I hope you will concur with me in the view I have taken of this matter, and throw every obstacle you can in the way of the success of Capt. Waterman, the Hawaiian envoy, and request Gen. Stahl and our other consuls to do the same.

I have forwarded a copy of this letter to the honorable Secretary of State, hoping that he will approve my opinions and communicate with you at once.

I have the honor to be, etc.,

EDWARD M. McCook,
Minister Resident.

Mr. Seward to Mr. McCook.

[Confidential.]

EDWARD M. McCook, Esq., etc.:

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, September 12, 1867.

SIR: Circumstances have transpired here which induce a belief that a strong interest, based upon a desire for annexation of the Sandwich Islands, will be active in opposing a ratification of the reciprocity treaty. It will be argued that the reciprocity will tend to hinder and defeat an early annexation, to which the people of the Sandwich Islands are supposed to be now strongly inclined. Under these circumstances, I have, first, to advise that you remain at Honolulu instead of coming to the United States, as you have before proposed.

Second. You will be governed in all your proceedings by a proper respect and courtesy to the Government and people of the Sandwich Islands; but it is proper that you should know, for your own information, that a lawful and peaceful annexation of the islands to the United States, with the consent of the people of the Sandwich Islands, is deemed desirable by this Government; and that if the policy of annexation should really conflict with the policy of reciprocity, annexation is in every case to be preferred.

The bearer of this communication will remain for the present at Honolulu, and will conform himself in his proceedings there to your advice, coöperating with you confidentially; and you will exercise your own discretion how far it may be necessary and when to instruct him in any of the matters contained in this dispatch.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch of the 5th of August, No. 31. The President is gratified with the information that His Majesty the King of the Sandwich Islands approves of the reciprocity treaty, and that he took measures to call an extra

ordinary session of the legislature for the purpose of a formal ratification. Since the receipt of your dispatch we have received a report by the telegraph from San Francisco that the treaty has been finally and fully ratified by the Hawaiian Government.

I refrain altogether from treating upon the subject of the irritation which has been manifested at Honolulu in connection with the visit of the Lackawanna at that port. No conceivable good could result from engaging in diplomatic debate upon that subject.

SIR: Your letter of the 14th of April has been received and carefully read. The information which you give of the excitement which is prevailing in Honolulu in regard to the annexation of the Sandwich Islands is very interesting. You suggest a system of proceeding here with reference to that object which could not possibly, at the present time, obtain the sanction of any department of this Government.

Without going into an explanation of the causes for the condition of national sentiment which temporarily exists, it is enough to say that the public attention sensibly continues to be fastened upon the domestic questions which have grown out of the late civil war. The public mind refuses to dismiss these questions even so far as to entertain the higher but more remote questions of national extension and aggrandizement. The periodical Presidential and Congressional elections are approaching. Each of the political parties seems to suppose that economy and retrenchment will be prevailing considerations in that election and the leaders of each party therefore seem to shrink from every suggestion which may involve any new national enterprise, and especially any foreign one. How long sentiments of this sort may control the proceedings of the Government is uncertain, but, in the meantime, it will be well for you not to allow extravagant expectations of sympathy between the United States and the friends of annexation in the islands to influence your own conduct. You will continue, however, to write me upon the subject freely as you have hitherto done.

I am, etc.,

No. 54.]

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
At Honolulu, August 14, 1868,

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I have the honor to forward herewith a copy of a communication addressed by me to the Hawaiian minister of foreign affairs on the

29th ultimo. At the same time I inclosed him a copy of the resolution of the Congress of the United States which accompanied your circular of January 17, 1867, relative to the coolie trade.

I deemed this action called for on my part from the fact that during my absence a cargo of Japanese coolies arrived at this port on the British ship Scioto, and were distributed among the planters and other parties on the islands under a system of contracts holding them to labor for the term of three years. I know nothing of the circumstances under which these people left Japan, but supposed you are fully advised in the premises through Mr. Vanvalkenburg.

I have been informed that it is in contemplation to send an expedition to the South Sea Islands under the auspices of the Hawaiian Government, or the Hawaiian board of immigration, for the purpose of procuring laborers (coolies) from there. Should this really have been the design, I hope the communication I have already addressed to His Majesty's Government may lead them to abandon their purpose. If any such attempt is persisted in I will deem it my duty to protest most emphatically against it, unless otherwise directed by you.

As these South Sea Islanders are without an organized government and unable to protect themselves, any attempt to take them by force or fraud from their own country and reduce them to a state of temporary servitude here would, it seems to me, justify such active interference on the part of the Government of the United States as might be necessary to prevent the inauguration of a traffic more odious than the cooly trade of China.

I have the honor to be, your very obedient servant,

EDWARD M. McCook.

No. 41.1

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
Honolulu, July 29, 1868.

SIR: I have the honor to inclose you a copy of a resolution on the subject of the cooly trade, which has unanimously passed both Houses of the Congress of the United States.

It is believed that in this matter the resolution referred to correctly indicates the moral sentiment of the country I have the honor to represent; consequently I transmit the inclosed copy for the information of your Government, believing that His Majesty, actuated by those sentiments of humanity for which he has always been so eminently distinguished, will cordially coöperate with the Government of the United States in its endeavor to discountenance and discourage a traffic so repulsive that it meets with the reprobation of the civilized world.

With sentiments of the highest consideration and regard, I have the honor to be,

Your very obedient servant,

His Excellency STEPHEN H. PHILLIPS,

EDWARD M. McCook.

H. H. M. Minister of Foreign Affairs, etc.

[From the annual message of President Johnson to the Fortieth Congress, December 9, 1868.]

I am aware that upon the question of further extending our possessions it is apprehended by some that our political system can not successfully be applied to an area more extended than our continent; but the conviction is rapidly gaining ground in the American mind that, with the increased facilities for intercommunication between all portions of the earth, the principles of free government, as embraced in our Constitution, if faithfully maintained and carried out, would prove of sufficient strength and breadth to comprehend within their sphere and influence the civilized nations of the world.

The attention of the Senate and of Congress is again respectfully invited to the treaty for the establishment of commercial reciprocity with the Hawaiian Kingdom, entered into last year, and already ratified by that Government. The attitude of the United States towards these islands is not very different from that in which they stand towards the West Indies. It is known and felt by the Hawaiian Government and people that their Government and institutions are feeble and precarious; that the United States, being so near a neighbor, would be unwilling to see the islands pass under foreign control. Their prosperity is continually disturbed by expectations and alarms of unfriendly political proceedings, as well from the United States as from other foreign powers. A reciprocity treaty, while it could not materially dimin ish the revenues of the United States, would be a guaranty of the good will and forbearance of all nations until the people of the islands shall of themselves, at no distant day, voluntarily apply for admission into the Union.

HONOLULU, April 14, 1869.

DEAR FATHER: The bark Comet sails to-day for San Francisco, and even though I have little to make a letter interesting, I will venture a few lines.

Our latest advices, by the Idaho, seemed to convey the idea that the reciprocity treaty was beyond hope, and the effect is beginning to be generally felt and seen. Men who have kept silent for months, guarding their words and actions, have openly expressed themselves of late as being in favor of annexation, and begun to talk of forming an organization or party with that end in view.

What they want is to know that they will be backed up by the United States and its representatives here in all proper measures taken by them to secure a change in the political sentiment of the islands and their annexation at the earliest possible period.

This means not necessarily a war on the part of the United States, but a feeling that they are supported by our Government and its officials, even to the continued presence of a man-of-war, if necessary, and intervention should this Government attempt to stop free speech and a free press or put down an American simply because he is an American and expresses himself favorably towards the United States.

Americans whose opinions are entitled to respect claim that they have never had from the Government of the United States that countenance and support that England and France have always extended to their subjects here. They say (and I am disposed to think with some justice) that while an Englishman or Frenchman, even though holding an office under this Government, never forgets his country, Americans have been brought up and become more thoroughly Hawaiian than the

natives themselves. I know this to be true in regard to some Americans at present holding office under this Government, and from the records of some of our ministers, as well as their subsequent careers, I am satisfied there has been ground for complaint. No doubt the American party has committed mistakes. They had the power, and ought to have fought rather than lose it. But coming from the missionary stock, it was contrary to their principles and feelings to resort to blows. Besides, some of their best material was drawn off by means of royal favor and the honors and emoluments of office. The "dollar” is as powerful here as in more enlightened countries, and Americans as apt to forget all else in the accumulation of riches.

I told you I had no hope for annexation while there was a chance for "reciprocity." Events do not change my opinion. On the contrary, I feel that the desire for annexation is stronger to-day than it has been at any time since my arrival on the islands, simply because the prospects for the treaty are felt to be almost hopeless, and the planters must have relief by annexation.

I have already given you my opinion as to what the missionary or American party would do if left to themselves-absolutely nothing. In a short time they would be bound hand and foot and powerless to resist the machination of the English and French. They are like raw troops. Unless they can feel that they are supported by the "veteran hand" of the United States they will run at the first flash of powder or sight of blood. But shove them into the front rank and let them feel that they are safe and they will make as much noise as anybody.

It is time to decide upon the plan of action. If we want these islands immediately, I have no doubt the Lackawanna embroglio will furnish the pretext for taking them a la England or France. If no other good has been accomplished by the Lackawanna, she has served to "draw out" the ministers into strong expressions against her and our Government, and by her presence has kept up the fire of opposition in the hearts of Americans and left it easy for our Government to shape its future policy. If the United States should take possession to-morrow, on the ground that this Government has failed to respect American interests and shown its inability to maintain its position as an independent government, I think it would hardly raise a single remonstrance, either here or abroad. The feeling of foreigners seems generally to be that of astonishment to see the United States "put up" with so much from this little Kingdom.

But if the Government is in no particular hurry about the acquisition of the islands, and desires to accomplish its ends with as little display of force or expenditure of money as possible, it might be well to give the annexation party a chance to see what they can do. Two years will accomplish the change if it can be done at all. To my mind there is a better chance for an annexation party right now than there has been since the idea of reciprocity was first started. The "Hawaiian Club," of Boston, write that the treaty is undoubtedly dead, and that although they never favored annexation heretofore, they do so now. They also say that the failure of the treaty is owing to the action of the ministers of this Government, Dr. Hutchinson and M. de Varigny, news which has raised a great deal of ill-feeling toward this Government and increased the desire for connection with the United States. I take good care not to contradict the opinion. The truth is that so long as there was a chance for receiving the benefits of free trade with the United States and escaping taxation men who had capital invested here were generally opposed to annexation.