1886 State of the Union Address

The 1886 State of the Union address was delivered by Grover Cleveland, the 22nd President of the United States, on December 6, 1886. This address was Grover's second.

1886 State of the Union Address

Date	December 6, 1886 (1886-12-06)
Venue	House Chamber, United States Capitol
Location	Washington, D.C.
Coordinates	38°53′23″N 77°00′32″W
Type	State of the Union Address
Participants	Grover Cleveland
Previous	1885 State of the Union Address
Next	1887 State of the Union Address

Themes

The address touched on foreign and domestic policy, including the effect of Chinese immigrants in the western frontier, and policy around curbing opium traffic.

The inauguration of a new submarine communications cable laid between Europe and America on March 14, 1884, was mentioned. Additionally, President Cleveland reiterated his support for the native government of Hawaii and recommended more communication cables laid between the continental United States and the islands.

On the subject of Hawaii, he said:

I express my unhesitating conviction that the intimacy of our relations with Hawaii should be emphasized. As a result of the reciprocity treaty of 1875, those islands, on the highway of Oriental and Australasian traffic, are virtually an outpost of American commerce and a stepping-stone to the growing trade of the Pacific. The Polynesian Island groups have been so absorbed by other and more powerful governments that the Hawaiian Islands are left almost alone in the enjoyment of their autonomy, which it is important for us should be preserved. Our treaty is now terminable on one year’s notice, but propositions to abrogate it would be, in my judgment, most ill advised. The paramount influence we have there acquired, once relinquished, could only with difficulty be regained, and a valuable ground of vantage for ourselves might be converted into a stronghold for our commercial competitors. I earnestly recommend that the existing treaty stipulations be extended for a further term of seven years. A recently signed treaty to this end is now before the Senate.