91th Mar.
Tue treaty by which the Hawaiian islands were to be annexed to the United States of America was signed at Washington on the 14th ultimo by the US. Secretary of State, Mr. John W. Foster, and the five plenipotentiaries from the provisional government at Honolulv. In sending the treaty to the U.S. Senate for confirmation, President Harrison briefly pointed out that it was more desirable to fully annex the islands than to establish a protectorate. He explained that the U.S. government had nothing to do with the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani—the landing of a force of marines from the USS. Bostor being apparently subsequent to the revolution and only for the preservation of order,—that there was no possibility of the Queen's being reinstated, unless the United States undertook the task, and if she were made Queen again, the result would be serious disaster and the disorganization of all business interests. The President continued:—' It is essential that none of the other great Powers shall secure these islands. Such a possession would not consist with our safety and with the peace of the world. Prompt action upon this treaty is very desirable. If it meets the approval of the Senate, peace and good order will be secured to the islands under existing laws until such time as Congress can provide by legislation a permanent form of government for the islands. This legislation -should be, and I do not doubt will be, not only just to the natives and all other residents and citizens of the islands but should be characterised by great liberality and a high regard to the rights of all the people and of all the foreigners domiciled there."
As the annexation did not commend itself to the Senate, and the proposed treaty has been withdrawn by President Cleveland, it is not worth while reprinting it in full, but a summary of it will not be without interest. The preamble states that the islands are geographic cally in proximity to, and naturally dependent on the United States—there are about 2,000 miles of blue water between the two countries—and that citizens of the United States have taken an intimate part in implanting the seeds of Christian civilisation in the islands; and especially to be considered is " the desire expressed by the government of the Hawaiian islands that those islands shall be incorporated into the United States as an integral part thereof and under their sovereignty, in order to Protide for and assure the security and prosperity of the said islands." The first article cedes the islands to the United States, of which it makes them an integral part. The second cedes and transfers absolutely to the United States all government and crown lands, buildings, harbours, fortifications, and all other public property of every kind and description, the revenue therefrom to be " used solely for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Hawaiian islands for educational and other public purposes." The third article provides for the temporary maintenance of the existing government and laws of the islands, the United States appointing a Commissioner with the power to veto any act of the said government, the said veto being only removable by the President. Within one year from the ratification of the treaty Congress was to enact the necessary legislation for the islands, the existing commercial relations of the islands with foreign countries being continued, but no power being given to the islands to enter into any new arrangements with foreign countries or have any diplomatic intercourse with any foreign government. The foreign Consuls in the islands were to be permitted to continue to exercise their functions until they could receive their exequaturs from the U. S. government. Article IV dealt with the most vexatious point in the matter of the annexation. The population of Hawaii in 1890 was about 90,000, of whom about 35,000 were natives, over 15,000 Chinese, over 18,000 Japanese, about 9,000 Portuguese, about 5,000 Europeans and Americans, and the remainder half-castes and children born in the islands of foreign parents. By the treaty Hawaii was made an integral part of the United States, and the 15,000 or more Chinese would become apparently American citizens. But as Chinese are pariahs in the United States, it was not to be supposed that fifteen thousand of them could be thus invested suddenly with American citizenship; and there is a feeling growing up on the Pacific Slope with regard to the Japanese something like that with which the Chinese are regarded. It was attempted therefore to compromise this difficult state of things by the following, which was the fourth article of the treaty;—"The farther immigration of Chinese labourers into the Hawaiian Islands is hereby prohibited until Congress shall otherwise provide. Furthermore, Chinese persons of the classes now or hereafter excluded by law from entering the United States will not be permitted to come from the Hawaiian Islands to other parts of the United States, and if so coming shall be subject to the same penalties as if entering from a foreign country." That is to say, as far as regards immigration Hawaii was to become an integral part of the United States, the U.S. laws against the entry of Chinese being enforced there; but as far as regards this one race of people Hawaii was not to be an integral part of the States, for Chinese were not to enter the continent from the islands, and if so daring, were to be subject to the same penalties as if entering from a foreign country. This article alone was enough to prevent the USS. Senate from confirming the treaty.
By the fifth article the United States were to assume the public debt of the islands, including the liability for the deposits in the Hawaiian Postal Savings Bank, this total liability being limited to £650,000, By the sixth article the United States agreed to make the deposed Queen Liliuokalani an annual allowance of £4,000, and the heiress apparent Princess Kaiulani—who was just about to be presented at the English Court and then make a triumphal progress to the Chicago Exhibition—a present of £30,000, on the condition that they in good faith submitted to the authority of the government of the United States and the local government of the islands. 'I'he seventh and last article provided for the ratification of the treaty.
'The New York Nation regards the President's hasty signature' of this treaty, without waiting to hear what the Queen's envoys who were on their way to Washington had to say on the other side, as a "scramble for a little Jingo glory." It is unnecessary, however, to put so harsh a construction on his action. It has been considered certain for a long time that Hawaii must sooner or later fall to the United States. 'The seeds of civilisation planted by United States' citizens in the islands have been mixed with the seeds of dissolution for the unfortunate natives, and it has been a question how long Hawaii could maintain its independence. Distant as the islands are from the American continent, the United States could not with equanimity see them annexed by any other foreign Power, while no other foreign Power has any valid reason for objecting to their becoming U.S. territory. The recent revolution has been much too hurried, and the President had not given enough consideration to the difficulties in the way of making the islands an integral part of the United States, which have, on the other hand, no colonial policy or colonial laws. Ihe United States must as they no doubt will before long change their attitude towards the Chinese before they can annex Hawaii, bus that the islands will before very lon, come definitely under American contro in some form seems certain. and it will, no doubt, be an advantage to them that they should do so.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.