America's Dealings with Weaker Powers.

Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 18, 16 February 1889, Page 2

America's Dealings with Weaker Powers.

(From the Pacific Daily Adverlittr, Jan. 15.)' The Hnytien Government has surrendered tho American stenmnr Haytion Hi public which had been seised for lauding arms on the coast for the insurgent forces. It hns given up the captured vessel under tho menacing suna5 una of a squadron sent to enforce the emand mailo from Washington. Tho Qalena and Iho Yantic were dispatched to Port-Au-Princo for that purpose shout the middle of December. Upon their arrival, the captured chip was lurrender to her owner*. Now there

is |oH©ubt thftt shipment ol arms wore mart© ••>■ this vessel to the insurgents and were successfully delivered to thorn. From this fact tho irnpreeMon has been creatod that the seizure of tho ship was a lawful one. that she was justly fo:feited, aud that the peremptory claim from Wasbiugton for her surrender was tho oppressive act of a powerful government towatds a weak one, which ha 1 tho right to defend itself from invasiou, hut whose lights were nulifiod by its strong nnd unscrupulous neighbor. As our dealings. RWJ mainly with the same great nation, wo are directly and very deeply interested in observing bow she treats insijinilicunt parties like Havti and Ilnw .ii. We are glad, therefore, to be üble to sriy that her recent dealings with Havti are in accord with her traditional policy, and are fully sustained on the grounds ol international law as weU ai of equity. No blockade of the ffajtien porta existod. There were, it is true, two armed patrol vessels, but th-y were wholly inadequate to constitute anything that could be-ailed a blockading force. No blockade had been t>roclaimed. No notice of any blockade had been sent to the American governmeat. Even if there had been, it is the settled policy of that goyernfneiH to recognise no blockades which exist only on paper Therefore tho Huytion Republic violate I no blockad • by landing arms on the cans', and could not lawfully be captured for doing *». Her seizure was wholly unwnrrautable. The United Stutes Government did only its plain aud simple duty in compellint! her release. Heavy damages are demanded by her owners, end will no doubt have to be paid by Hnyti. It should be noted that tho existinggovomni'-nt of Hnyti, known 'as the "Legitime Government," is itself the creation of a recent insurrection, and that tho so-called insurgent* are the adherents of tie) foi'Eor government. The l"nited States probably know little, and care little for for tho claims to ascendency of either party ; nor "will they Tufef fern'except to restrict them to decent behavior to their outside visitors.

The past record of America in dealing with weaker pow r«, ltft", on tlio whole, been one of just and eousidevaur tventiiicit Hawaii ha* reason* toeou"rntitlaio hself tlitit it is virluntly in the hands: of such n miuiilor, ra h"ithan in (liuko nf mi) other of the preat powers of tlio world, who nre :il! too much accustomed to the *i >- lenee of war, to tie eitlier n ilil or scrupulous in their treatment of small and wenk Ftn'es. Our internal peace, our business pr. spority, and oven our independent existence would he in c instnnt peril if a great power moved liy the saiuo spirit \v':ii-h Germany has shown in S.imoa occupied the relations to ns. geographically and com :ifireially, which are now filled so siti-fae-torilv and eafoly for ourselves by the great Republic.