encouragement of several German residents and the German
Consul, attempted to place their chief upon the throne. A
serious disturbance occurred, during which several hundred
lives were sacrificed— including those of Lieut. Lansdale and



RELATIONS WITH KOREA, SAMOA, AND SIAM. 293

Ensign Monahan of the United States Navy, and Lieut. Free-
man of the British Navy — and considerable property destroyed.
The Ambassadors of Great Britain and Germany at Washing-
ton, in conferences with Secretary Hay, reached an amicable
agreement to send a commission of one delegate from each
country to Samoa to settle affairs and recommend a plan of
permanent government for the island less awkward and com-
plicated than the present one.

Siam.

Very little is known of the ancient history of the kingdom.
It is inhabited by a heterogeneous population that, in phys-
ical characteristics, customs, and manners, is closely related
to the Hindoos and Chinese, and has been, from time to
time, further reinforced by, and amalgamated with, a con-
siderable emigration from those countries as well as from the
islands on the south. Its boundaries, too, are as yet unde-
fined, though its area is popularly estimated at 250,000 square
miles or nearly that of the state of Texas. The number of in-
habitants also is only approximately known, since there has
never been an official census. Various authorities state the
number of souls at 6,000,000, of which only about one third
are Siamese.

The trade of Siam has been tributary to China from a re-
mote period and is still principally carried on with that coun-
try although, in recent years, the English commerce has
grown to considerable proportions. The exports in 1884,
amounted to nearly $12,000,000, more than one half of which
consisted of rice. The imports for the same period were
valued at about $5,200,000 and were made up of silk goods,
tea, opium, and English cottons. The exports, generally in
excess of imports, are paid for in foreign silver, which is re-
coined into the currency of the country.

Although the ruler of Siam possesses autocratic power, it



294 THE UNITED STATES AND FOREIGN POWERS.

is rarely exercised. The code of laws is old and vener-
ated and, though crude and incomplete, all decrees and judg-
ments are intended to be based upon it. In cases of ambigu-
ity, the courts are governed by precedent ; and this custom is
so general and strong that much of the civil and criminal pro-
cedure derives force and efficacy from the unwritten law.

Buddhism is the religion of the country and the large and
costly temples, richly ornamented and stocked with grotesque
and gigantic idols, form a conspicuous feature in every part of
the land. The numerous religious festivals are seasons of great
rejoicing and amusement. Even funeral rites are accom-
panied with banquets, dancing, and similar diversions, and,
after burning the bodies of the dead, the ashes are preserved
in urns or, being mixed with lime, serve to plaster the temple
walls.

Bangkok, the capital, is a city of 500,000 inhabitants, and is
located on both sides of the large river Chow Payah, about
thirty miles from its mouth. The city extends for six miles
along its banks and is so intersected by canals and small
streams running in all directions through the city that the
place is appropriately styled the " Venice of the East."
Thousands of shops and dwellings, built upon bamboo floats,
line the shores for miles, and boats are exclusively used for
visiting all parts of the city. It is situated in a vast plain
that is covered with rice fields and, although destitute of
sanitary improvements, is considered very healthy. Its im-
portance as the capital and chief commercial port of the
kingdom has attracted to it a large body of European and Asi-
atic residents, and, with submarine cable, mail and telegraphic
facilities, telephone exchanges, gas and electric light plants,
and other necessary or convenient appendages of modern civ-
ilization, the city is becoming quite cosmopolitan.

The Siamese are not a literary people, yet education is gen-



RELATIONS WITH KOREA, SAMOA, AND SIAM. 295

erally diffused among all classes. Their system of writing,
which is quite as slow as the forming of English capital let-
ters with the pen, makes the preparation of manuscript a long
and tedious process. Yet they have some printing presses,
from which the natives have issued elementary schoolbooks
and Buddhist volumes for the priests. The Protestant mis-
sionaries established the first printing press in Siam in 1836
and, since that date, they have printed and distributed many
thousands of volumes among the people, consisting mainly of
the Gospels, Pilgrim's Progress, Life of Christ, Evidences of
Christianity, and other books of a similar character. Their
long-continued and persistent efforts have been crowned with
•abundant success, their missions are in a flourishing condition
and no more inviting field has been opened for the extension
of the Protestant religion.

Our treaty relations with the government of Siam were first
established in 1833, when Mr. Edmund Roberts was commis-
sioned by President Jackson to visit the courts of Cochin-
China, Siam, and Muscat for the purpose of effecting arrange-
ments for the protection of our seamen and the extension of
American commerce. At the time of his visit our shipping
was subjected to every species of extortion that eastern av-
arice so well knew how to impose upon it, and American citi-
zens were exposed to the penalties of laws that gave to the
creditor power over the life as well as the property of the
debtor. The success of the mission was fully attained by the
abrogation of these harsh provisions and the securing of
necessary and proper guarantees for the protection of our ships
and seamen. Our relations with the kingdom of Siam, since
that date, have been undisturbed by any untoward incident,
and our commerce with the country, though inconsiderable as
yet, has enjoyed all the rights and immunities which are ex-
tended to that of the most favored nation.



CHAPTEE XXII.

RELATIONS WITH THE CONGO STATE AND THE HAWAIIAN

ISLANDS.

The Congo State.

During the last decade an association was formed in Europe
for the purpose of organizing a government and developing
the resources of that vast portion of equatorial Africa,
which Henry M. Stanley has so successfully explored. This
association, called " ComitS aV Etudes du Haut Congo,'' 1 and
afterwards substantially merged into " The International
African Association," had as its president, King Leopold of
Belgium.

Portugal claimed this territory, or at least that part of it
lying about the lower Congo, by right of discovery by her
navigators in 1484. Possession was taken at that time in the
name of Portugal and a colony called Zaire was founded. In
various treaties with Spain dating from 1668 to 1713 Portugal's
right to the Congo country was conceded. During the conti-
nental war in the eighteenth century she was dispossessed of
her African colonies but by skillful diplomacy she managed to
regain them in 1763. Early in this century England at-
tempted to effect by diplomatic means, the abolition of the
slave trade carried on by Portugal. The latter government,
however, was unwilling to discontinue a trade which formed
the bulk of her income from Africa. But in 1810 she was in-
duced to join in a treaty to suppress the traffic. Shortly after-

296



RELATIONS WITH CONGO AND HAWAII. 297

wards, Great Britain had reason to believe that Portugal was
not carrying out the purpose of the treaty and a series of new
treaties was concluded in which more stringent measures were
adopted. Portugal made a proclamation expressly prohibit-
ing the slave trade and gave England permission to overhaul
and search vessels off the coast of the Portuguese African col-
onies. Even with such measures the slave trade continued
until 1871, when the Portuguese government was able to an-
nounce to Great Britain that the inhuman traffic was at an

end.

During the period from 1810 to 1871 Portuguese power on
the African coast steadily declined. Commercial enterprises
of various kinds had been started by Dutch, French, and
English traders along the seaboard and for some distance into
the interior. Over each one of these establishments was
hoisted the flag of the nation to which the proprietors be-
longed. The far interior, into which Stanley had penetrated,
was divided among many petty chieftains, who acknowledged
no sovereignty save their own. Beginning in 1880 the Inter-
national Association had negotiated about one hundred trea-
ties with these African chiefs, who surrendered in consideration
of "presents " a territory which covers over 14,000 square miles.
By these treaties the chiefs and their people were not to be
actually dispossessed of their lands but were to put themselves
under the protection of the International African Association.
Portugal became alarmed at these encroachments upon her
territory and in 1884 drew up a treaty with England which
recognized the sovereignty of Portugal over the west coast of
Africa between the 5th and 8th degrees of south latitude and
declared the navigation of the Congo and the Zambezi Rivers
free. As a remuneration for recognizing Portugal's sov-
ereignty England received the colony of San Juan Baptista.

This treaty seemed a deathblow to the association. Portugal's



29S THE UNITED STATES AND FOREIGN POWERS.

dominions upon the Congo were a menace to the neutrality of
the recently acquired possessions of the association. Its plans
seemed impossible and its influence was fast waning when
a hitherto apparently uninterested power appeared upon the
ne and revived its drooping fortunes. No sooner had Eng-
land by her treaty with Portugal discouraged the civilizing
tendencies of the association, than Bismarck set his seal of ap-
probation upon the movement and by his diplomacy, instead
of an association under the patronage of private individuals, it
became a corporation to be fostered and guided by the great
powers of the world.

Bismarck had well said that the standing menace to the
unity of the German Empire was the ever increasing emigra-
tion of the sturdy Teutonic stock to other countries. By what
means could this mass of people be kept at home ? Only
by providing more extensive employment, and in order to
do this, by enlarging the markets for German manufactures.
To gain this end Bismarck inaugurated a regular colonial
policy, which was not to encourage the emigration of German
subjects but to increase the manufacture of German wares.
The experiment had been tried in Samoa and in Fernando Po,
of opening large warehouses for German goods and of estab-
lishing lines of German merchant vessels to supply them with
the articles for which there was a demand. Samoa and Fer-
nando Po rapidly came under German influence and exports
to those ports became a considerable part of the commerce
of the German Empire.

By the efforts of the International Congo Association an
enormous tract of land had been opened whose population con-
siderably exceeded a million souls. By the introduction of
civilization, the wants of these people were to be increased
and, as the prospects pointed to a rapid growth of population
by immigration, there was an opening for German trade which



RELATIONS WITH CONGO AND HAWAII. 299

would make that with Samoa sink into comparative insignifi-
cance.

Bismarck set about to gain the co-operation of France and
England in support of the association. To England he wrote
that Germany could not respect the right of parties who
had been previously interested on the Congo. With such
an announcement as this and with all of England's com-
mercial interests demanding that the government should lend
its aid to the association, the British minister hesitated to
ratify, and finally rejected the treaty so lately drawn up
with Portugal.

Bismarck next secured the good will of France by offering to
abandon any German occupation in Africa, should it be
considered prejudicial to French interests and he proceeded to
show the inestimable advantage which would accrue to
the French by co-operation in the plans of the association.
The United States had already signified its approval of the
plans of the association and on the 22d day of April, 1884,
President Arthur with the advise and consent of the Senate,
recognized the flag of the International African Association (a
golden star on a field of blue), as that of a friendly govern-
ment, avoiding in doing so any prejudgment of conflicting
territorial claims that might be involved.

By this time, the association having received a strong back-
ing, by Germany, France, England, and tbe United States,
Bismarck issued an invitation to the powers of Europe and
to the United States to a conference to be held at Berlin on the
15th of November, 1884, to consider and decide upon the free
navigation of the Congo and also upon the establishment of
rules which would govern future occupations on the west coast
of Africa. It was expressly stipulated that all questions of
sovereignty should be left untouched. Accordingly on the
day appointed, representatives from nearly all the powers



300 THE UNITED STATES AND FOREIGN POWERS.

appeared al Berlin and, for the first time in history, repre-
sentative from the United States joined in a diplomatic
conference with the powers of Europe.

After a brief discussion, the navigation of the Congo was
declared free to all the powers of the world and future occupa-
tions on the coast were to be regulated by a new association,
"The International Conference of the Navigation and Com-
merce of the Congo." This commission was authorized to
main tain sufficient authority to insure peace, and Great
Britain was given the supervision of it.

Although the International African Association as such
did not enter into the deliberations at the conference, yet
the important questions which concerned it were settled.
These out of the way, the association was on a sure footing
and almost immediately after the conference ended, it de-
veloped into a political entity, called the " Congo Free State."
With this new power nearly all of the nations represented
at Berlin negotiated treaties of recognition and friendship.

It was a novel spectacle in international politics, — a state
actually created by the good will of the great powers of the
world, with its recognition immediate and its independence
guaranteed. Germany is, perhaps, its guardian, but the
United States is its godfather. The territory of the new state
was made known to the world by Stanley, and our govern-
ment was the first to recognize its existence as an institution
by declaring that, " in harmony with the traditional policy of
the United States — this government announces its sympathy
with, and approval of, the humane and benevolent purposes of
the International Association of the Congo and will order the
officers of the United States on land and sea, to recognize
the flag of the International African Association as the flag of
a friendly government."
On the first of August, 1885, King Leopold wrote to President



RELATIONS WITH CONGO AND HAWAII. 301

Cleveland, "Now that the position of the association in an
international point of view, that its territorial position is
established, that its mission has received valuable encourage-
ment, I am prepared to bring to your notice and to that of the
people of the United States that the possessions of the Inter-
national Association of the Congo will hereafter form the
Independent State of the Congo. I have at the same time,
the honor to inform you that, authorized by the Belgian
Chambres, I have taken the title of sovereign of the Independ-
ent State of the Congo."

The union between Belgium and the new state was to be
wholly personal and President Cleveland replied, " I con-
gratulate your majesty on being called to the chief magistracy
of the newly formed government and the people of the United
States cannot doubt that, under your majesty's good gov-
ernment, the people of the Congo region will advance in
the paths of civilization and deserve the good will of all those
states and people, which may be brought into contact with
them."

"Whatever the resources of the new state may be, and the re-
ports on that subject are very conflicting, the method of its
organization is strikingly novel and is a proof of the human-
izing tendencies in nineteenth century politics.
The Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands.

The Hawaiian Islands, comprising a group of eight inhab-
ited and four uninhabited islands, are the most important in
the north Pacific Ocean, and, lying directly in the track of
commerce between America and Asia and nearly equidistant
from the two continents, their value to the United States as
a port of refuge, as well as the seat of a profitable and flour-
ishing trade, is fully recognized and appreciated. They are
located between the nineteenth and twenty-second degrees
of north latitude, nearly corresponding to the latitude of the



802 THE UNITED BTATES AND FOREIGN POWERS.

island of Cuba, and their area, excluding that of the four un-
Inhabited Islands, Is estimated at 4,250,000 acres, or about
6,640 square miles; of this amount about 2,500,000 acres, or
about 3,900 square miles, are included in the area of the island
of Hawaii. The population, according to the census of 1890,
amounted to 90,000 souls, comprising 34,500 natives, 15,000
Chinese, 1^,000 Japanese, 8,500 Portuguese, and the remainder
of various nationalities, nearly two thousand of whom are
Americans. At the discovery of these islands by Captain
Cook in 1778, the population was estimated at 200,000, but,
from official and other data, obtained at various periods since
that date, it appears that the native race is in the course of
gradual extinction. This is ascribed to the fact that leprosy
and other diseases have been introduced from abroad as well
as to the reason that the female population is much smaller
than that of the other sex and that only about one of three
married women bears children.

The natives of Hawaii are, in stature and development, as
fine as those of any of the Pacific islands. They have a reddish-
brown complexion, very black and straight or wavy hair,
broad faces, thick lips, thin beards, and rather flat noses. They
are naturally a good-tempered, light-hearted, and pleasure-
loving people, fond of sports, swimming, and horseback
riding. They are besides a brave and fearless race, though by
no means bloodthirsty or revengeful ; and, while they have
always kindly received and hospitably entertained strangers,
tl icy have never hesitated to resent the insults and repel the
attacks of those wandering buccaneers who, like the followers
of Captain Cook, have sought to degrade their men and de-
bauch their women.

The field, orchard, and garden products of the islands are
Generally the same as those of Cuba, except that corn, wheat,
and rice are also grown in considerable quantities. Sugar,



RELATIONS WITH CONGO AND HAWAII. 303

however, is the chief staple agricultural product, of which
250,000,000 pounds, valued at $12,159,585, were exported in
1890. The total exports of all products during that year
amounted to $13,023,000, and the imports for the same period
amounted to the sum of $6,962,000. The sugar industry was
enormously stimulated by the reciprocity treaty between the
United States and Hawaii that was proclaimed in 1875, by the
terms of which the sugar from these islands was admitted
free of duty into United States ports ; and this measure,
amounting to a bonus of almost ten cents per pound on their
sugar, gave them a degree of prosperity never before enjoyed
and diverted ninety-one per cent of their trade to the United
States. The passage of the McKinley bill, however, remov-
ing the tariff upon the raw sugar of the West Indies, threatened
the prosperity of the sugar interests of Hawaii ; since, owing
to high-priced labor, dear food supplies, and the difference in
freights, the sugar planters there could not compete with those
of Cuba and Puerto Rico. It proved, however, a blessing in
disguise, because, when the sugar interests were threatened, the
planters were led to direct their attention to the cultivation of
coffee, which is an equally profitable crop. The prospect of
success from this diversion of their agricultural interests is
heightened by the fact that the islands are the natural habitat
of the coffee plant, and that, while the wild berry is of quite as
good quality as that from South America, the cultivated article
is fully equal to that of Java. The serious phase of the case
seems to be involved in the fact that labor is thrice as dear as
in South America, but this apprehension loses much of its ap-
parent force when it is remembered that the coffee planter
may cultivate his lands with one tenth of the labor that is
required to till them in sugar.

The climate of the Hawaiian Islands is remarkably genial
and propitious, for, although they are situated in the torrid



304 Mil. UNITED STATES AND FOREIGN POWERS.

/one, their natural Isolation exposes them to refreshing sea
breezes, and, for nine months of the year, to the steady blow-
ing northeast trade winds. Scarcely a country can be found
where the temperature is more equable and the elements kind-
lier mixed. The diurnal range of the thermometer is twelve
degrees and the extremes mark fifty-three and ninety degrees.
The lofty mountain peaks, some of which are covered with
perpetual snows, that form such a distinguishing feature of
these islands, afford a charming diversity of temperature ; for
at the height of four thousand feet the thermometer ranges
from forty to seventy degrees and fires are often comfortable
even in the month of July. The vast quantities of vapor
floating up from the sea drape the mountain tops in fantastic
summer clouds or, condensed by the cooler atmosphere of
these high elevations, fall in refreshing showers upon the hills
and valleys below.

Upon approaching Hawaii the objects that first engage
the attention and enlist the admiration of the beholder are the
stupendous volcanic mountains, apparently rising abruptly
from the sea and lifting their summits two and a half miles
into the sky. Clad in perennial verdure and isolated in their
grand proportions, they appear, from the distant ships, like
stupendous curtains hung up upon the azure heavens. One of
these, Kilauea, is the largest active volcano in the world.
Its crater, four thousand feet above sea level, is three and a
half miles long and two and a half miles wide ; within this
and filling its area to the brim is a lake of boiling lava, which,
at night, illumines the overhanging clouds and skies and
which, in periods of great eruption, rolls in rapid seething
rivers down through forests and over precipices to the sea.

Tbe first Protestant mission sent out to the Hawaiian
Islands, consisting of seven Americans with their families and
three Hawaiians, twenty-two in all, sailed from Boston,



BELATIONS WITH CONGO AND HAWAII. 305

October 23, 1819, and, after a protracted and uneventful voyage
around Cape Horn, arrived safely off the islands on March 30,
1820. It was a most auspicious moment for the success of their
mission, since, King Kamehameha having lately died, his son
had marked his advent to the throne by abolishing idolatrous
customs, destroying the sacred images, and tearing down
the temples of worship. The strangers were soon visited by
many of the natives from shore and each party, in their
accustomed manner, exchanged kindly sentiments of friend-
ship and hospitality. The chiefs also, with their wives, came
on board, and, after having received every demonstration
of consideration, they manifested great pleasure at the coming
of the party and extended to them sincere expressions of
welcome and invitations to come upon shore. An audience
with the king having been arranged and presents having been
freely distributed among his family and retainers, he was in-
duced, after much delicate tact and mild persuasion, to permit
the missionaries to take up their residence in the islands
and to disseminate their religion for the space of one year.
He was averse to granting even these terms, because the
idolatrous priests having hitherto weakened the power of
the government, he feared that, by the admission of a new re-
ligion, similar results would ensue. Under these favorable
auspices the foundations of Christianity were laid, and they