Territorial acquisition has been the policy of successive periods of American politics.  Hitherto annexation has been confined to contiguous territory, except in the case of Alaska, separated only by narrow stretches of sea and land.  But in the case of the Hawaiian Islands an entirely different problem confronted us.

Hawaiian annexation in history.

The question of annexation of the Hawaiian Islands has been before the American people in some form for nearly fifty years.  In 1851 a deed of provisional cession of the islands to the United States was executed by King Kamehameha Ill., and delivered to the United States Minister at Honolulu—­the act being subsequently ratified by joint resolution of the two Houses of the Hawaiian Legislature.  In 1854 a formal treaty of annexation was negotiated between King Kamehameha and the Hon. David L. Gregg, in the capacity of commissioner, and acting under special instructions of Secretary Marcy, then Secretary of State under President Pierce.  The King died, however, before the engrossed copy of the treaty had been signed, which prevented the completion of the act.  But for this there is every reason to believe that annexation would have been an accomplished fact at that time, as the administration of President Pierce was thoroughly committed to it.  The policy then distinctly enunciated was not to have the islands come in as a State but as a Territory.

President Grant was a zealous advocate of annexation, and in 1874 a reciprocity treaty with the islands was entered into by Secretary Fish, under which the Hawaiian government bound itself not to “lease or otherwise dispose of or create any lien upon any port, harbor, or other territory ... or grant any special privilege or right of use therein to any other government,” nor enter into any reciprocity treaty with any other government.  Thirteen years later (1887), under the administration of President Cleveland, there was a renewal of this treaty, to which was added a clause giving to the United States authority for the exclusive use of Pearl River (or harbor) as a coaling and repair station for its vessels, with permission to improve the same.  Article IV of this treaty bound the respective governments to admit certain specified articles free of duty and contained the following provision: 

“It is agreed, on the part of his Hawaiian Majesty, that so long as this treaty shall remain in force he will not lease or otherwise dispose of or create any lien upon any port, harbor, or other territory in his dominions, or grant any special privilege or rights of use therein, to any other power, state, or government, nor make any treaty by which any other nation shall obtain the same privileges, relative to the admission of any articles free of duty, hereby secured to the United States.”

This treaty was to remain in force seven years (until 1894), but, after that date, was declared to be terminable by either party after twelve months’ notice to that effect.