Communication 19.2 from Dwight Vicente re Resident Population

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lion- REPORT UPON THE OFFICiAL RELATIONS OF TAE UNITED STATES WITH TAE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FROM THE FIRST APPOINTMENT OF A CONSULAR OFFICER THERE BY THIS GOVERNMENT. Un September 19, 1820, Mr. John C. Jones was appointed to reside at the Sandwich Islands in the capacity of "Agent of the United States for commerce acid seamen." To those functions there was added, as the duty of the agent, a general supervision of American interests i , the islands couceruin;' the status of.whieb he advised the Depart- ment from time to time. Other official information tonebing these interests, and events then enrrent there, was oce.isionall,y afforded by officer~ of Tile Navy, oil visifin;;vessels, whose instructions perinitted their friendly intorventiou in such all'airs of ~lie country as they might witli propriety regard as of importance to this Government. In consegnenee of instructions in May, 1825, to Commodore hull,U. S. Navy, ill command of the Pacific squadron, then at Callao, Thomas ap Catesby Jones, connuanding the U. S. S. Peacock, was sent the fol- lowish year to 11ouoluln on a visit of friendly ivapection,to relieve the liative authorities of the annoyance occasioned by deserters frown Ameri- c.all %.u,ssels in the islands, and to endeavor to adjust certain claims of American citizens there resident. The objects of this visit were suc- cessfully accomplished, and Capt. Jones negotiated a treaty of friend- ship, commerce, and navigation with the Ding, which was signed De- cember 23, 1826. This was the first treaty formally Negotiated by the Ilawaiiaus with any foreign power, and although it was never ratified by this Government, certaiu of its stipulations appear to have embodied friendly views and purposes of the United States which were considered morally binding by both hearties. (A copy of the treaty will be found in Appendix—. lu 1829,Capt. 1!iiicl,, cununa.ndinb the U. S. S. Vinoennes,visited the islands as the bearer of presents and a letter,dated January20 of that year, from the Secretary of the Navy, on behalf of the President. In that letter Mr. Southard said: The President anxionRly hopes that peace and kindness and justice will prevail between your people and those citizens of the United States who visit your ielauds, and that the regulations of your government will be such as to eufores them upon all. Our citizens wlio violate your laws or interfere with your regulations violate at the same timu their duty to their own Government and country, and merit censure and punishment. E From time to tune thereafter naval vessels of the United States vis- ited Hawaii and intervened in a friendly way in their affairs. Among them the United States frigate Potgmac, with Commodore Downs, touched at Honolulu soon after the deportation, in December, 1831, of the 10MUN Catllolie priests who had been introduced into the country in 1827 by the 1!rench, and that officer interceded snecessfully in be- half of some of their converts, who were undergoing persecution at the hands of the native Government. Tbese persecutions were not 8 i i 1