That had been
declared by our Department of State under Administrations
of all parties, including Mr. Webster, Mr. Seward, and Mr.
Bayard. They were utterly helpless. As their Queen has lately
declared: "The best thing for them that could have happened
was to belong to the United States."
By the Constitution of Hawaii, the Government had been authorized
to make a treaty of annexation with this country. It was
said that that Constitution was the result of usurpation which
would not have come to pass but for American aid, and the
presence of one of our men-of-war. But that Government had
been maintained for six or seven years. Four of them were
while Mr. Cleveland was President, who it was well known would
be in full sympathy with an attempt to restore the old Government.
So if the people had been against it, the Government under
that Constitution could not have lasted an hour.
President Harrison had negotiated a treaty of annexation,
against which no considerable remonstrance or opposition
was uttered. My approval of it was then, I suppose, well
known.
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