The Annexation of Hawaii

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Excerpt from The Annexation of Hawaii: An Address by Hermann Eduard Von Holst, Ph, D., Head Professor of History in the University of Chicago Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Commercial Club: The question you have asked me to discuss is so many-sided and complex that I can barelv touch what, to me, seem to be the most important points. I, therefore, go into medias res without any further introduction. What is the criterion for deciding the question, ought Hawan to be annexed bv the United States? I answer, first, in a negative way Not the wishes or interest of the islanders. Whether they would be benefited or not bv annexation does not legitimately enter into the question with so much as a feathers weight. The contention that to them it would be a great and unalloyed blessing can be allowed to pass unchallenged by the American opponents of the project. It would be Quixotic on the part of the people of the United States to make this consideration the compass in determining upon the course of their policy. It is not only their unquestionable right, but also their imperative duty to be guided solely by their own interest. To prove that annexation is in then interest, it does not, however, suffice that some advantages would be derived from it. The task incumbent upon the advocates of the ratification of the treaty is to demonstrate that these advantages are not overbalanced by disadvantages. To do this, they must not let their eyes stay riveted to the present and the near future, but look ahead a long way, they must not descant merely upon the direct consequences, but also refute all rational apprehensions as to the mediate effects, they must deal not only with the certainties, but also with the probabilities, and disprove the existence of contingent dangers outweighing the promised benefits. Declamation. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.