Hawaii Holomua, Volume I, Number 23, 13 October 1893 — IT WAS A NOBLE VICTORY. [ARTICLE]

IT WAS A NOBLE VICTORY.

ANNEXATION OR Non-Annexation DEBATED. 4,000 PEOPLH L1STEN TO A Yictorious£rgimeiitJIga.iiist STANP02D UNIVS2SITY B0TS Qivo Califomu’s Verdict. Tbe following paper is one of tb ree wliieli contain a concensus of tbe nrgument used in a debate between tbe students of tbe Univers.ty of California and tbose of Lelaiui Sbuiforvi Universily on tbo »ubject of anne\ntion of Hawuii to tbe Unito»l States, tbe 8tanford studonts taking the negative. Tbe debate was presided over by two Repnblicans, Jndge Morrow and Judge Black. and a single Dexnocrat Judge Knigbt. At tbe close, tbe jodges gavo an nnanimou» decision in favor of tbe negntive. Tbis Grst paper is hy Mr. Robt. L. Gmwell: Mr. Cbairtnan : Mv wortby oppi>nent has attempted to prove tbat tbe Hawaiiau lslands are worthy of anne\ation. It seems thut the Iogical way to debate this qnestion would l>e to first prove tbat tbe 1 nitovi States has a right to anue\ thoee Islnuds, and tben to prove tbat they are worthy of annexation. If tbe fu’ld.s of Hawaii were as f«*itile as tbe vaiiey of the Nile; if the Islands tbomselves were a gold mine of inestimable value, if aunexation be an unjust ae*. tho United 8tates sbou!d |>o»itively refuse to add the Hawaiian lslauds to ber territon*. L« t ns tben consider drst tbe justīce of tbe qnestion. I bold here in my baud a p«rt of the message of Frwsident Hamson to tbe United Stat«-s Senat«, trausmitting iuformatioo on the Hawaiiau queet>on to getber with the Minister Stevens’ confidential letters. When tbis docum- nt was at first sent to Ihe Senate. that body wa> eniliuai«stic for annexation. We know th«t it iramedi.it#iy tarmsi a oold »houlder to tbe tro.«ty. Let os n*sd frv'm Mr. $tevens’ confidential letters to the Umt#d Htatoa Gtivernment «od see if «e eanool find tberein tbe canses whieh prolwblv bro*:ghl abont this sudden chacge of sentim-nt. | Fikst. 1 hope to prove from <

Mr. Stevens’ desp*tch number 74 that, previoos to the revo \ lution, tbe Minister, ineonjoetion * witb Amenean citi*ens. wa* I working op » conspinry to over- ! throw tbe Hawaiian lslands and j annex them to ihe United SUtes. Let us read from tbi» eon- ; fideutial letter, and see whetber or not a conspiracy actually > exieted. Minister Steveos after i 1 j speaking of tbe loss to tbe Amer1 icans in the lalami* on acovont of the McKmley BUI and its ex- ; cessivo taxation says *'wise and * bold action of tbe l. nited States will restore the property owuers I from great loss, give tbe Islands ! « Governroent tbat will put an I end to a useless exj>enditare of a ; large jtortion of the revennes. Mr. 8tevens simply proposes j to overtbrow the Governm' nt ! and *‘rescue the property i owners. ’ He then continues | and proposes “bold and vigorous measnres for annexation. A Iittlo farther along in this letter he says, “h»ving for many years extended a helping hand to the Islamls aud enconraging the AmeriCJin residents we cannot refose now from ai«ling them with vigorons measnres. “Wecanuot refrain from aiding tbe Americau residents in the Islands, whieh sbows tbat the Americans are iutending to do sometbiug and he iiroposes to aid tbem with ‘*vigorops measures.” What to do? to ‘*iis« wise and hohl actiou.'' to overthrow the Governmeut. Then whnt? “to ose bold and vig >rous measnre8 for annexation.” Mr. Stevens then brings a cliroax by expressiug the opinion that “the gold«n hour is near at haml.” Remember that this letter was written about fifty «lays before he aide«l the Aroerican residents with “x igoroos measures.’ In this despatch Mr. Stevens -publishes to the whole world that he is cbief atnoug tbe oonspirators, and iu plain language shows his desire to overthrow the Hawaiian Goveruraent an«i res«*ue tho property owners. Can the Uhited States in cōnsistency with past principles aunex these islands until sho h«s made herself right Uefore the world by umloing everything tlist this Minister has doue? Can the Unite«l States afford to bave ilie annexution of the Hawaiiau Islancls go down iuto bistor>* as baving been previous!y worketl up by tbe Unite«l States Minister aml American eitizeas? 8ecosd. I oppose the aonexation of Uie Hawaiiun Ishiuds under the present conditions, becao.se, it is nothiug iess than a military conque$t. The despatcb from whieh I read a few* s moraents ago, was sent from j Hawaīi about fiftv davs before 1 the revo!ution. In it, Mr. Stevens ’ asks for *‘wise and bohl action"’ to overtbrow the «nonaivhy and i rescue the property owners. Let ns now read the d«*spatcbes sect by Mr. Steve»s just nfter the revoSntion. aml see what p.trt [ he actualiy took m overtbrowmg the monarcby and resouing tbe pr\»perty ovoeis. It is certainty bcknovl«xlged th«t 1 1 if the United States tbrougb | her Mīnister an«l naval force j < had anylb:ng to do with tbe ! overthrow of tbe Qoeen «nd th« | ! establisbment of the Provīsion*l : i Government. then the Un»ted j < State« bas no rigb t to annex ihoee ' ! j islands until wbat sbe bas done, ! I > baa again beea muioue Lel us * I

see th<?n vbefher or not we bad anvthing to do with the overthrow of the Havaīi«n govemment. On the 14th of 2ast Janoan-, acconling to Mr. Stevens' papers, ‘*the city (of Honolnin) vas st*rtled by tbe inforroation that Her Majesty Qneen Liliuokalani hatl annoanced her intention lo arbitrarily promolgate a aew constitntion, and tbat thre« of the nevly appoioted Cabinet ministers had, or vere abont to resign in eonseqaence thereof. Iu response to the eall from the OommiUee of Puhlie Safetj*, a mass meeting was held on tbe 16th.' We soe by this that it took two Iong days to stir the people ap to h;«viug h mass meeting, and when it raet it was attended by one thon>and three hnndred oat of nearly one hundreil thousand people. Mr. Stevens ealleii this in his despatoh “a reraarkable apnsing.’ On tbe saine day, long before the ranss raeeting, the Queen aml her Ministers sent ont the folloving proclainatiou: “HerMnje8ty’8Minister8 desire to express their appreciation for the qniet and onler whien has prevailedin this commnuitv since the events of Saturday. and are authorized to say that the position taken by Hor Majesty in regard to tho promnlgation <<f a yew constitntion was under stress of her native subjects. Authority is given for the assurance that any changes desired iu the fnml araental law of the lnud will be sought only by methods prov:de*l in the Constitution itself. Her Majesty’s Ministers reqnest all citizens to accept the assnrance of Her Majesty in the same spirit in whieh it is given.” Tbis proclaroalion is not only signed by tbe Queen, bnt aiso by the Queen’s Ministers, whom Mr. fjtevens tells us “are favorable to American interests.’’ This proclamation was sent ont in the morning and scattered throngbout the city, aml yet in tbe face of it Mr. Stevens sends the following letter tn Captain Wiltz; Sir: “In view of the existing critical circumstances in Honolulu, iucluding an inadeqnate legal force, I roqnest-yon to iand marines and sailors from tbe ship nuder your command for the protection of tho 1 nited States Legatiou and the United Statos Consn)ate, and to secure the safety of Ameriean Iife and pioperty.” Understand now tbat it was two days before that tho Queen tried to promnlgate tlic new c'>nstitution, and np to the iime Mr. Steven.ssent this1etter there bad not been a riot nor even a life lost. The MinLstera whom Mr. Stevens says were “favorable to Aroerican interesl* had aix or seven honrs before issued a proclHraation and scattered it ail over the ciiy congratulatmg the people on the peaoe that had prevailed in the city. In this proclamation the Queen vithdrew her new Constitntion, Ihe wry thing whieh mv opponent clain:s vas the cause of the revolntion. The government was beiog carried on by the Queen aad her Ministry (*‘favorab1e to Americaa interests.”) The n»t»v«s are «etU«i dovn to their pe*cefal hfe, and as has a)ready becn said. np tu ffats tita« no riot ha> occurr d nor not «ven a life has b«en loel And yet Mr. Steveus in the face of these faeta

$«m!s th»t letter to C«ptain Wiltz ia whieh he s»vs: *'Ia riew of the critic*l circaEa»t»Dces * * I re»|aest yoa to !and manne» aad s»iiors. ’ Where were these “critical circomsl*nces''' J»ot in the gov- . ernment. or among tbe natives. j Whene theu did they exist' Wby. | over here among llie foreign sng;ir conspirators. Indeetl it was 1 a “critieal circutnstance-‘ There w.as the little fiock of foreigners trying to overthrow the eonstitutional government so that tbey conld otfer tbf Islands to the l'niie*] States for annexation. I and at the same time they did not have a so!dier in arms. Here ( then were the foreign conspirators without au armed sohlier trying to overthrow the Hawaiian Govemment, whieh had five baudreil men iu anus. It was a “eiiiieal circnmstanoe. wasn't it? The Qaeen ooold have destroyed the conspiracy in no tin*e, bnt Mr. Stevens laDded the United St«tes troops an»l hehl tbe Q«een and the annv «t b»y until this couspiracy whieh was organizing against t!io government could orgauize an army to overthro\v the government. And even when Blount went over there. the Provisional Goverument whieh was otfering it»elf to the Uhited States was still under the protection of Mr. Steveos and thearmy and with reluctance, did President Dole see the U. S. marines march oat oi the cityWe see tLen, that Mr. Stevens landed a force of United States marines, marohed them into tbe capit.il city of the i.slands. and the Queen, seeing tbat she eonhl not resist the United States forces, qnietly laid dcwn her arms aud surreudere\l —to whom? To the Provisional Government? No, the Provisional Government eouhl not at that time have over powered a corporals gnard. She surrendered to the United States. and declared in the following words; “I. Liliuokalam, by the grace of God, and »nder the Constitution of the Hawuiian Kingdom Queen, do hereby solemnly protest agaianst any and all acts done against myself and the Constitutional government of the Hawaiian Kingdom by certain persons claim:ng to have establinheii a ProvisiouaI Government pf and for this Kingdora; (hai I yiV/d to th* mtperior /orcf o/ 0»e U»xited StaU» of Amerira. whose Minister Plenipotent;ary, his K\cellency John~L. Stevens, has cansed Uuite»l St3ites troops to l>e lande»! at Honolulu aml decl*red tb it he wonhl snpport the suui Provisional Govermoent’’ Let us bring this home to Anaericu. Soppose that nt the ti me tbe |>eople of the South were workrng up a conspinicy io divide tbe Union. that a lurge Unioo anny was īn readinesa tc sqoeleb the conspiracy. Sopj>ose th«t at this time Eagbmd witb h mueh larger and stronger army had landed «nd marched helween the forces of the North _ and tbe Iimited resources of the Soatii. and had beld tbe anny >>f ' the Nortb ai bar antil tbe peopie of the Soath htd so organixed their arxDV tbat they had been a’ole to overthrow tbe Uuited ’ States Governinent. 'Eng!aod 1 wonld bave l>een just »s gnilty ’ and just as oeaponaihle as if sbe bad Ukeo oor empilai by storm. ] For Mmister S(evens to iand an . army and protect thst con»pir»cy i

! ontil it wiw khl« lo cm»rihrow ihe Haw*ii*u GoTernm«nt wxh u A»s;rant *n oatnge of *I1 tb« <lnties of oor GoTernment to *nother u w.« orer eommiiloi br • emiize»l nation. C»a the UniieU SUtes anot'X th«'se Is!ands untii ««he L*s made herse)f richt before the vorid * l*ntil she h»s amioee eveivthin£ tbat this Mtnister hat done' Another re«son why I wronld opjms*» auneialion nnder the present ciroarnslanoes is. heenuee tl»e United St>«t« > - h<«> never received the s«nctu>u of the voters of tbose Isi«mls. «nd it ia a fact known U> ail the world that a sweeping majority of tbe voters of those Islands are strong ly oppoee«i to acnexation. Let a few facts be submitted to prore this stateroent. About the time that Mr. Sterens was asktng tbe l nit«V. States Government to overthn w the mouarchy and to use‘'wise and l>old action’‘ k> overthrow the monarchy, that is. abont fifty «lavs reTt>lntiun. the secret drifted lo Ihe Prtcific Coast that the bankrupt sngar owners were by soaie hook or crook going to ofFer the i>!:t'ids to the Unite«i States for annexation. So tl»e San Francisco Exaviiner sent T. T. Williama down to the Islands to find ont whether or not tho people want* ed to annex. As Mr. Wiiliaina says he fonnd the natires strOngly opj>ose»l to annexation. The natives represent aiuiost nine tbousand out of tifteen thons>ind roters. In investigating this qnestion Mr. M'iilinma seut ont a list of qnestions to botb bonses of tho Legislature, and one of the questions was' “How woohl your peuple regani anuexation r ' The answer of these questions appear in this Kxaminer (November 21st) a stateiueut of ene.h meml>er above his own signature. Eaoh member expresses the voice of the people whom he represents and when we have consideredcnch letter. we bave tbe raost auihentic poil of the Hawaiian votera on annesatiuD iu oxistence todayEvery one of the members of the lower bouse who speak definiteiy on tbe matter at all stat« positirely that the people whoin he represeuts are against annexation. The renson given is not that they dislike the Unitevi States. but that they Iove their < own eoantry and desire to remain iad«pend s Dt In this Kime Kxsiminrr appears the letters frora th- menil>er» o( the ap|H?r boose. B>‘ar in raind tbat to be «ble to vote for a member of the npper bonse one must own three tboosnnd doiiar« worth of pruperty or e«ro six hundrcd d«li«rs a year So it transj ires tb«t the m«>mbers of the np|*er honae are ei«rtetl by ab«*ut twenty eigbt huodred foreigners. Yetamong the whole Iist eiected by tbe foreign vot«a we eaonui fiud «>ne who s«y«, wheu spe«king definitely ou tbe matter, tbat tbe n«t>ves w«nt to anoex to th« t oited htates. Two of the genllepieu who were C<>uii«tiouers from tbe Pr«riaionai Government to a«k the United St*tes to aouex tb« Hawaiian Isiands acknowied«’e tb«t tbe natives do n«t wunt te anoex. Mr. Thun*t>n says iu pUia tenus: “I ihink tbat moai nativ« Hawaiiana nnder pres«nt eooditions voa!d oppo*e anoexaiion. ”

Mr Wilder in speaking of ihis matter aays: “it tbe preeent time tbe native» voold oppose annexaiion.” I migbt read the statements of other ieading while men of tbe islanda, memi>era of the upper hoo.se of the Legi«Utn-e. who say tbat the majority of tbe pe'*ple do not want to annei to the ITaited 8tatae, but I auppoM it is not neces«ar)' for tn« to read auy (arther. as my opponents will sarely not try to cooTince any well inform«d Amenean audiance that the people of those islands are in f>ivor of annexation. lf neces«ary, 1 have raany other stitemeuts to read to corroborate what I have alr«-idy stat#<l So we see that it has l»een poeitivelv and conelusively proren that tho people of those islands do not want to annex ioihe United States. The fun<lamental principle of our Amerieau Repnhlie is. that it “derives its power from the consent of the governed.” When the people of tbose islands refu.se to annei, when the consent of the governed has uot l>een giv»<n. how ean the United States in consistency with these princtples annei those ialandsf When the people of ihose islauds refuse to annei, when the consent of the governed has not l>een given, how ean the Provisional Government in aecordance with these same principles, otfer these islands to the United Statesf Judge Cooley says, "A Proviaional Goveruiuent has no right tn give away its conntry. Its very titlo shows th«t it has no power. A Provisional Government is sitnply one to preserve peaee until a permanent Government ean be ©etablis?hed, and has no right to give away that whieh it was created to protect.” It is true that the people to whom God gave that country is a c«lored race. It is also trne tbat Mr. Stevens and mnny other people *ay we ahonhi give them no voice in this rontter. This brings before tho Amenean people a question of the greatest ira|>ortanco. The Negroes of Ihe Sonth to-day do not receive their Constitutioual privileges. In several states reprosentative govcrnraent and majority rule is a farce. This is undertuining tho principlea of onr government, and causing the greatost anxiety to Aiuerican stftttsmen, All at-once tbo Hawaiian question is sprung c(K>n us, The Governmeut of the Uuit«k1 States proposes to annei the islands, listening only to the voiee of a few whites and uot giving ear to the eolonHl mon. the actual owuers of the island. lf the Un«terl Stetes refuses a voioe to thes« colore«l j>eople. whose education, intelligouce, and general advancement is (ar above that of the negro of the South. i( tho Unit«Hl States re (uses to re«pect their couslitutiona! privileges. ean she cxpect the |>eople of the South to resj>ect iheee same constitutional pnvileges' lf tho Vnited States is bonnd to anuex those ialamla, would it not be best (or ber to wail unttl tha people have laken a vote and sigoified tbeir desire for annexatron r And by d>»īug this wookl she nol set an example to Ihe people of the Soulb? And would she not sbow to the vorid that she has » “goveru»ent of tbe people. for the people, and by the peopl«f*

ltead past history and see wbat has been gained by down right robbery. What did it profit France that she swept from the Pyramids to Moseow' What does it matter that weak and feebie nations feil before her? Revenge foliowe«l her back to the very soenes of her vations. Wh«t did it profit the naiioua that overpoweretl and divīded up 1 ittle weak Poland against the wiil of her people? They only beaped npon themselves »bame and disgrace froru copunitting against the civiliz»Hl world a deetl that shall never be forgotten. Generations from now history wil! still be pointing the finger of shame at that sinful and disgracefnl act. Shall the Unite«l States to-«lay receive Hawaii from a few foreignere, robbing the people of their native land. and perpetrating a criino prtrrallel to thnt whieh was committed in overtbrowing Polaml? Is the United States a coantry whieh fifty years ago d<“clared to uuited Europe ‘ihal beuceforth she wouhi be the protector of the tvventy or more weak nations of the Araerean contiuent. ia this nation going to forsako her sister republics and by her eiample of conqnest declare to them that t'iey ean no longer depend upon ber protection ? Several tiraes tbe United States has saved Hawaii from the greedy grasp of foreign natious; SIihI1 she now tnrn aguinst her child? Shnll she by this sharaeful and disgraceful ileed give np her name as protector of tho weak ? The untamished name as .the most just among nations of the earth ? By annexing tbis island without firet gaiuing the eonsent of the people? Sball we give up the principle that soceity has a right to partuke in its own government? Tbe leuding Republic liv»ng an<l breathing these principles, s!iall we givo onr consent to bring thera into repute and disgrace.