The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-12-15
Development Of a Treaty

some show OF FEASIBILITY. that the
Z great commercial interests of their
/ country turned the scales so largely
/ in our favor In all the recent confer
/ ences for the building of an inter
7 oceanic canal, but that was not the
I cause OF il ar all Nor did the mari
time interests of the world. in which
/ England figures so extensively. help
( in the least TO give the absolute con-
I troll OF the waterway to the United
States. The reason for that is 10 be
/ found right here al home. and it be-
/ gan TO be manifest Just about the
1 time OF the Clayton-Bulwey treaty
convention. a change Cf admilistra
/ ton was taking place. the protective
| tariff was coming steadily to the
! front, and the war for the sUprema-
cy OF the constitution was pressing
upon us. All these things came about
and in them is to be found the cause
OF the abrogation CT the canal treaty
OF 1850. Without them there would
be no abrogation. And the forces
that effected it were the patriotism
and craftsmanship OF the Republican
party a new treaty giving the chi
ted States full control of the canal
is simply an expression of this truth.
It is this party that has made the
world of history that lies between
the convention of 1850 and that of
1900 And it is this history that has
exalted US. Without it we could
IuloplyoBlpuB lssJ5p IsUns OF punOq
make no such demand OF Great Brit
ain. as that which characterized the
action of John Hay and the Senate.
No doubt Clayton did the best that
could be done under the circum-
stances. and he represented a Wing
administration. though the power of
the Democracy was still prevalent
In fact, the Clayton-Bulwer treaty re-
yealed the nature of the Democracy
OF Andrew Jackson and the general
drift of its foreign policy. Jackson
was short-sighted and interested
chiefly in immediate advantage. I'M
mindful of the great hidden forces
that surely work out destiny. When
free in action at New Orleans he
whipped the British soldiers in nat.
tie, but the presidency cramped him.
He then had to deal with nations
as a statesman, and the splendor and
prestige of European monarchy and
diplomacy somewhat unnerved him.
His right course clearly was to push
out from the shadow of Great Britain.
but instead of this he permitted her
influence to increase. AHf thought
that this course would strengthen
his party and continue his domino
ton, but it did neither and in the
end overwhelmed his party. Jack
sons trade negotiations with Great
Britain made that government AFRO
CANT, and when it came to arranging
some years later, treaty for an
isthmian canal it demanded and Sc
cured the privilege OF participation.
But America had not then struck the
region of her swift ascendeney.
You see how different it is now
after fifty years have passed. With
in that time the authority of dicIion
has shifted from the English cabinet
to the President and Senate of the
United States This is most extra
ordinary. for the history of the in
terrational dealings Of England Is
that she is grasping and yields reluc-
family But she has yielded and has
been yielding steadily since the Re
eminent. TO the power of the United |
States. And If England typifies in /
the highest sense the aggression and |
dominance of monarchicai nations the !
relative positions of that country and |
this are certainly the most substan- !
tial evidence OF Americas advance |
ment This is deeply gratifying. for |
the record of the worlds diplomacy |
teaches us that IL We can present |
terms TO England there is no cause |
for timidity or undue concession in |
dealing with any other government. !
And the general recognition of TINS |
fact is enforced By the recent ne
gotiation Of the interoceanic canal |
treaty and the subsequent changes II |
has undergone. The commerce OF |
the globe in all ATTITUDES will. of course
benefit bv the canal but the interests /
of no other beneficiary that its con-
struction involves are at all COM /
parable TO those of this country. Il /
net only conducts the greatest OF all /
enterprises for the commerce Of man
kind. but in doing so il carries for
ward the national policy that has Civ
en- il permanency and splendor. That /
is what rivets attention. So the race
Of giants in American politics did not 1
become extinct with the last or the /
preceding generation. Manifestly 4
there are comprehensive minds still
here. and ample evidence of II Is the /
mastery achievement Of holding in
view the vital policy OF national protec
ton while negotiating treaty that
is essentially commercial In the
whole transaction the first principle
predominates-
But If this first principle. which has
made the United States independent
and prosperous. had not been persis-
tently put forward as a subject OF
oratory and Legislation. there would
be no such wonderful development OF
the interoceanie canal treaty IS we
now witness Il is dependent wholly
on the protective principle. complete
in all its phases, and therefore In
Il was originally made
operative by Hamilton. and was sue
cessiveiy treated ard insifed upon
chiefly by the younger Adams CLAW
Blaine and kcKinley-and. indeed
the entire leadership OF the Repahlic-
an party has been devoted % H. And.
saw what we VIII about issues In par
sienlar and in detail. this one thing.
perDeating all our political existence,