and such a
proclamation would have been respect
ed. But we elected to do something en-
tirely different. We threw neutrality
to the winds, and offered our harbors TO
the vessels of the United States, we
showed every honor we could to the SOL
diers going to the Philippines. Now it
looks as if the proposition was an alb
surdly safe one. But it was not so
then. Dewey's ships had not won the
battle of Manila, and we knew not
whether our action would not call upon
us reprisals from the cruisers of Spain.
To class us then with acquisitions
made from Spain Is to show that who
ever does it, does not know the facts
under which these Islands became Am
erican territory. American territory we
/ certainly are inalienably, and Amer
lean territory we desire to remain. The
people of the United States are our
people and their flag our flag.