The Liberal, Volume I, Number 59, 8 April 1893 — Copy of the Japanese Petition to Count Ito, Japanese Prime Minister [ARTICLE]

Copy of the Japanese Petition to Count Ito, Japanese Prime Minister

By tbe 5f M€£sr«. T. O. ■ sogawara, H. Tnonye, K, Kamio, | anel Sākurada the repre?env<iiives l of the Jap«nese Patriotīc L«gu? e? Ca!ifornla, we are enabled to pres- ] eot to !>ur reav."-:r? «u a,bbreviated . transhition of the petitlon wnt bv the Jiipsnese res!dents of these Is!arid« to their borae govemmmt The pet!t'iou, r«4e as f<sttows: "W© «abjects of Japau, re#4tng Tp the Hawaiian I*lands, rcspectfdhy appeal to your wise juclgment for actiou ia the following mattet." (Then eomes a īong geographfcal tteserlption~of the eiael Tocatlo'n'of tbe Iglands.) These lālandß are tbe Gibralur of the Paclflc. and from a !«trtgetical poiut of view are of the utmost foa-. portance. When the Nīearaguan eanal is eompletcd, and a cable !ald connect.iof these Islandß ?rith tbe tlifferent. busin-??s oentres of tbe ibfrv wiil 'be' of fteat value, &a<i n <iesirable possmßiov^ TMsi* in<lee<l thc centre 6t &tt Pacīfic traffie. Th<s popv\sation is heterogenou-, »nd tbe natDras eonconftict #nd strife, There are light isla«ds in th« group kiu>wn a's the Sandwieh Isl- ' andf«. The »>!! is w»ndcrfuiiy ?ērtile. ! There ls considerabie arable iand f *waiting ruitiva?ion. The entire population 55 $5,<WO, of these aro naliv«, 20,000" are Pcrtu-

gu«ie; the .r«ni«iutag 11,00-0 aie Atnericaos, aad G«rtauas. The most influeatial eiemeni in thes# Islands is tbe Ameikaa. They h»ve (»ntrol of nearly all the Iniaineaa intereBtB. | Although lent only one-n!nth ©f | th» whole population they are ia ptaieasion of aearly' th« wholt «f the Islands. The Americau? liave everything tbeir own way, and run tbings to

«uit themselve». / We are far from -;itisned / wilh this stat« Qf afTair.«, Our patriotic ■pirit eauses us to t.um to our'Hocae Government for redress. The Japaaese subjects iu this ,country number alwul 20,1)00 —onefourth of the enlii-e popuiailon. The .Īapane-'O I.tnorors are phyMe*lty und intetleetuallj Uie equals of ;iny of the ff>reigners. Ta<.lu<trially our influ«nce is verv greaf. ' Wo be iJomsr>snt a? we aie the BQOAt lro|>orf«Dt eferoeut i*n iheae lalanii». We b«ve u«ver &aserte<l «ur I rights, «o<4 have no pr<»teetiō« for ! onr !Ives anel property. W« nre not I »!lowed to say oae wonl regardīng | th« form of gev«rnmeut we' llve un«ler, Thn* 20,000 Japanese sul> have no means of prote<.'fion, su*<J &re tlwi.y* controlted hy law* «na<'t«<t bv the otter peo]>te. We h«ve «lways been goveme<! by thē! law? made by other~. We have no voice In polltl.?aī! mafters, t»meīy to ! th* inle of other*. This is a clls> ! gTti< o to the Japane?e Novernßaeiit, aad a dishonor fo the who ■ are liere. i We pray our $ocue <ioveruijaent, to piaee tts upon an jw>litjcul footing wlth other foreigner?. When the revolutien !ook pla.-e, ihu Aiiier;f-aa- »!ethrtnf fl Q*jeen ? - jS ;ih rap:<li , v, At thit •v.r*iīL<..<' 'Jme, thi- ,Tapine;'e -ouM *lo nothktg» We ha lno «afTerage an-ī hcsifated ?rorn interference, , Obeerving past hi3tory f pressot'! comlitk>ns, and fature ihmāem?* !. eameftiy «n la'l* ** the Jap«ni»e afe th* e<|a«l <rf atl oiber &atioa&Ut<ec aeni aiast ar <1 g-*nM prtvttege-J ©qually witb citizen- oi otber ' lir.e4 coantn«,s,

*' form ->* m«ent i\a* *.*?•»?n x E-epiitv '. lie V» Ixm est»Wi*h?<t, N<pw trea- - w> wi»l be wiih fsn»lgn W* cor,slftpr tbss 'sn opportun* mn4a«nt for o&r $f>vt# on>ie-iVor t»> u* upon aa equftl po!lfk*a! ba?|i* wītb ! ofber ' ! It !'* not heoaim of tiuraerheal «trength that w* w!4i politl«t! ! «ufffenipe; t«it to ibali>tatn th<* <flgln!ty of 40 t w»0 t OOO JapfttW*e !n ?.Taiwīi, i [■ i We tni«t to ortr Hon* ]OoVern-l-mentfWr« fllrm mū w?se i»!!<fV- »» ! to the oNect of th!s, iippeil'. ' I :; ■.'■■'! -.