each one has seen proper to communicate to the State Department his views in relation to the Government and people of these islands. Although I suppose you are already thoroughly informed, yet I desire to call your attention to some points upon which I very materially differ from the ideas expressed by my predecessors.

Before my arrival here I was led to believe that this Government dis played a marked hostility towards the Government and citizens of the United States. The State Department has probably been led into the same error. I am perfectly satisfied that no such feeling does exist. Many of the American residents have rendered themselves obnoxious to the King and his cabinet by personal abuse of the ministers and unwarranted interference in the political affairs of the Kingdom. The natural result of this has been dislike, freely expressed, on both sides. As the feeling is apparently of an entirely personal character, I can see no reason why it should affect my relations or the relations of my Government with His Majesty and his ministers. Another class of Americans, the missionaries, have controlled the political affairs of the country since 1820. They are dissatisfied because within the last few years they have lost their hold upon the Government and its offices. The first class of Americans are generally disappointed adventurers, the second class are religionists, who, having once exercised supreme power in church and state, feel all the bitterness of disappointment at seeing their political power pass into other hands, and knowing that the native population is beginning to listen to a religion preached from other pulpits than their own. The American missionaries have undoubtedly labored faithfully; but it is their own fault if, after forty years' experience as keepers of the conscience to the natives and their princes, they permit themselves to be driven from the field by an adroit English priest, whose church is a mere political machine, and who possesses apparently neither the intelligence nor the virtue of his more experienced and Puritanical brother missionaries.

So far as I can see, the influence of the American Government is all that it has ever been. The influence of American individuals has been lost through their own want of tact and harmony,

There is still another class--the planters of the country. They are nearly all Americans, both in nationality and in sympathy; they are the better class of the residents of the islands, possess its substantial wealth, control its resources, and annually ship 20,0 0,000 pounds of sugar to the Pacific coast of the United States. Their pecuniary interests, their political sympathies, their business relations, and their personal attachments are all with the United States and its citizens.

The health of the present King is most precarious. When he dies the race of Hawaiian kings dies with him, and I feel confident that he will not name a successor. His Majesty is superstitious and to a great degree under the influence of a native sorceress, who has predicted *that he will die as soon as he names a successor. He has faith in her prophecy and acts accordingly. I mention this fact in order that you may more properly appreciate the enlightened influences which sometimes control His Majesty's important political measures.

The fact as I state it is undoubted, and in the event that no successor to the throne is appointed the Government of the United States may be called upon to arbitrate the future of this country. For this reason I have felt it my duty to remind you of the condition of affairs here and to call your attention to the value of American interests which do now, and always must, center in these islands.

They are the resting place, supply depot, and reshipping point of all our American whaling fleet.

They are the sources from which the Pacific States receive all the sugars they consume.

The greater part of the agricultural, commercial, and moneyed interests of the islands are in the hands of American citizens.

All vessels bound from our Pacific coast to China pass close to these shores.

Geographically these islands occupy the same important relative position towards the Pacific that the Bermudas do towards the Atlantic coast of the United States, a position which makes them important to the English, convenient to the French, and, in the event of war with either of those powers, absolutely necessary to the United States. Destitute of both army and navy, the Hawaiian Government is without the power to resist aggression, to compel belligerents to respect the neutrality of her ports. Equally destitute of financial resources, they are without the means of indemnifying those who may suffer through their weakness.

The spirit of this whole people is heartily republican and thoroughly American. The King, his half dozen half civilized nobles, as many cabinet ministers, and the Lord Bishop of Honolulu (Staley) constitute the entire aristocratic element of the country, either in fact or in feeling. And when this dynasty ends, as end it will probably within the next year, I am sure that if the American Government indicates the slightest desire to test in these islands the last Napoleonic conception in the way of territorial extension you will find the people here with great unanimity "demanding by votes, freely expressed, annexation to" the United States.

I have the honor, etc.,

EDWARD McCook,
United States Minister Resident.

[Private. For the Secretary alone.]

Hon. W. H. SEWARD,

Washington, D. C.:

SAN FRANCISCO, June 7, 1867.

SIR: I sail to-morrow for Honolulu and desire before leaving to ask you to order me to report in Washington about the time the Hawaiian treaty comes before the Senate for ratification or grant me a leave of absence for that purpose. I will then have in my possession every fact which might influence the favorable consideration of Congress; and it it is unnecessary for me to say how deep an interest I feel in the successful conclusion of the matter with which you intrusted me.

Should the treaty be ratified, I will feel that I have possibly accomplished all I can accomplish in my present position, and will probably wish to return to my home in Colorado, unless you should favor the absolute acquisition of the Hawaiian Islands, in which event I would like to conduct the negotiations. I think their sovereignty could be purchased from the present King, and feel sure that the people of the United States would receive such a purchase with universal acclamation. Will you permit me to suggest that you sound Mr. Harris on the subject?

I hope you will send me the leave of absence or orders I have asked for; I know it seems like taxing your indulgence too far to ask this favor so soon after receiving a similar one at your hands; but I certainly have no wish to make the long winter voyage from Honolulu to New York as a pleasure trip, and my only reason for wishing to visit the United States this winter is that I believe it will materially advance the interests of the public service, and I feel sure you will be perfectly satisfied with the result should you permit me to come.

SIR: Your private note written on the 27th of June, on the eve of your departure from San Francisco for Honolulu, has just been received. You have leave to come to this place at the next meeting of Congress, which will probably take place in November.

You are at liberty to sound the proper authority on the large subject mentioned in your note and ascertain probable conditions. You may confidentially receive overtures and communicate the same to me. I will act upon your suggestion in that relation in regard to a party now here.

I am, etc.,

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Mr. McCook to Mr. Seward.

No. 31.]

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
Honolulu, August 5, 1867.

Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.:

SIR: Since my dispatch No. 30 I have had several interviews with His Majesty the King, in one of which I called his attention to the remark made by his minister of foreign affairs relative to His Majesty leaving his capital because of the presence of the U. S. S. Lackawanna here (Mr. De Varigny, the minister of foreign affairs, was present), and the King disavowed any such motive and informed me that he had left this island simply to superintend the labor on some one of his plantations. The whole subject was dismissed by my calling His Majesty's attention to the fact that there had been nothing in the past acts or present attitude of my Government toward this Kingdom which should make the presence of an American man-of-war in these waters the source of suspicion, and that I regarded it as peculiarly unfortunate that these suspicions should be expressed at this particular time, when the Government of the United States was endeavoring, by the negotia

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tion of a reciprocity treaty and by every other assurance in their power, to show their friendship for the King and people of these islands.

On the 25th of July His Majesty again sent for me to meet him in council. Telegrams from Washington, published in the California papers, had reached here, disclosing the fact that a treaty of reciprocity had been concluded between the two countries and made public in the United States. His Majesty stated to me that he would like to discuss its provisions with me, but did not deem it consistent with his dignity, etc., to enter into any such discussion while the Lackawanna remained here. I will do His Majesty the justice to say that I do not believe this idea was an original one, but was suggested to and forced upon him by his ministers, they hoping that the Lackawanna could not or would not leave, and that this might prove an insuperable obstacle to the ratification of the treaty. I requested that this determination of his might be conveyed to me in writing, and on the same day I received a communication from the minister of foreign affairs, a copy of which I inclose.

The Lackawanna sailed from these waters on the 30th of July, in compliance with orders from the Navy Department, to take formal possession of and survey Middlebrook Island, and this obstacle being removed His Majesty again sent for me, approved the treaty in council, and issued a proclamation convoking an extraordinary session of the legislative assembly on the 2d of September, "for the purpose of considering such legislation as may be rendered necessary by the proposed convention of reciprocity with the Government of the United States." A copy of this proclamation is herewith transmitted.

I think that the King heartily and earnestly favors this treaty, and I think that some, probably the majority, of his ministers just as heartily and earnestly oppose it; because they know it will prove destructive to all other foreign influence and make American influence dominant on these islands. I was present by invitation of His Majesty at four of his cabinet meetings and on each occasion he seemed disposed to act promptly and favorably, while his councilors yielded, I thought, a reluctant and sullen assent to a measure which they alone, of all this little Kingdom, look upon with disfavor. I have heard some of the most intelligent and influential men of the islands express the opinion that should this treaty be ratified by the United States and go into effect, abrogation would be revolution; and after its benefits are once felt this people will always demand reciprocity or annexation. I have the honor to be, sir, your very obedient servant, EDWARD M. MCCOOK.

[Inclosure in No. 31.]

Mr. De Varigny to Mr. McCook.

HONOLULU, July 25, 186-.

SIR: Pursuant to the request expressed by your excellency during your interview of to-day with His Majesty, I have the honor to transmit to you the desire expressed by the King.

Before entering into the consideration of the treaty of reciprocity, His Majesty and his Government desire your excellency to use your influence in securing the departure from this Kingdom of the Lackawanna for the reasons explained to you during the aforesaid interview.

Hoping for a favorable result of this request, I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you the assurances of the high respect and distinguished consideration with which I remain,

Your excellency's very obedient humble servant,

C. DE VARIGNY.

No. 32.]

Mr. McCook to Mr. Seward.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
Honolulu, August 5, 1867.

SIR: I have the honor to inclose you the copy of a communication addressed by me to Gen. Van Valkenburgh, United States minister resident at Yedo, Japan.

The note explains itself; and as I deemed it essential to the interests of the public service that it should be written and forwarded promptly, I hope its contents will meet with your entire approval. I have the honor to be, etc.,

EDWARD M. McCook.

:

[Inclosure in No. 32.]

Mr. McCook to Gen. Van Valkenburgh.

UNITED STATES LEGATION, Honolulu, August 3, 1867. DEAR SIR: An envoy of the Hawaiian Government sails for Japan to-day for the purpose of endeavoring to negotiate a treaty with Japan which will admit the sugars and other products of that kingdom on an equality with the products of the United States, England, etc. I should think it would be your policy to oppose the consummation of such a treaty by every means in your power. The Pacific States of the United States are almost entirely dependent upon these Hawaiian Islands for their supply of sugars, and the planters here depend on the Pacific States just as entirely for a market. This circumstance has been instrumental in maintaining American influence here, although all the sympathies of the Government are probably English; and so soon as they can find another market which will render them independent of the United States, our political and commercial influence on the islands will be lost.

You have been here and understand how important in every respect these islands are to our country; and the fact that a treaty of reciprocity has just been concluded with them shows conclusively that the President and Secretary of State fully realize this importance, and are anxious by securing all their trade to make American influence paramount. Should they secure this treaty with Japan, and thus find another and possibly better market for their sugars, etc., it will in effect defeat the objects of the treaty just concluded, by diverting the trade we wish to secure into another channel, and enable the planters and merchants of these islands to sell their sugars to Japan, and with the proceeds buy their goods, as they now do, in an English market, instead of an American one, as they would naturally if their trade were exclusively with the United States.

At any rate I believe that after so largely subsidizing a line of steamers to secure the trade of China and Japan, we ought to secure all of it if we can; and if the Japanese want sugars raised in this part of the Pacific let them buy them through the merchants of San Francisco, or some of our other Pacific ports. This seems like a small affair, but I think our new trade growing up with China and Japan should be jealously watched and fostered, and all other countries hindered if possible from injuriously interfering with it in any way.